Valencia Flyers Hockey: March 2014

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Thorne Cup tournament set to get underway

By Matt Robinson/Valencia Flyers Junior A Hockey 3/27/2014 1700EST

With the divisional playoffs decided, the Western States Hockey League has put out its schedule for the 2014 Thorne Cup Tournament in El Paso, Texas April 2nd-6th.

The Fresno Monsters, El Paso Rhinos, Ogden Mustangs, Idaho Jr. Steelheads, Texas Brahmas, and Phoenix Knights will all gather at the Sierra Providence Events Center, home rink of the El Paso Rhinos, for the five day tournament.

The teams have been split up into two flights of three and will play against all three teams from the other flight, with the two best records from each flight advancing to Saturdays semi-final games. The winners of each semi-final will then play in the Thorne Cup Championship game on Sunday at 4:30 CST.

Bracket A	Overall Ranking
1. El Paso Rhinos	1
2. Fresno Monsters	2
3. Ogden Mustangs	3

Bracket B
4. Phoenix Knights	4
5. Idaho Jr. Steelheads	5
6. Texas Brahmas	6

Wed:	Home		Visitor
11am	Fresno Monsters	v	Texas Brahmas
3pm	Ogden Mustangs	v	Phoenix Knights
7:30pm	El Paso Rhinos	v	Idaho Jr. Steelheads

Thurs:
11am	Texas Brahmas	v	Ogden Mustangs
3pm	Idaho Jr. Steelheads	v	Fresno Monsters
7:30pm	Phoenix Knights	v	El Paso Rhinos

Fri:
11am	Ogden Mustangs	v	Idaho Jr. Steelheads
3pm	Fresno Monsters	v	Phoenix Knights
7:30pm	El Paso Rhinos	v	Texas Brahmas

Sat:
3pm - #2 vs. #3	Game A
7:30pm - #1 vs. #4	Game B

Sun:

4:30 PM- Win A vs. Win B	Championship		Game

The two teams that make the Championship game will also earn a berth to the UHU National Championship tournament in Las Vegas, NV April 16^th-20^th.

All games for both the Thorne Cup Tournament and UHU National Championship tournament will be broadcast live on Fasthockey.com

Matt Robinson is the Play-by-Play Voice of the Valencia Flyers. In addition, Matt also handles the Valencia Flyers Social Media accounts, produces stories and content for valenciaflyers.net and does Play-by-Play for College of the Canyons Ice Hockey.

Valencia Flyers season review

By Matt Robinson/Valencia Flyers Junior A Hockey 3/21/2014 1300 EST

Most franchises would consider a season with 27 wins, 58 points, and a third straight playoff appearance and a first round exit on a team with only two returners on the roster a successful season to build on.

The Valencia Flyers however feel their season ended too soon. A roster filled with young talent, immense amounts of speed and skill, and solid goaltending has the right to feel that way. Their back to back overtime losses to Ontario in the first round of the playoffs were an unjust way to end the season, but that is part of the growing pains of a young team.

The Flyers entered the season with not so lofty expectations. The young roster was expected to scratch and claw for a playoff spot, ultimately sneaking in behind the teams that were considered to be the top three in the Pacific division in Fresno, Ontario and Lake Tahoe.

The season schedule did not look favorable from the start as the Flyers had trips to Idaho and El Paso, two league powerhouses, planned for the beginning and end of the season, as well as a tough out of divisional home schedule against two playoff contenders in Missoula and Texas.

The season started out on a rough note as Valencia lost 6 of its first 8 games, with two losses coming in overtime to Idaho and Fresno, leaving them at a 2-4-2 record early.

The team would find its footing soon after winning 7 of its next 9 games, including taking two out of three against what many thought was the second best team in the Pacific, the Lake Tahoe Blue.

This stretch began to show the rest of the league that the Flyers were a team able to compete with top talent in the league. Their fast, tenacious style of play put other teams at a disadvantage because just when they thought they were going to get a break, another wave of speed, skill, and grit would come at them, causing pressure that would lead to mistakes and in turn goals.

A huge boost in goal also came during this stretch as Mark Becica returned to the Flyers after starting the season in the America West Hockey League. He immediately made his impact felt, winning his first 4 starts and ultimately posting the best season on record in Flyers history with a 20-6-1-0 record, 2.55 GAA, .908 save percentage, and 5 shutouts (all Flyers single season records).

