The 2014 Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League All-Star Classic will feature 16 of the top 20 scorers in the VIJHL this season, including the top five – Brendan deVries (Campbell River) Connor Logan (Peninsula) Garrett Dunlop (Nanaimo) Brayden Taekema (Campbell River) and Alex Milligan (Kerry Park).
Milligan who currently leads the Islanders with 28 goals and 17 assists is also tied in the league for goals, and his 45 points are good for fifth in the circuit. Team captain Mansueti has five goals and 11 assists in 31 games, and All Star nominated defenceman Colton Burt has 10 assists in 34 games – all three were clear choices to represent the Islanders in the All-Star game this year.
Additionally, the South’s snipers include Sam McMullen (Saanich), Jackson Skerratt (Peninsula), Mark Walton (Victoria), and Brett Lervold (Westshore). Rounding out the forward lines for the South are rookie Tate Coughlin (Peninsula), Dayne Ellison (Saanich), Blake Roney (Victoria), David Marshall (Victoria), and Connor Krupa (Westshore).
On the defensive side, the South will be led by Graham Zagrodney (Victoria) who sits first in league scoring by defencemen. Additional rear-guards include Garrett Kemmler (Saanich), Sean Buchanan (Peninsula), Robert Zadra (Victoria), and Tyson Young (Westshore).
For the North, high scoring duo from Campbell River deVries and Taekema will be supported by their Storm teammate James Severs, and an exciting cast of players that include Glacier Kings’ Duncan Pernal, Ali Gotmy and Brendyn Smith; second in team scoring Jordan Levesque (Nanaimo) and veteran Daniel Foglietta.
Travis Flug and Brodie Smith (Oceanside) who are first and second respectively in their team scoring, round out the forwards for the North along with Nate Fitzpatrick (Oceanside) with four goals and eight assists in 20 games so far this season.
The defensive side for the North includes Campbell River’s Trent Johnson and Alex Brewer who lead defensively in points for their team, Nick Tupper (Comox), Noah Russie and Dayton Boutillier (Nanaimo) and Liam Peel (Oceanside).
The battle between the pipes should be entertaining as the South features Peninsula’s Stephen Heslop along with Conner Beauchamp and Nathan Hargrave – both from Victoria, while the North goes with Campbell River’s Jack Surgenor, Michael Hails (Comox) and Ryan Waldhause from Nanaimo.
This year the teams will be guided by some familiar faces behind the bench; with the North All Stars being coached by Brad Knight from the Buccaneers and the South All Stars be led by Mark van Helvoirt from the Cougars.
Puck drops at 3 p,m, at the Island Savings Centre in Duncan on Sunday, Jan. 26. Tickets for the game are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students and $6 for children and will be available at the door.
– VIJHL
