Not even having eight pucks go by him could spoil the excitement and relief Liam Souliere felt last Saturday when the Victoria Grizzlies netminder made his long-awaited sa国际传媒 Hockey League debut after being injured in preseason in early September.
鈥淚 know they got eight, but man it was fun to be back in there and facing shots and just being in a game again,鈥� Souliere said as he looked back on last Saturday鈥檚 8-4 loss to the Interior Division-leading Vees in Penticton.
鈥淎nd I felt pretty good. We lost but Penticton is a very talented team and it was a great atmosphere with 3,000 people watching. It was just really good to be back.鈥�
Souliere rebounded the next day, backstopping the Grizzlies to a 4-3 win in Surrey against the Eagles.
鈥淸I] felt much better on Sunday and started to get my timing back,鈥� said the 20-year-old netminder from Blainville, Que., who was named the top goalie in the Central Canadian Hockey League last season after posting a 2.13 goals-against average and .930 save percentage in 37 games for the Brockville Braves.
鈥淎nd you can practice all you want, but the best thing for your timing is game action so I expect to get better and better from here on out.鈥�
Souliere, who played for Team sa国际传媒 East at last year鈥檚 World Junior A Challenge, will head to the NCAA and Penn State next fall and he says the Nittany Lions coaching staff have been nothing but patient with him this season.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e kept in touch with me and expect me to have a strong second half in the BCHL now and I expect that from myself as well.鈥�
Souliere is expected to get his third straight start in the Grizzlies鈥� net tonight when Victoria hosts the Cowichan Valley Capitals at The Q Centre. Grizzlies GM and head coach Craig Didmon ironed out his crowded crease situation on Tuesday when he sent rookie Joe Howe to the league-leading Coquitlam Express for future considerations, leaving Souliere and 18-year-old rookie Blake Wood to tend the crease the rest of the way.
鈥淚t was tough to see Joe go because we had become good friends,鈥� Souliere said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 part of hockey, we all know that, and Joe is going to a very good team so we all wish him luck.鈥�
The Grizzlies (16-26-0) will see the Capitals (25-12-5) for the first time since Nov. 29 and Souliere expects another tough Island Division battle.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e a good team that always plays hard and now they鈥檙e competing for first in the division so they鈥檙e going to be hungry,鈥� Souliere said.
鈥淎nd we had a good finish to our road trip and I think we can grab that fourth spot for playoffs so it should be a fun game.鈥�
The fun won鈥檛 only be on the ice. Before the game, the Grizzlies will honour former Victoria junior standout and current St. Louis Blues forward Tyler Bozak by retiring his old No. 11 jersey. The Stanley Cup champion has sent along a video thank-you that will be played on The Q Centre鈥檚 big screen.
鈥淚t should be an exciting night because Tyler had a great career with the Grizzlies,鈥� Souliere said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really cool to see a guy go from the Grizzlies to winning a Stanley Cup. I mean, that鈥檚 what all of us dream for and to see someone do it is quite amazing.鈥�
Following tonight鈥檚 game, the Grizzlies will host the Powell River Kings on Saturday night at The Q Centre.