The Flyers would take an 11-7-3-0 record into the Showcase, the unofficial midway point of the WSHL regular season.

The Showcase would be the week that the Flyers would show the rest of the league that they were indeed a contender in the WSHL, winning 3 of their 4 games, dominating much of the play throughout the weekend against the Dallas Snipers, Arizona Redhawks, Cheyenne Stampede, and Dallas Ice Jets (only loss on weekend).

Midway point pickups of forwards Blake Aguilar and Aharon Lara, and goaltender Luke Thompson, also helped to solidify the Flyers roster, which was proving to be much deeper than anyone else in the league expected.

Captain Austin Ehrlich had another outstanding season for the Flyers, putting up 24 goals and 38 assists (98 assists lifetime, second all-time in franchise history), leading the team not only in points, but by example, doing all the little things it takes to win games.

Two Canadian boys in Zach Paxman and Jakob Kranabetter had strong rookie campaigns for the Flyers. Paxman lead the team in goals with 24 and Kranabetter was second in assists with 26, both proving to be key assets in the Flyers push for the playoffs.

Adam Papayoanou, Luc Whyte, Nik Giers, Jared Waldman and Wil Barnett all contributed as well down the stretch, filling their roles nicely and giving the team that balance that was needed to make the team dangerous.

The Flyers stormed into the second half of the season, taking two of three in Tahoe against the Blue, sweeping Missoula at home and picking up 5 of 6 points against both Texas and Fresno.

Trades with Wichita to bring defenseman Jordan Grywacheski and forward Keegan Hull and Long Beach to acquire forward Filip Andreason helped to deepen roster even further, priming the team for what could be a deep playoff run.

They were hit by injuries after the tough stretch at the worst time, having to head to El Paso to take on the Rhinos, who had only last 2 games. The Flyers would fall all three games by lopsided scores, taking away all the momentum they had built up.

The Flyers would gain some momentum back before the end of the season with a small three game winning streak, two over San Diego and one over first round opponent Ontario.

The team finished with the second best record in franchise history at 27-15-4-0, the best record since the league moved to a 46 game schedule.

The playoffs would be a disappointment though as the Flyers lost their first round series against Ontario 2-1, with both losses coming in back to back overtime games.

To take a positive away from this thought, if General Manager Scott Allegrini and Head Coach Josh Berge can manage to bring a majority of the younger players back as add some new talented faces to the roster before next season, the team now has the building blocks to become a team to be reckoned with in the WSHL.

Notes: Follow the Valencia Flyers Facebook and Twitter accounts for updates on player departures, signings, and any other news throughout the off season. Also check out valenciaflyers.net for up to the minute news on the team.

Monday, March 17, 2014

Flyers season ends after back to back OT losses

By Matt Robinson/Valencia Flyers Junior A Hockey 3/17/2014 1300EST

Six seconds.

For some it’s the time it takes to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in a vehicle, for others the length of a vine they are watching or producing. For the Flyers, it was the amount of time they needed to run off the clock to clinch a spot in the WSHL Pacific Division Finals against Fresno last weekend.

In the scheme of things during a 60 minute hockey game, 6 seconds seems like an insignificant small amount of time. However it only takes a split second to score a goal, something both the Flyers and Ontario Avalanche learned on Sunday afternoon.

The weekend started off with the Flyers winning a close Friday night matchup, 6-5, by holding off the Avalanche in the closing seconds to secure the victory and a 1-0 series lead.

Saturday night was another close affair, this one going to overtime. The Avalanche were able to gain the victory late in the first overtime frame 2-1 after a non-call went against the Flyers and produced a breakaway which Ontario converted to end the game. The Flyers had their chances throughout the game, including point blank chances on the man advantage with under a minute to go in the 3^rd, but just could not seem to convert and show that killer instinct that is needed to close out a series.

The Sunday series finale was nothing short of entertaining as both teams traded jabs throughout, hoping to end the others season earlier than expected.

