VHSHL teams looking for post-break change

By Justin Halbersma

At the Christmas break in the Valley High School Hockey League’s season, there have been several surprises.

The Middleton Blues lead the pack with 18 points. The Blues roared out of the gate from the opening game and have compiled a 9-4-0 record, with Kyle Ervin leading the Blues with 21 points in 11 games.

The NKEC Titans are nipping at the Blues’ first-place status, as they have 16 points and are proving to be one of the stronger teams, led by Kris Bigelow, with 23 points in nine games.

The Bridgetown Trojans very quietly go about their work, and that has them in a very solid third place with 14 points. Teams continue to overlook the Trojans’ 6-3-2 record. Jeremy Bent has an astounding 50 points in 11 games.

Following the Trojans are the Avon View Avalanche, fourth with a 6-6-1 record for 13 points. This is a hard-working squad, maybe not as skilled as some teams, but they make up for it with hard work and physical play. Jake Galbraith leads with 12 points in 11 games, showing an equal spread of scoring throughout the team.

The Horton Griffins follow up with 11 points on a 5-4-1 record. The Griffins started strong, and won the C.K. Classic. Bobby Selby leads the Griffins with 12 points.

The Central Kings Gators find themselves in an unfamiliar position…close to the bottom with six points, a result of a 3-9-0 record. This team has the talent to compete, but allowed 40 or more shots in several games to date. If not for their goaltending, things would be a lot worse. Zack Morse leads the team with 18 points.

Finishing last in the VHSHL at the Christmas break are the West Kings Wolverines. After an early season victory over C.K., West Kings has only two victories and four points to show thus far in a 2-7-0 record. Scotty Milligan leads the team in scoring with six points.

Several teams look for improvement in the second half. Bridgetown’s Jeremy Bent leads the VHSHL with 50 points in 11 games, an average of almost five points per game. Aldred Spencer of Middleton leads the VHSHL goaltenders with a 2.00 goals-against-average.