Photo credits: Tami Quan (Applebee), Island Images (Terpstra), Liz Wolter (Buss)
West Kelowna Warriors goaltender Rorke Applebee, Alberni Valley Bulldogs forward Jacob Terpstra and Nanaimo Clippers forward Luke Buss have been named the NAPA Auto Parts 3 Stars of the Week.
1st Star – Rorke Applebee (G) – West Kelowna Warriors
Applebee started two of the Warriors three games last week, winning both contests and stopping a combined 48 of 49 shots to post a .980 save percentage and a 0.50 goals-against average.
The 2003-born netminder started his team’s Wednesday night matchup against the Vernon Vipers in a battle of two of the top teams in the Interior Conference. Applebee stood tall, making 26 saves on 27 shots, to help his team to a 4-1 victory.
After a night off on Friday, the Châteauguay, Que. native was back in the crease on Saturday night in another tough conference matchup against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. Applebee earned his second shutout of the year, swatting aside all 22 shots he faced, to earn the 4-0 win. He was named first star of the game.
Applebee has now won five straight starts and has a 2.47 goals-against average on the season, fifth best in the BCHL.
2nd Star – Jacob Terpstra (F) – Alberni Valley Bulldogs
Terpstra scored a league-best four goals in two games over the weekend, including his first-career BCHL hat trick on Friday night.
That hat trick came against the Cowichan Valley Capitals in a 10-1 Bulldogs triumph at home. The 18-year-old scored twice in the second period to stretch his team’s lead to 7-1 after two periods, then notched his hat trick goal 4:21 into the third. He was the second Alberni Valley player to accomplish that milestone in the same game with teammate Samuel Leonard also potting three goals of his own.
The following night, Terpstra scored his sixth goal of the season midway through the first period in an eventual 6-4 loss to the Coquitlam Express.
Since joining the Bulldogs in mid-October, the Northern Michigan University commit has 15 points in 18 games.
3rd Star – Luke Buss (F) – Nanaimo Clippers
Buss led the league in scoring last week with five points in two games after collecting three goals and a pair of helpers.
The 20-year-old from Columbus, Ohio scored Nanaimo’s lone goal on Friday night in a 5-1 home loss to the Victoria Grizzlies. On Sunday, Buss helped the Clippers bounce back with a season-best and career-high tying four-point outing in his team’s 6-4 win over the Coquitlam Express. He scored the opening goal 1:36 into the game, then assisted on the Clippers second of the contest just over four minutes later. He registered an assist in the middle frame, then potted his second of the afternoon with under seven minutes to play, a goal which stood up as the game-winner. He was named first star of the game.
Buss is fourth on his team in scoring with 24 points in 21 games, but has really taken off since being acquired by Nanaimo from the Vernon Vipers in October. Since the trade, he has seven goals, nine assists and 16 points in 12 games with the Clippers.
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Honourable mentions:
Chilliwack Chiefs G Austin McNicholas: 2GP – 2W – .966 SV% – 1.00 GAA
Penticton Vees G Will Ingemann: 2GP – 2W – .962 SV% – 1.00 GAA – 1 SO
Victoria Grizzlies G Oliver Auyeung-Ashton: 2GP – 1W – .962 SV% – 0.92 GAA
Alberni Valley Bulldogs F Samuel Leonard: 2GP – 3G – 1A – 4PTS
Alberni Valley Bulldogs D Lenny Greenberg: 2GP – 2G – 2A – 4PTS
Alberni Valley Bulldogs F Zeke Nicholson: 2GP – 4A – 4PTS
Alberni Valley Bulldogs F Nicholas Beneteau: 2GP – 4A – 4PTS
Powell River Kings F Noah Eyre: 2GP – 2G – 2A – 4PTS
Vernon Vipers F Georgias Stavrianeas: 2GP – 4A – 4PTS
