Recap + New Season

Hey all,

Its been sometime since this blog has been written upon, and there is definitely a lot to talk about.

C Division Playoffs

It seems as though the last post addressed our first *real* loss of last season, game 1 of the C Division championships. This loss was only a slight deterrant to us, and as some called it a 'set play' so as to allow us to take home the championship, on home ice, in game three.

But before that could happen, the Preds headed out to the Niagara peninsula, for the second game of the series, on Thrashers home ice. The Preds started it off with a bang, getting some quick goals, and after some back and forth, ended up winning the game 5-1. This was a big win for the Preds, as they were riding not only a 1-game win-streak into the finals, but also the momentum and a high, as they proved they weren't to be taken lightly.

Game three took place back on Benson Drive in Burlington, the Wave Sports Centre. Home of 8 regular season victories, 1 playoff win, and hoping to soon be a third. This was the most stressful, back-and-forth games the Preds had played so far in the C-Division. Although the score resulted in a 6-3 win for the Preds, the Thrashers definitely should have tallied up a few more goals. Stepping the tenacity up one more notch, the Thrashers were constantly after the Preds, but the Preds kept coming on strong. With some key saves, and some clutch shooting, the boys from B-town ended up coming through with a solid 6-3 lead, taking the C-Division in style.

A few shout-outs for the season need to be made:

Sharpshooter - Tyler Komdeur (17 goals)
Playmaker - Kyle Vanderveen (18 assists)
Enforcer - Justin Buist + Mike Krikke (18 PIM)
Overall Line (F) - Jon K + Mark F + Darren S (80 pts - 37 goals, 43 assists)
Overall Line (D) - Ben A + Calvin K (21 pts - 4 goals, 17 assists)
Top Goalie - Mitch Muis (1.5 GAA, 3 Shutouts)
Top Sponsor - Rob Wildeboer (Martinrea International Inc.)

The Tourney

Coming into the Tournament, the Preds, seeded 6th had just won the C-Division Championship, and were feeling more confident than ever. We were set to play in the C-Division in the tournament, comprised of mostly B-Division teams, and a few other teams who just formed for the tourney. We were put in a pool with the Hamilton Oilers, Orangeville Flyers and Fergus Warriors, a well-balanced pool. Coming into the to.

Our first game took place on Friday night, where were paired up with the Hamilton Oilers, a reputable B-Division team. The game was our toughest game we played all year, back and forth - with the score tied up 2-2 going into the third. The Oilers got a lucky bounce, and pulled ahead 3-2, and with our goalie pulled, they ended up netting their fourth of the game to take a 4-2 victory over us. Although we lost, we were please with our showing, and were looking forward to having similarly close match ups in the next season as we moved up to B.

Saturday morning brought a 9:20 game to us, in the form of the Fergus Warriors. Our offense this game was firing, but the back-check and defensive components were relatively non-existant. Scoring a tournament-leading 10 goals in our favour, we conceded a total of 5 also. Our first win of the tournament this season, 10-5, was a good way to kick off the day.

Our second game, and the last of the division at 3:10, was more of a 'friendly' game than anything. With the Oilers going undefeated in our pool, and the semi-finals being removed from the tournament this year, they had already clinched the single position in our pool just minutes before our game kicked off. We ran a much tighter ship this match, only letting 1 goal slip by, and scoring a total of 6, to provide a final score over the Orangeville Flyers of 6-1.

The tournament was one of the major highlights of our season, alongside winning the C-Division. We were definitely taught that we needed to step up our game to compete in the B-Division next year, and we're definitely looking forward to it!

Team Changes + Introductions

With the season ending, a few changes have been made. Dennis Muis + Jordan Hart are leaving the Preds. In their place, will be Mark Komdeur (taking the forward spot left by Jordan) and Dave Kok (taking the defensive position left by Dennis).

Mark Komdeur is a long-time hockey champ. Father of the leading goal-scorer in the C-Division, Tyler Komdeur and one of the biggest defensmen the Preds have, Calvin Komdeur, obviously hockey is in his blood. He played last season as a 'sub' for the Preds, playing over half of the season, we saw him pretty much as a full-timer. He racked up 26 points last season as a sub, so we're definitely looking to see that number increase this season with the full-time spot under his belt.

Dave Kok is moving over from the preds up north, more specifically the Brampton Predators. He's a big buddy of many current Preds, and when I say big I mean big. Sitting around 6'6" and pushing ... i don't know how much weight, but he's a big boy ... he'll be the biggest defensive lineman the Preds will have this season. Dave added 7 points to his career stats this past season, and a solid 30 PIM - looks like Buist + Krikke have some competition for their current enforcer title.

On a more managerial note, Thomas Wildeboer has stepped down as team rep for the Preds due to time issues, and has handed the reins over to Jon Kamstra and Mike Krikke. They will be doing all the mundane and time-consuming tasks to make this season flow as smoothly as possible.

Some Stats + Upcoming Season

Regular Season
Record: 17-1
GF - GA = Differential: 115 - 28 = 87
6.4 Goals per game.

Post-Season
Record: 4-1
GF - GA = Differential: 36 - 11 = 25
7.2 Goals per game.

With the upcoming season approaching, the Preds are looking forward to taking on some stiffer competition, as they move up to the B-South Division this year. They will be facing teams such as the Hamilton Oilers, Lincoln Lightning, and home-town rivals, the Burlington Canucks.

We just want to take this time and thank everyone who participated last season in making it such a great one. Thanks to all the dedicated people who came out and ran the time-box for us, whether it was at home or away games. Thanks to all the fans, for coming out and showing your support for us - sitting through those 1.5hr games and hearing us talk about the season all the time must have been quite the chore, we'll try and cut the latter to a minimum this year!

Looking forward to seeing you all next season!

On behalf of the Preds, thanks.

Mike Krikke
Co-Team Rep