Most of the time, one of a team’s goalies is a veteran; the other, usually younger or less experienced, serves as an understudy.
The NKEC Titans of the Valley High School Hockey League are the exception to the rule. As of March 1, the Titans played 21 regular season games, winning 17 and losing only two in regulation time, one in overtime and one in a shootout. The veteran squad scored 164 goals in 21 games, the most in the league. Their goals against, a stingy 40, was also the best in the circuit - and all with the help of two Grade 10 goalies.
Harrison Boutilier, who turns 16 later this month, started 12 games, played 680.73 minutes and allowed 21 goals for an average of 1.85, tops in the league. He had a 10-1 record and recorded three shutouts.
Zachary Mason, who turns 16 in April, wasn’t far behind. Mason got into 10 games, playing 588.27 minutes and allowing 19 goals for an average of 1.94, second in the VHSHL behind Boutilier. Mason had a 7-3 record and two shutouts.
Rare breed
Titans’ head coach Colin Duncan acknowledges it is rare in high school hockey to have two goalies who ‘share the load’ like Boutilier and Mason do. Needless to say, it is also unusual for a team with two 15-year-old goalies to be this successful.
“The neat thing about Harrison and Zach is that they’re such good friends,” he said. “Goaltending is a tough position. I find they cheer for each other, whichever one is playing, and back each other up.”
The Titans started the 2014-2015 season with a pair of veteran goalies in Colin Beckwith and Noah Turner. Both ended up injured, opening the door for first Boutilier and then Mason.
“I was an affiliated player last season,” Boutilier says. “I was called up in November, and I ended up staying the rest of the season due to the injuries.”
By the time the regional championships came around, one of the regular goalies had returned but was away on a school trip. Boutilier played most of the games, but suffered an injury, leaving Mason to play the last two periods against Barrington.
NKEC won the regional banner a year ago, edging Yarmouth 3-2 in overtime, then went on to win the school’s fifth provincial championship.
Turner and Boutilier handled the goaltending chores at provincials, but Mason was on hand in case anything happened to either goalie.
Getting started
Both Boutilier and Mason grew up in Kentville.
“I started hockey later than most,” Boutilier says. “I was close to nine years old when I started.”
He was promoted directly from Quick Start to the atom division because of his age.
"There were no goalies in Quick Start. I did one camp as a player, then decided I wanted to be a goalie, and I’ve been a goalie ever since.“
He came up through the Acadia Minor Hockey system, playing atom, peewee and bantam AA for one season and the start of another before joining the Titans.
Mason has played hockey since he was five.
"I started playing goal when I was eight, my first year of atom,” he says.
He played for Acadia Minor Hockey until this year, playing on the bantam AA team - and briefly with NKEC - in 2014-2015.
Both Boutilier and Mason enjoy playing goal.
“Sometimes the pressure is fun, and everyone notices when you make that big save,” Boutilier says. “You’re the only one on your team doing what you’re doing.”
Mason says there is “no real one thing” he enjoys, “just the whole thing about being a goalie.”
He is also aware goalies tend to be a breed apart.
”Some people say goalies are weird, and I think I’d agree with that,” he adds.
Boutilier and Mason truly share the goaltending duties for the Titans. “We’ll each play a full game, and the next game, the other goalie will play.” And with both having goals against averages under two, it’s not a matter of going with the hot hand.
“There are a few Grade 10 goalies in our league,” Boutilier says, “but I think we’re the only team with two.”
NKEC’s veteran squad includes “a strong defence, so we sometimes don’t see many shots.” Both agree this season has been “a lot of fun.”
Eye on the prize
Boutilier got to experience provincials a year ago, and with NKEC the top seed for the D-2 regionals held in Kingston March 6 and 7, there was a chance for a repeat.
“This is a good league,” he said of the VHSHL. “It’s fun to play in. Sometimes there are lopsided scores, but there are good rivalries, too.”
It's also good to have so many teams participate in the league, Mason adds.
"You get to play games against a whole lot of different teams. It makes it really interesting.”
Boutilier and Mason will have the opportunity to alternate as the NKEC goalies for two more seasons.
While the Titans are “a fun team to play on with so many veterans,” in two years, they will be the veterans.
Neither Boutilier nor Mason has thought much about what they would like to do after high school.
“I’ll probably end up at university studying science,” Boutilier said, “though I’m not 100 per cent sure yet.”
As for Mason, “I’ve wanted to join the RCMP for as long as I can remember. I’d like to attend university and just keep applying for the RCMP.”