In what may prove to be his final game in a Flyers uniform, Captain Austin Ehrlich did what he has done for this team so many times, put pucks into the back of the opposition net, giving his club a chance to win. He started the scoring just four minutes into the game by pushing home a rebound to make it 1-0 Valencia.

Ontario would tie the game early in the second, but Ehrlich would net his second of the game and fourth of the playoffs seven minutes into the second to make it 2-1 Flyers. However Ontario would tie the score late in the second to send the game into the third, tied at 2-2.

The Flyers came out red hot in the third, scoring two goals less than five minutes into the period. Luc Whyte got the first one of the period with the Flyers down a man. He stripped a puck and skated 1 on 3 into the Ontario zone, took a shot that slipped past Cepila into the back of the net, making it 3-2.

Aharon Lara would add another Flyers goal a little over three minutes later on a blast from the right circle that the goaltender had minimal chance of stopping, extending the lead to 4-2 with fifteen minutes to play.

Ontario got back within one goal around the ten minute mark, making it interesting once again at 4-3. Both teams continued to skate hard throughout the final 10 minutes of regulation, both with chances to score, but neither team could solve the others goaltender for the time being.

The Flyers clung to the one goal lead until the final 6 seconds of the game. With the net empty in the Ontario end and an end zone faceoff in the Flyers zone with little time remaining, Ontario was able to force a scramble in front of Luke Thompson.

On a loose puck between the hash marks, Ontario was able to recover and get a shot away. It was blocked by Evan Johnson, but took a sideways hop to Thompsons left and landed on the wide open stick of Ontario’s leading scorer Antione Millard. He was able to get a shot away before Thompson was able to react, beating him on the glove side and sending the game to overtime for the second day in a row.

The first overtime did not produce an ending as neither team was able to score. It took 13 minutes of the second OT frame to decide the winner, and it happened in a split second.

The Flyers were unable to clear a puck from their own end, allowing Luke Rendino to pick up a loose puck and walk through the middle of the ice. He took a shot that rang off the right post and bounced back out to Thompson’s left. This time Collin Warner was able to dive for the loose puck and knock it past Thompson, ending the game and the Flyers season in the process.

Six Seconds. That was all that separated the Flyers from a second round matchup in Fresno next weekend. Instead, a second devastating overtime loss and a summer to think about what could have been. Amazing to think how quickly things can change in 6 second.

Flyers outlast Avalanche, win Game One 6-5

By Matt Robinson/Valencia Flyers Junior A Hockey 3/15/14, 930 EST

Game one of the WSHL Pacific Division semi-final between Ontario and Valencia was just about everything a WSHL Playoff game between two rivals is expected to be. It was back and forward, with the teams trading jabs, both getting their chances, trying to make the other pay for mistakes.

The teams traded goals throughout, chasing both starters from the game, with the victory eventually going to Valencia 6-5.

Ontario started the game off in a positive fashion when Luke Rendino got the scoring started just 5:28 into the game.

The Flyers did what they have done all year and kept plugging away despite the early deficit, eventually tying and taking the lead on goals by Captain Austin Ehrlich and Forward Adam Papayoanou just 21 seconds apart from one another. Ehrlich was able to slid the puck past Ontario started Drake Koegel after a nice setup by Jakob Kranabetter and Aharon Lara to even the game at 1-1.

The Flyers then got some luck as a pass by Papayoanou bounced past Koegel to give the Flyers the 2-1 lead just 21 second later.

Valencia would eventually extend the lead to 4-1 late in the first when another pass, this time from Blake Aguilar, once again found its way behind Koegel making it 3-1 Flyers, spelling the end of Koegel’s night. Just over a minute later Luc Whyte would carry a puck into the Ontario end and make a nice move around Ben Meadows and fire one past Daniel Cepila making it 4-1.

The three goal lead would not last long as Ontario would get and convert on a penalty shot after a Flyers player covered the puck in the goal crease.

The second period started with Ontario narrowing the gap to 4-3 when Hallberg was able to put one behind Flyers

goaltender Mark Becica just 5:44 into the second.

The Flyers regained a two goal lead just a few minutes later in the second as Zach Paxman was able to backhand one past Cepila as he was pressured from behind, making it 5-3 Valencia.

