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Friday, December 5, 2008
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Midget Cats make moves |
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Written by JASON PETERS
Citizen staff
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Friday, 03 October 2008 |
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COUGARSCARIBOO COUGARSCATSHOCKEY MAJOR MIDGET LEAGUEVANCOUVER NORTHWEST GIANTSWILLIAMS LAKE
Arnold and Johnson are 16-year-old forwards from Smithers. Evidently, the pull of home was too strong for them to ignore.
"At the beginning of the season, right off the bat, it was, 'If you need your mom, go home now,'" said Cougars head coach Trevor Sprague, clearly not impressed with the decisions of the two players. "They didn't need their mom and dad at that time, but now I guess they decided they needed their mom and dad. They weren't ready to be hockey players."
Arnold had no points in two games and Johnson managed one assist in four contests.
To help fill the roster gaps, the Cougars added local forward Mitch Elliot, and he'll be with the team for the remainder of the B.C. Hockey Major Midget League season. Sprague also made a phone call to forward Ty Moses, one of the last cuts in training camp. Moses is now back home in Williams Lake, playing hockey there. Sprague invited Moses to come back to the Cougars, but the player's response was predictable.
"He pretty much told me -- and I don't blame him -- 'You had me, you should have kept me. Now I'm in Williams Lake, I'm going to stay here and play with my team.' I've got to respect that," Sprague said.
The Cougars will face the Valley West Hawks tonight (7:15) at Kin 1. A rematch is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Sunday, also at Kin 1.
The Cats also have other lineup issues right now. Forward Jordan Duncan, the team captain, is expected to miss the next two months because of a knee injury, while forward Isaac Haack will be back on the ice this weekend after serving a suspension.
Duncan was hurt during a Sunday road game against the Fraser Valley Bruins when he went awkwardly into the boards after he took a hit. The 16-year-old now has cartilage floating inside his knee and requires surgery.
Coincidentally, Duncan's younger brother, Justin, recently suffered a knee injury and is out for the season. Justin was skating for the city's Tier 1 midget rep team.
As for Haack, also 16, he hasn't played since the season's first game, when he speared Dalton Thrower of the Vancouver Northwest Giants. Haack sat out for three games and had to write a letter to Jim Humphries, the MML president. Humphries decided to allow Haack to play again but is keeping him on a short leash.
"Humphries is basically holding three (additional) games over his head," Sprague said.
"If (Haack) steps out of line again with any major penalty that gives him a match penalty, those three games will be attached to whatever he gets."
Heading into tonight's game, the Cougars have a 1-3 record. The Hawks sit at 2-2.
In the Cats' game last Sunday against the Bruins -- a 5-3 loss -- they gave up all five goals at even strength.
"What it all comes down to is just hard work and guys wanting to be good defensively as well as scoring goals," said Cougars assistant coach Andrew Luciuk. "You're not going to win a lot of games giving up five and six goals."
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Last Updated ( Friday, 03 October 2008 )
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Trevor Sprague, grow up