Alumni Assumes Academic Advisor Role

This post was written and submitted by Rob Pritchard, Spruce Kings Alumni from 2004-2005.

As the Spruce Kings are gearing up for the 2009/10 season I am glad to say that I am once again back with the team. Although it has been 5 years since I played my last game in the Coliseum, I will be helping the players out as an academic adviser, working to help players with the Spruce Kings land college scholarships.

After leaving the BCHL in 2005, I went on to play four years at Dartmouth College in the Ivy League and NCAA before hanging up the skates to work in Washington, DC. Despite the time difference, I will be staying in touch with the players as they start talking to schools and taking steps to further both their hockey and academic careers.

My decision to come back and volunteer with the Spruce Kings came after I left the game to begin working full time. Although my playing days are now behind me I began to realize that almost every aspect of my life has benefitted from hockey and I would like to pay the favour forwards.

The Spruce Kings are a team that needs no help in furthering players' careers. Since I received my scholarship and graduated from the team, Prince George has moved dozens of players on to the NCAA, the CIS, and various professional leagues in addition to hosting a Royal Bank Cup. For my part, I would just like to see if I can put some of my personal experience to use in order to help the players reach their full potential.

Here's to a successful 09/10 season.

Exhibition Game #2 - Third Period

Teams are back on the ice for the start of the third with the Spruce Kings still on the power play for 14 seconds. Nothing with the extra man and things seem to have settled down some with both teams getting chances. The best had to be Trevor Hertz on a breakaway tring to beat Evan Smith low along the ice on the glove side. Smith played it perfectly to stop the Quesnel Millionaires franchise player.

With twelve and a half minutes to go in the third period, Jesse Scrimbit (incorrectly identified as Sam Muchalla on original posting) has just rung a howitzer off the goal post that nearly bounced in off the goaltender. A quick stick by the Mills D-man prevented the loose puck from crossing the goal line. Sam Muchalla is really turning it on and just came up with a defensive stick check on the back check that was shaping up to be a two on one. He then dangled through the nuetral zone and into the offensive end to create a glorious scoring chance.

Mills appear to be a little on their heels with consecutive icing calls against as a result of the pressure being applied right now by the Spruce Kings. Eight minutes to go and another faceoff in the Millionaires end.

Make that four fights ... this one clearly won by the PG player, Jeremy Wiebe. Shortly after this tilt and maybe the Mills do have some life and appear to be on the verge of a bounce or two. A dump in shot takes a bad bounce off the glass but the quick foot of Evan Smith kept the puck out and preserves the two goal lead with 5 minutes remaining.

Game is over and PG celebrates their first win of the preseason with a 4-2 final. PG also outscored the Mills 27-20.

Exhibition Game #2 - Second Period

Spruce Kings kill off the penalty to start the second period giving up only one shot on goal. On a shorthanded chance the puck jumped over Wes McLeod's stick; that may have sparked the veteran who dropped the gloves shortly afterwards with Breydan DeCock. The Spruce Kings have responded to the loss of the veteran blueliner as they go down the other end of the ice and score two goals less than a minute apart.

I'm at the wrong end of the rink to tell exactly what happened, but Quesnel was in full goal celebration and another fight broke out with Nick DeSousa and John Martin dropping the gloves. After the referees conference there was no goal added so the score remains 4-1.

Another fight, which means they have reached the BCHL maximum for an exhibition game. The rules state that no one player can have more than 3 fights in the preseason and that there can't be more than 3 fights in any one preseason game without drawing further penalties ... presumably game supensions and/or fines. Okay back to the play and the Spruce Kings have a two man advantage to work with.

It was a short two man advantage that resulted in only one good shot on goal. Intensity remains high in the game and some more pushing and shoving behind the PG net has resulted in a penalty to Andrew Pickering.

Spruce Kings will have another power play to finish off the second period. A bad clearing pass out of their zone has cost the Spruce Kings a shorthanded goal against with just 7.8 seconds remaining in the second period.

The teams will go to the dressing room with Prince George leading 4-2. Final shots on goal in the second were 7-4 in favour of Quesnel ... total after two is 12-11 for PG. Chris Solecki stopped 5 of the 6 shots he faced in his 30:47 tour of duty. The Quesnel Millionaires appear to be sticking with Kirby Halcrow as he stayed put between the pipes while PG made their change.

Exhibition Game #2 - First Period

Just underway in Smithers and Sam Muchalla has already brought a big "Ohhh" from the fans with a heavy hit in the offensive zone. Quesnel has registered three shots on goal in the first two minutes.

Spruce Kings score at 7:37 of the first to take the 1-0 lead. Stewart Lambert picks up the goal after some hard work around the net.

2-0 PG on a powerplay goal scored at 12:13 of the first period. Nick DeSousa and Andrew Pickering set up Clayton McEwan who had no trouble find the open side of the net.

13:52 and the Millionaires are on the board with an Eric Hansen chip shot that went up and over Chris Solecki. The Spruce Kings are now going on their third powerplay with five and half minutes remaining in the first period. A first penalty against PG has the teams playing a little 4 on 4 hockey. Penalty was to Nick DeSousa for slashing.

