Boys are Buzzin

The Brentwood Varsity Hockey team has just begun their season and were already put to the test. The team played two games this week, a final preseason game against Frances Kelsey and their season opener against powerhouse Shawnigan Lake School. As the boys moved from training camp and preseason to league play, they relied on sound and structured defensive zone play, as well as quick offensive zone entry. The team is once again centered around Coach Shadlock’s favorite word, “Relentless”.  Tuesday’s preseason game against Kelsey was a good chance for the players to get out on the ice and get comfortable with the new line pairings. The team came out with an extremely strong start and for the first two periods, held a lead thanks to two goals by Haden U, Ellis ‘19. However, after two disallowed goals, momentum quickly shifted to the Whalers and they were able to steal a win. Despite the loss, the team grew a lot in one game and understood that the game needed to be played like a marathon and not a sprint.  In the locker room after the game, there was a team vote to sacrifice a sleep-in to go and work on some conditioning Wednesday morning before classes. The team showed great drive and work ethic while trying to focus in and get a win against Shawnigan on Thursday.  The season opener quickly came around and was on everybody’s mind. The team got off to another hot start, however Shawnigan potted a near side shot to take the lead five minutes into the period. The boys quickly rallied back and Hadi N, Ellis ‘19 put away his own rebound to even the game. After a hard-fought first period, the game seemed to be all Brentwood. Cooper H, Ellis ‘19 opened the second period’s scoring and Brentwood’s offense exploded en route to a 5-3 season-opening win over Shawnigan. In a rivalry game that took no prisoners, Brentwood stayed true to their relentless reputation.  After an exciting win, coach Shadlock delivered a clear message to the team during his analysis of the game. “This is just number one, we have to continue to stick to our game plan and not allow ourselves to make selfish plays. Getting goal hungry could have cost us, but all in all, it was a great team win.”  In the face of adversity, the team stuck to its defensive ethos and received excellent goaltending from both Brandon R, Rogers ‘19 and Graeme R, Ellis ‘20. Brentwood’s offense proved to be electric as Haden U, Ellis ‘19 assisted Blake C, Privett ‘19 on both of his goals and Kirtis H, Privett ‘19 on his powerplay one-timer.  For his great effort and multiple tallies, Blake C, Privett ‘19 was awarded the team’s MVP sombrero.  The entire team is excited to be back on the ice for practice and then off to Vancouver for a quick road trip on Friday.