Most of the time, one of a team’s goalies is a veteran; the other, usually younger or less experienced, serves as an understudy.
The NKEC Titans of the Valley High School Hockey League are the exception to the rule. As of March 1, the Titans played 21 regular season games, winning 17 and losing only two in regulation time, one in overtime and one in a shootout. The veteran squad scored 164 goals in 21 games, the most in the league. Their goals against, a stingy 40, was also the best in the circuit - and all with the help of two Grade 10 goalies.
Harrison Boutilier, who turns 16 later this month, started 12 games, played 680.73 minutes and allowed 21 goals for an average of 1.85, tops in the league. He had a 10-1 record and recorded three shutouts.
Zachary Mason, who turns 16 in April, wasn’t far behind. Mason got into 10 games, playing 588.27 minutes and allowing 19 goals for an average of 1.94, second in the VHSHL behind Boutilier. Mason had a 7-3 record and two shutouts.
Rare breed
Titans’ head coach Colin Duncan acknowledges it is rare in high school hockey to have two goalies who ‘share the load’ like Boutilier and Mason do. Needless to say, it is also unusual for a team with two 15-year-old goalies to be this successful.
“The neat thing about Harrison and Zach is that they’re such good friends,” he said. “Goaltending is a tough position. I find they cheer for each other, whichever one is playing, and back each other up.”
The Titans started the 2014-2015 season with a pair of veteran goalies in Colin Beckwith and Noah Turner. Both ended up injured, opening the door for first Boutilier and then Mason.
“I was an affiliated player last season,” Boutilier says. “I was called up in November, and I ended up staying the rest of the season due to the injuries.”
By the time the regional championships came around, one of the regular goalies had returned but was away on a school trip. Boutilier played most of the games, but suffered an injury, leaving Mason to play the last two periods against Barrington.
NKEC won the regional banner a year ago, edging Yarmouth 3-2 in overtime, then went on to win the school’s fifth provincial championship.
Turner and Boutilier handled the goaltending chores at provincials, but Mason was on hand in case anything happened to either goalie.
Getting started
Both Boutilier and Mason grew up in Kentville.
“I started hockey later than most,” Boutilier says. “I was close to nine years old when I started.”
He was promoted directly from Quick Start to the atom division because of his age.
"There were no goalies in Quick Start. I did one camp as a player, then decided I wanted to be a goalie, and I’ve been a goalie ever since.“
He came up through the Acadia Minor Hockey system, playing atom, peewee and bantam AA for one season and the start of another before joining the Titans.
Mason has played hockey since he was five.
"I started playing goal when I was eight, my first year of atom,” he says.
He played for Acadia Minor Hockey until this year, playing on the bantam AA team - and briefly with NKEC - in 2014-2015.
Both Boutilier and Mason enjoy playing goal.
“Sometimes the pressure is fun, and everyone notices when you make that big save,” Boutilier says. “You’re the only one on your team doing what you’re doing.”
Mason says there is “no real one thing” he enjoys, “just the whole thing about being a goalie.”
He is also aware goalies tend to be a breed apart.
”Some people say goalies are weird, and I think I’d agree with that,” he adds.
Boutilier and Mason truly share the goaltending duties for the Titans. “We’ll each play a full game, and the next game, the other goalie will play.” And with both having goals against averages under two, it’s not a matter of going with the hot hand.
“There are a few Grade 10 goalies in our league,” Boutilier says, “but I think we’re the only team with two.”
NKEC’s veteran squad includes “a strong defence, so we sometimes don’t see many shots.” Both agree this season has been “a lot of fun.”
Eye on the prize
Boutilier got to experience provincials a year ago, and with NKEC the top seed for the D-2 regionals held in Kingston March 6 and 7, there was a chance for a repeat.
“This is a good league,” he said of the VHSHL. “It’s fun to play in. Sometimes there are lopsided scores, but there are good rivalries, too.”
It's also good to have so many teams participate in the league, Mason adds.
"You get to play games against a whole lot of different teams. It makes it really interesting.”
Boutilier and Mason will have the opportunity to alternate as the NKEC goalies for two more seasons.
While the Titans are “a fun team to play on with so many veterans,” in two years, they will be the veterans.
Neither Boutilier nor Mason has thought much about what they would like to do after high school.
“I’ll probably end up at university studying science,” Boutilier said, “though I’m not 100 per cent sure yet.”
As for Mason, “I’ve wanted to join the RCMP for as long as I can remember. I’d like to attend university and just keep applying for the RCMP.”
