By Christian J. Stewart/ISN
It was a busy few days for three Saanich Braves last weekend, as Seamus Maguire, Jack Rachwalski and Ben Meek represented the Braves for the South Division at the 2015 VIJHL All-Star Game in Comox on Sunday (Jan. 18).
It was their third game of the weekend as the Braves played back-to-back games that Friday Jan. 16 – a 6-3 loss to the Peninsula Panthers – and Saturday, a 5-3 win over the Comox Valley Glacier Kings.
The fatigue factor didn’t influence Maguire, as the 19-year-old forward scored the first two goals of the game for the South Division Sunday in what ended up as a 6-4 win for the North. For his efforts, which also included an assist, Maguire was named the South Division MVP for the game.
Meek recorded an assist while Rachwalski, normally a forward, played a solid game on defence for the South and served as an alternate captain.
Meek and Rachwalski played a vital role in the Braves’ 5-3 win over Comox on Saturday (Jan. 17), as Meek had a pair of goals and Rachwalski netted another.
Nick Keane scored his first with the Braves on Saturday since joining the club at the trading deadline. Jordan Parmar tallied his fifth and Riley Mathieson was stellar in net for the Braves earning his fourth win in a row and stopping 22 of 25 shots in the winning effort.
On Friday (Jan. 16) the Braves weren’t as lucky against the upward streaking Peninsula Panthers. Hunter Atchison scored twice and helped erase a 2-0 deficit as the game’s second star. Brandon Ward surrendered all six goals on 39 shots, his first in his last three starts.
With the weekend split the Braves move to 14-20-0-5 and remain third in the South, three points up on the Islanders and six ahead of the Panthers.
The Braves are at The Q Centre Wednesday (Jan. 21) versus the Westshore Wolves (7 p.m.), in Nanaimo Thursday for a 7:15 p.m. tilt with the Buccaneers, and home Friday (Jan. 23) against the Islanders, 6:30 p.m. at Pearkes Arena.
- Christian J. Stewart is a Saanich-based communications professional and contributing editor and photographer with Independent Sports News.