Youth looking to impress Warriors brassby
The 2014-15 Western Hockey League (WHL) season is just around the corner and you can expect to see a new look at Mosaic Player this year. The team has a new coach in Tim Hunter and a number of young players are hoping to crack the squad. The team held its annual training camp from August 20-24; a number of players had a strong showing. Goalie Zach Sawchenko is one of the players hoping to make an impression this season. Sawchenko has certainly made a case for himself, having recently backstopped Team Canada to its seventh straight gold medal at the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament in the Czech Republic. Sawchenko, 16, played in four of the team’s five games, including the gold medal game. He finished the tournament with a 2.25 goals against average (GAA) and a .907 save percentage. Sawchenko says it was a memorable experience that he won’t soon forget. He says the tournament has helped him prepare for the coming season by providing a great deal of pressure. “That was a great experience. We had a really good team and everyone bonded and came together. Hopefully I get the chance to do it (play for Canada) again some time,” said Sawchenko. “It is a short-term competition and so every game matters. You have to treat everything like a playoff game and do everything you can to try and make the medal round and then hopefully go for gold.” Sawchenko hopes to translate his success on the international stage to the WHL, which would mean challenging fellow netminder Justin Paulic for more starts. “Nothing is going to be given to me,” said Sawchenko, who had a 3.63 GAA and a .885 save percentage in 26 games last season. “I have to work for it just like everyone else. I will try to earn some starts and take it from there.” Sawchenko says he trained hard throughout the off-season. He feels his game has improved. “This summer I worked really hard on my speed. I got a little bigger and a little learner too which is good. Crash Conditioning out in Calgary helped me out a lot. I’m feeling really good right now.” Rookie Brett Howden is hoping to earn more playing time this season. Expectations are high for Howden, the team’s fifth overall pick in the 2013 Bantam Draft and the younger brother of former Warriors star Quinton Howden. He got to appear in just five games last season. Howden feels as