Whatever they label him, NCAA scouts could soon be calling Carter Berger.
The 17-year-old rookie defenceman scored his first two career sa国际传媒 Hockey League goals to key the Victoria Grizzlies to a 5-3 victory over the Alberni Valley Bulldogs on Wednesday night at Weyerhaeuser Arena.
鈥淸Berger] was a walk-on from West Vancouver and he grabbed that seventh blue-line spot and has never looked back,鈥� said Grizzlies coach and GM Craig Didmon.
鈥淣CAA teams are already interested in him. He is going to be a star in this league and has been mentored well by [20-year-old Grizzlies blue-liners] Jake Stevens and Cody Van Lierop. [Berger] can skate, has speed, and can pass. He jumped into the rush for both his goals. He made the difference tonight at moments when we were struggling.鈥�
If a season in sports can be likened to a video game, the Grizzlies have cracked the third level by reaching the 30-win plateau. Not that it was easy.
鈥淚t was tough going up like that on a Wednesday night against a team that is fighting for the playoffs,鈥� said Didmon.
鈥淏ut the guys were up for it. I was happy with the effort.鈥�
Also scoring twice for Victoria (30-10-3-4) was forward Keyvan Mokhtari, with Lucas Clark notching the other goal. Trevor Cosgrove, Nicholas Rasovic and Connor Welsh scored for Alberni Valley (14-23-6-2), which remains four points back of Nanaimo in the race for the final playoff spot in the Island Division.
NCAA Cornell-bound Matthew Galajda made 23 saves in goal for Victoria and Brody Claeys 32 for Alberni Valley.
ICE CHIPS: Grizzlies captain Van Lierop returned to the lineup Wednesday after missing 14 games due to mononucleosis . . . The Grizzlies host the defending Canadian Junior A champion West Kelowna Warriors on Friday night at The Q Centre.
before returning to the Alberni Valley for a return engagement against the Bulldogs on Saturday night.