Just before the end of the first, Jesse Scrimbit is assessed a tripping call after trying to strip the puck off a streaking Trevor Hertz. The play kept the puck out of the net, but not Hertz who slid in under Solecki drawing a bit of a crowd with 5.6 seconds remaining in the opening period.

After giving Quesnel the first three shots on goal, the Spruce Kings scored on their first shot. Final shots in the first were 7-4 for Prince George.

Exhibition Game #2 - Pregame

Here we are in Smithers, it was a nice drive through a very scenic area of the province to find ourselves in the Bulkley Valley at the base of the Hudson Bay Mountain. Unfortunately some technical difficulties has created an expected situation preventing the broadcast of the game back to Prince George on 93.1 CFIS-FM.

The two teams are on the ice now taking their warmup skate. Quesnel is the home team wearing their blues. Prince George is the visiting team wearing their third jerseys from last season. (hint: look for some new jerseys to be unveiled for the home opener on September 11th).

Both teams are going with a more veteran squad tonight. The big name on the roster for Quesnel is Trevor Hertz but also includes returnees Rylan Stanyer, Sam Higgins, Justin Sotkowy, Brett Howe and also their two goal scorer from last night - Lucas Ford. The Spruce Kings have Wes McLeod, RJay Berra, Brooks Robinson, Joe Morgan, Nick DeSousa, Andrew Pickering and Sam Muchalla on the roster.

Opening faceoff is scheduled for 7:05 as residents of Smithers continue to file into the Civic Arena.

Exhibition Game #1 - Third Period

With the younger and less experienced Spruce Kings skating against the older and more experienced Quesnel Millionaires, Prince George kept pace with the visiting team but came up one goal short in a 4-3 loss. Again in the third period the two teams would trade goals and it was the home team that had to come back from a two goal deficit. 4:20 into the third period, Lucas Ford scored his second of the night from Adam Wade.

Quesnel would hold onto that two goal lead until the 13:49 mark when Prince George wass able to convert on a delayed penalty situation and a rush that started from their own goal line. With Cameron Large heading to the bench for the extra attacker, Luke Hannas started the play by finding a way through the maze of blue jerseys into centre ice and gave the puck to Adam Baldassarre. The twenty year old forward was able to get the puck to the net after going around the goal. The initial try was stopped, but Colten Derickson banged at the loose net and watched it hop over the glove of Luke Simens and into the Millionaires net.

The goal seemed to spark the Spruce Kings who started buzzing, but could not get the tying goal. With 1:34 remaining in the third period, Ed Dempsey called a time out to get his goaltender out of the net in favour of the extra attacker in the time remaining. After the Mills iced the puck, the Spruce Kings took advantage of the offensive zone faceoff and extra attacker. One glorious chance saw the puck deflect off a defender and just sail behind Nolan Grauer while he cruised past the far side of the net.

The Spruce Kings had to settle for the 4-3 loss, but were upbeat about the accomplishments of the younger squad. Final shots on goal were even at 28 each with the Spruce Kings firing 15 on Simens and Large facing 11 Quesnel shots. During his 28:50 in net for Prince George, Cameron Large faced a total of 15 shots and Luke Simens faced 18 in 30:05 in net for the Quesnel Millionaires. On the special teams, Prince George went 1 for 4 with the man advantage and added another goal with the offical waiting to assess a penalty to Quesnel. Meanwhile the Millionaires finished with one powerplay goal in their six chances.

The two teams will now head to Smithers for the second half of the home and home series. The game will be played in the Smithers Civic Centre Arena at 7:00pm and will be broadcast on 93.1 CFIS-FM. Audio from the game will also be available on the Spruce Kings website.

Exhibition Game #1 - Second Period

A little more goal scoring in the second period with both teams finding the back of the net twice, one even strenght and one power play goal for each. One of the little stats that might be of interest is that both teams scored on their first shot on goal in the second period. It took the Mills 4:35 to get their first shot in the middle frame and that was after a power play opportunity came up empty as well for them. It was finally a shot from Lucas Ford that got through Tim Zwiers to give the Millionaires the 2-0 lead; only one assist on the goal going to Matt Herskovitz.

The Prince George Spruce Kings responded a few minutes later with an even strength goal that came seven seconds after a Quesnel penalty. Spruce Kings first goal scorer of the exhibition season was Nolan Grauer out of Nanaimo with assists going to Harjas Grewal and Josh Pineiro. At the mid way mark the teams would switch goaltenders bringing in Luke Simens for Quesnel and Cameron Large for Prince George.

Shortly after that they would then trade power play goals two minutes apart. With Pineiro in the sin bin for hooking, Thomas Kala found himself standing in front of wide open net and made no mistake firing in the Millionaires third of the game with assists going to Ira Gladue and Matt Herskovitz. Two minutes later with the Spruce Kings on the power play, Jeff Datoff let a big blast go from the high slot just inside the blue line that blew by everybody to get the Spruce Kings to within one again. One of the sixteen year olds, Tyson Witala picked up the lone assist on the goal.

Shots on goal in the second period against the two Quesnel goaltenders was seven while the Spruce Kings tandem faced nine. In his tour of duty, Zwiers faced a total of ten shots allowing two goals against. At the other end, Sean Donnelly faced nine shots total giving up one goal off the lone PG shot he faced in the second period.