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A huge audience, including hundreds of fired-up students from both schools got their first look this year at the hockey rivalry between Shawnigan Lake and Brentwood College schools.
Shawnigan, in the early stages of ramping up its hockey program to elite levels, beat Brentwood 10-2. "We played really well," Shawnigan head coach Kevin Cooper said. "We were very disciplined, and that helped us get the lead and stick with it."
The annual showcase game at Kerry Park Arena marked the first meeting between the teams this year. With the exception of the middle frame, Brentwood head coach Mike Flynn was generally pleased with his team's performance.
"At times we played the way we can play, but the second period was a disaster for us," he said. "Once you get behind by a number of goals, it's hard to come back."
Flynn was particularly impressed with the way his team kept going in the third period, despite the sizable deficit.
"The kids dug deep and didn't want to quit," he said. "That was good to see."
Liam Kennedy, Kieran Furlonger, Cal McMaster and Noah Crumb were among the top offensive performers for Shawnigan, who also got strong netminding from the duo of Merek Pipes and Ethan Schovanek. Both Brentwood goals were scored by firstyear player Tom Hamilton Lane. "Things worked out well for him and his line," Flynn said.
This is Cooper's first year behind the bench at Shawnigan, where headmaster David Robertson has put a strong commitment into the hockey program, with the goal of competing at a high level and moving players on to college hockey.
"We've got a pretty exciting time ahead," Cooper said. "Hockey is the biggest sport in Canada, so why shouldn't we have a strong program here at Shawnigan?" Both schools are now gearing up for the Ross Cup at the end of February.
"By the time of the Ross Cup, we should be in pretty good shape," Flynn said.