The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
As the Flin Flon - Humboldt series got underway Saturday night in Humboldt, the SJHL posted their thoughts on the position versus position of the teams. Goal The Broncos started the North Stars' series with a rotation featuring Andrew Bodnarchuk (Saskatoon SK) and Mathieu Larochelle (Amos PQ). This was abandoned after the fourth game and the series tied 2-2. Bodnarchuk was 4-0, 1.50, .931 against the Stars and one would assume the crease is his for the foreseeable future. Larochelle, at least, has stayed sharp with game action and couldn't necessarily be faulted as one of the losses with him in goal was 1-0. Flin Flon will go with Matt Weninger (4-0, 1.91, .929). Weninger (Lethbridge AB) began the Melfort series with two straight shutouts and very few netminders run as hot as he can when he's at his peak. No matter what the Bombers put in front of him, Weninger can give his team a chance to win when he's in that special zone. The very capable Ryan Kerpan backs him up. Defense With Mitchell Peeke injured, the Broncos have gone with a starting six of Brady Wacker, Tanner Vandesype, Kenton Valliant, Kyle Cowan, Garrett Leedahl, and Dimitri Levin. Joel Belair is versatile to play either up front or on the back end, so depth shouldn't be a problem even if Peeke is unable to go. Much has been said about Wacker and Vandesype as they provide the Broncos with a dimension no other team in the league can crow about. Both were up to their usual tricks in the Stars' series as Vandesype led the team in scoring (6-2-7-9) and regular season scoring leader Wacker (6-3-3-6) averaged a point per game. Flin Flon relies heavily on Michael Young (Calgary AB) and Harley Garrioch (Cross Lake MB). Young (4-1-3-4) has all the tools a coach would want in a horse on the back end. Garrioch plays a physical, shut-down role. Jean-Sebastien Bergeron (Nicolet PQ) is riding a wave of confidence having accepted a scholarship to Union. He moves the puck well and that skill will be needed against the always pressing Broncos. Patrick Sitko (Kingston ON) seldom makes mistakes and the Bombers feel they also have good depth here with the likes of rookie Tanner Korchinski, and veterans Brennen Cox and Kevin Carpenter in tow. Forward The Broncos will bring a nice blend of size and speed which can be difficult to match up against for the Bombers. The club is led by Matthew Kirzinger (Leroy SK), who had five points in four games against the Stars. Kirzinger and running mate Tory Allan (Davidson SK) may not run into another opposing player who can match them stride for stride. Twin brothers Scott and Steve Schroeder (Drake SK) had a field day against Flin Flon this season, going off for 22 combined points in six head-to-head games. Nick Kalnicki (Saskatoon SK) had a nice series against Battlefords (6-4-2-6). Rookie Spencer Braaten (Saskatoon SK) represents a big part of the future for this hockey club, but he's already providing quality minutes in the present. Flin Flon has a nice make up on three lines that can contribute significantly on offense. The trio of Reid MacLeod (Teulon MB), Cole Wilson (Wilcox SK), and Josh Garneau (Leduc AB) all averaged more than a point per game against the Mustangs. Rookies Mathieu Lecours (Sudbury ON) and Devin Mitzner (Strathmore AB) have really started to come on, especially Lecours (4-2-9-11) as he leads the league in points per game in the playoffs. Lecours was also the captain of his Telus Cup winning team in Sudbury last year. Coupled with former Bronco Garneau, those two players give Flin Flon a winning attitude. Tommy Castonguay (Rimouski PQ) and Alex Lamontagne (Rimouski PQ) can also be dynamic.
