Zakery Anderson celebrates his first goal of season (Garret James Photography)
Victoria Grizzlies GM and head coach Rylan Ferster told his players not to ignore or put out of mind the more than 100 NCAA and NHL scouts in attendance at the B.C. Hockey League Showcase in Chilliwack but to embrace the opportunity the right way.
“I told them to be the player that you are and not the player you want to be,” said Ferster.
“Do the things you do well. You made it here [BCHL] for a reason and continue to play the way that got you here.”
The BCHL Showcase, running Monday to Thursday, is a one-stop shopping centre for NCAA and NHL scouts assessing talent. Each BCHL team will play two league games in the Fraser Valley.
Reegan Hiscock took Ferster’s words to heart with two unanswered third-period goals to lift the Grizzlies to a 3-2 victory over the Merritt Centennials on Tuesday at the Chilliwack Coliseum.
Hiscock tied the game 2-2, on the power play, at 6:16 of the final period and scored the winner at 12:09 with his fourth goal of the season after some nice work from winger Jack Gorton. Zakery Anderson scored the other goal for Victoria (3-4-2).
The goaltenders were the heroes of the piece with Hayden Dunford of Merritt (2-6-1) named second star behind Hiscock with 34 saves and rookie Oliver Auyeung-Ashton of the Grizzlies third star with with 41 saves.
“It’s always great to get a win in front of the scouts in the Showcase,” said Ferster.
“I thought we played better in the loss [5-3 to the West Kelowna Warriors on Monday] but we’ll take the win because we didn’t want to leave here empty-handed.”
In other BCHL Showcase games Tuesday, the Nanaimo Clippers (7-1) defeated the Cranbrook Bucks 4-2, and the Cowichan Valley Capitals (3-6) fell 3-2 to the Trail Smoke Eaters.
The Clippers play the Smoke Eaters today. The Alberni Valley Bulldogs (4-3-1) will meet the Vernon Vipers today and league-leading Penticton Vees on Thursday.
The Grizzlies are done at the Showcase and play the Clippers on Friday night at Frank Crane Arena in Nanaimo and host the Chilliwack Chiefs on Saturday night at The Q Centre.
