Prized occasion for Bay’s young talents
Club’s rising stars are honoured at awards ceremony
WHITLEY Bay Junior Ice Hockey Club reflected on a curtailed but successful campaign when it held its annual end-of-season presentations, writes TONY HODGSON.
Awards were presented to players from all of the club’s youth squads – from under-nine side the Mischiefs to under-20 team the Renegades.
For the Mischiefs, Adam Hardy and Finlay Amos were voted best forwards, Ferris Groot and Holly Smith best defenders and Riley Harding and Georgia Wigham most improved players.
Nathan Hartley and Stuart Hall were named most valued players and Ansel Groot and Miley Fraser the coaches’ ones to watch.
For the Arrows’ Oliver Jardine it was a successful season – he finished as the under-11 squad’s top scorer with 27 goals and three assists but was the league’s second-top points scorer.
He stepped up to play for under15 outfit the Mohawks, where he plundered 23 goals and eight assists to finish 10th in the league for top points scorers.
Also among the leading scorers for the Mohawks were Dylan Towndrow (22+5) and Ethan Dunn (16+7).
Jardine was chosen as the Arrows’ best forward, George Cowey taking the best defence award.
Josh Noble was most improved player and Heidi Dunn the coaches’ one to watch, while Orson Groot was selected as most valued player and players’ player of the year.
For the Mohawks, Ethan Dunn was best forward, Henry Shaw best defender, Sam Stoodley most improved player and Dylan Towndrow most valued player.
Sam Hails lifted the coaches’ award and Dunn was voted players’ player of the year.
Owen Yarrow – the leading scorer for under-18 team the Tomahawks with 13 goals and nine assists – was the fourth leading points scorer in the league and lifted the best forward award.
Harvie Starkie was voted best defenceman and also players’ player of the year.
Rohan Johnson was most improved player and netminder Daniel McGowan – among the league’s leading netminders with a 92.29% save average – most valued player, while Owen Wilson claimed the coaches’ award.
Thomas Fraser iced for the Braves, the Renegades and senior side the Warriors.
In 13 games for the Braves he struck 14 goals and six assists.
For the Renegades he finished as the league’s fifth-top points scorer, adding 11 counters to his 14 assists.
For the Warriors, teenager Fraser dressed in 15 games and notched one goal apiece in league and cup clashes.
Fraser ended up with the Braves’ best forward and most valued player awards, Ethan McLaughlin chosen as best defenceman and Owen Yarrow as most improved player.
Owen Curry was voted players’ player of the year and Matthew Betham celebrated the coaches’ award.
Fraser also figured in the Renegades’ honours, being recognised as best forward.
Other awards went to Joseph Dowdle (best defence), Emily Johnson (most improved player), Matthew McDonald (most valued player and players’ player) and Jacob Hammnd (coaches’ award).
The Peter Douthwaite Memorial Trophy for Netminder of the Year went to Daniel McGowan.
The John Zajac Memorial Trophy was awarded to head coach Simon Leach and the Coach Of The Year Award to Mischiefs’ coach Gary Barnes.
Whitley Arrows were sitting in second place in Under-11 North Division Two when the season was ended in March. The Mohawks were in runners-up spot in Under-13 North Division Two and the Tomahawks sat in third place in Under-15 North Division Two.
Whitley Braves were in bottom position of the nine teams in Under18 North Division One, having an inexperienced squad compared to the other eight teams.
The Renegades competed in the Under-20 League which comprised six teams, all North-based, and finished in fifth place.