Ontario would battle right back, making it 5-4 when a long range wrist shot from Niklas McPherson found its way over Becica’s shoulder, forcing Coach Berge to make a change in goal, opting for Luke Thompson to finish the game after 4 goals on 20 shots.

The game would head into the third at 5-4 and remained that way most of the period. Flyers Captian Austin Ehrlich scored his second of the night and playoffs with 12 minutes remaining in the game to give the Flyers a 6-4 lead and some insurance.

Ehrlich’s goal would eventually stand up as the game winner as Ontario made it interesting with 6:30 remaining, but 6-5 would be as close as they could come as the Flyers solidified their defense in the closing moments to pick up a big game one victory and a 1-0 series lead.

Game two will be played tonight, Saturday, March 15^that Center Ice Ontario at 7:30 PM. The game can also be seen live on fasthockey.com.

Flyers gain momentum heading into playoffs with 3-1 win over Ontario

By Matt Robinson/Valencia Flyers Junior A Hockey 3/9/2014 1600 EST

The Flyers may have put some doubt into the minds of their first round playoff opponent Ontario Saturday night with a 3-1 victory. The Flyers, who lost to Ontario just two weeks prior by a score of 8-1, looked like a completely different team, dominating the game from start to finish despite the close score.

The Flyers showed their speed right of the opening faceoff, using it to go on the offensive right away against the more physical Ontario squad. The start paid off as some early pressure and typical grind away crash the net style of the Flyers paid off early as Adam Papayoanou threw a puck towards the Ontario net that Daniel Cepila had trouble handling, allowing

Jared Waldman to punch home his 10^th goal of the season to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead less than three minutes into the game.

The Flyers would continue to buzz the Ontario net for the remainder of the first period, creating trouble for Cepila and the Avalanche defense and outshooting them 12-2. However the Flyers could not seem to push a puck across the goal line and the first ended with Valencia leading 1-0.

The second period started out much in the same way as the first with the Flyers going on the offensive early. Ontario would get a few chances though early in the period, testing Flyers goaltender Luke Thompson. Thompson shut the door on two occasions in the period, one on a big glove save off a wide open look by Lubomir Fetkovic and the other on a left leg pad save on a bid by Nikita Salinkov.

The Flyers would help Thompson out midway through the second as red hot Blake Aguilar made it 2-0 after an excellent fore-check by Aguilar, Wil Barnett, and Papayoanou hemmed the Avalanche in their own end. Papayoanou was able to steal a puck inside the Avalanche line, then his pass hit Barnett in the back who was able to locate it and feed Aguilar for a quick shot that caught Cepila off guard, sliding between his legs.

The Flyers would take the 2-0 lead into the second intermission, a situation which had yielded them 19 wins in 20 chance coming into the game.

Near the end of the second some tempers started to flare as these two playoff opponents started to get physical. The physical play resulted in a fight with 49 second remaining between Ben Meadows of Ontario and deadline acquisition Jordan Grywacheski for Valencia. Both threw some big shots, but ultimately the newly bleached blond Grywacheski won the fight, firing up the Flyers bench and the home crowd in the process.

Early in the third power plays were ramped as tempers continued to boil over, giving both teams 5 on 3 opportunities less than 2 minutes into the period. Ontario would capitalize on their 5 on 3 opportunities as Basil Reynolds netted his 6^th of the year after some sustained pressure by Ontario to make it 2-1 Flyers.

The game would remain that way until just over 5 minutes remained in the period. The Aguilar, Papayoanou, Barnett line was able to steal a puck in their own end and build up speed creating a 3 on 2 situation. Papayoanou drove the right wing, then dropped a pass to a wide open Aguilar who then fed a driving Barnett at the left circle. Barnett’s one time bid went through a sprawling Cepila’s legs and hit the left post, but the Flyers number paid off as Aguilar followed it up to tap home his second of the game and 16^th of the season to give the Flyers a 3-1 lead.

Valencia would close out the game with a solid defensive effort, limiting Ontario’s chances through the final five minutes, winning the game 3-1. This was a much needed victory for the young Valencia team, especially after the 8-1 drumming to the hand of Ontario just 2 weeks ago.

Both teams will play next weekend in Ontario in a best of 3 first round series with the winner moving on to the Pacific Division Finals where they will face either Long Beach or Fresno.