Accolades Keep Coming For T-Birds in Post-Season

South Island Thunderbirds, May 31, 2009

The 2008-09 season for the South Island Thunderbirds raised the bar on many levels.  The team achieved its first 40 point season (41 actually).  It secured the first invitation ever for a team from the South Island to the renowned Mac’s Midget tournament in Calgary.  One of its players earned the team’s first BCMML Player of the Month Award (February – Wes Myron).  The team earned a playoff spot for the first time and then went on to win its first playoff series.

And now the Thunderbirds have their first player named to BCMML All-Star Team.  Congratulations are definitely in order for 16 year old Brandon Glover who was selected as the BCMML’s All-Star goaltender in end of year balloting of league coaches.  Brandon compiled an overall record of 14-12-6 in 32 appearances (including the Mac’s tournament and playoffs) with a save percentage of .907.  He was particularly strong after Christmas when his save percentage elevated to .917 and his won-loss record was a sparkling 5 – 1 – 3 in his final nine games of the regular season.  He is expected to make a strong bid to join the Moose Jaw Warriors in the WHL in the 2009-10 season.

Several other T-Bird players were recognized this past month at the Vancouver Island’s U17 Best Ever Camp as a total of five Thunderbirds were selected to participate in the BC Cup in Salmon Arm from April 30 to May 3.  That group included goaltender Ryan Waldhaus, defencemen Garett Kemmler and Josh Bryan and forwards Wade Murphy and Justin Polischuk.  Amongst the total of six teams taking part in the BC Cup, Kemmler’s “Canucks” team finished in first place.  Murphy picked up a goal and four assists for five points to lead the T-Bird contingent in scoring, while Bryan picked up three goals and an assist in his four games.

From the BC Cup's 120 participants, Josh Bryan then became one of 52 players selected by BC Hockey to attend the 2009 U17 Provincial Development Camp to be held in Nanaimo from July 27 to August 1, 2009.  After that camp, players will be selected for Team Pacific, comprised of 11 players from BC and another 11 from Alberta, to participate in the 2010 World U17 Hockey Challenge in Timmins Ontario.  He will be joined in Nanaimo by another Victoria based defenceman, Sam Grist, who played last season with the Pursuit of Excellence midget team in Kelowna and who is expected to be at the Thunderbirds' tryout camp this coming August.