Greater Trail’s Hockey talent continues to produce prodigiously in various leagues and rinks across North America.
A quick look at the Central Hockey League scoring race reveals a familiar figure at the top of the standings.
Trail native Todd Robinson of the Tulsa Oilers was named CHL’s Second Star of the Month for November, for leading the league in scoring in the month with six goals and 25 points, including a seven-point (2G,5A) outburst in a 10-8 win over his former team the Allen Americans last week.
Players are awarded five points for a first star of the game selection, three points for second star, and one point for third star. Robinson, who finished the month with 15 star points, is tied for the CHL scoring lead with 30 points on the season.
Meanwhile former Trail Smoke Eater goaltender Grant Rollheiser landed on his feet in the CHL playing for the Brampton Beast. In eight games this season the Chilliwack native has two shut outs, and sports the league’s third best goals against average, 2.33, with a second best .934 save percentage. The 24-year-old is a Toronto Maple Leafs’ sixth round pick in 2008, after finishing the season with the Trail Smoke Eaters where he appeared in 46 games winning 19 and sporting a 3.19 goals against and a .911 save percentage.
Coincidentally, Rollheiser’s Beast goes head-to-head with Robinson’s Oilers at the Powerade Centre next week in Brampton for a three-game series Dec. 12,13, and 15.
Craig Cunningham is having a solid start to the season with the AHL Providence Bruins. The Warfield native has three goals and eight assists in 21 games.
In NCAA action, three Greater Trail minor hockey products produced for Quinnipiac as the number-five ranked Bobcats beat University of Massachussettes 6-1 on Saturday. Kellen Jones of Montrose led all Bobcats with a goal and two assists while brother Connor had a goal and an assist and Trail native Travis St. Denis also scored in the Bobcats win. St. Denis is the second highest sophomore point-getter with six goals and two assists in 17 games.
Kellen was awarded Eastern Conference Player of the Week last week for reaching the 100-point milestone and leading the conference in scoring for the week with three goals and an assist. In addition, Bobcat goalie Michael Garteig, formerly of the Penticton Vees, was recognized with his second Goaltender of the Month Award and the Jones brother’s linemate, Sam Anas, was named Rookie of the Month on Monday. The trio lead the Bobcats in scoring, as Quinnipiac improves its record to 13-2-2.
Meanwhile Steve Koshey leads the Alabama Huntsville Chargers in scoring despite being shutout 1-0 by fellow former Smoke Eater Sam Mellor’s Western Michigan Broncos on Saturday. Mellor, who has five assists on the season, set up the winning goal for the 6-5-3 Broncos while Alabama-Huntsville remains winless at 0-14 on the season.
In Wisconsin, former Smoke Eater Cullen Bradshaw and Erik Cooper and the St. Norbert Green Knights suffered their first loss of the season, falling 4-2 to St. Scholastica Saturday. Bradshaw and Cooper are third and fourth in scoring with 11 and 10 points respectively for the 9-1 Knights and reigning div. III champions.
And in Potsdam, N.Y., Fruitvale native Daniella Matteucci anchors a blue line that has allowed just 17 goals in 17 games, earning goaltender Erica Howe Goaltender of the Month honours this week, and lifting the Clarkson University Golden Knights into sixth spot in the NCAA rankings with a 12-3-2 record.