Now that his junior hockey netminding days are behind him, Marcus Beesley is getting down to business mapping out his future as a college player.
The 20-year-old from Prince George has committed to playing for the Castlegar-based Selkirk College Saints, where he will study business administration.
A former Prince George Spruce Kings goalie, Beesley played three years of junior B in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, ending up with the Nelson Leafs after starting the 2012-13 season with the Kamloops Storm.
In 43 games with the Leafs and Storm, he compiled a 3.33 goals-against average and .907 save percentage while amassing a 15-24-2 record. In his KIJHL career he posted an overall record of 38-46-2 with a 3.48 goals-against average and .898 save percentage.
"Marcus is an athletic goaltender with strong fundamentals who adds another great option for us in goal," says Saints head coach Jeff Dubois, in a team release. "We carried three goalies last season and each of them performed very well when given the opportunity to contribute. We expect that Marcus will immediately compete for playing time alongside Myles (Hovdebo) and Chris (Hurry) next season."
Three weeks ago, the Saints captured the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League championship with an overtime win over Simon Fraser University, capping a dream season in which they went 21-3 in the regular season and 4-0 in the playoffs -- a dramatic turnaround from their 5-19 last-place finish a year ago.
"I've heard so many great things about the school and especially the hockey team, so when it came time to make a decision for next season the chance to win a championship and better myself as a player and student made Selkirk an easy choice," says Beesley.
