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Bulldogs’ bye the result of an excellent turnaround season in Alberni

As the rest of the Coastal Conference battles through the first round of the playoffs, the Alberni Valley Bulldogs wait and wonder who they'll face when they get to join the party early next week.

The fact the Bulldogs earned a first-round playoff bye following a tremendous regular season is all the more impressive given that the club posted a 16-36-1-7 record just a year ago. But led by Conference MVP Mitch MacMillan, who recorded 61 goals and 93 points, the Bulldogs went 45-12-1-2, topping their nearest Coastal rival, the Powell River Kings, by 14 points. A 29-win improvement from a year ago was a welcome sight for the well-supported Vancouver Island franchise.

Bulldogs head coach and GM Nolan Graham gives a lot of credit for the turnaround to veteran leadership from top players like MacMillan, as well as defenseman Kevin Ross, who Graham says is among the elite blueliners in the league.

“We have a group of kids that have been very focused and determined to do something special, right from day one, right from the day I took over the team,” he says.

The accompanying time off that comes with a bye sparks the usual debate over rest versus rust entering the playoffs, but Graham and the Bulldog players have enjoyed their time off and look forward to the road ahead following two weeks worth of rest.

“I don’t think there’s a team in our league that wouldn’t take the time off,” he says. “That being said, there are the pros and cons of sitting out some time, but again it’ll prove to be good if we’re fortunate to get through a round or two.”

“It’s a complete grind,” he adds about the BCHL playoffs. “I think the layoff proves more valuable the farther you go.”

While Alberni Valley earned that coveted bye, Graham warns that the Bulldogs have to keep playing a team game if their magical season is destined to continue.

“There are some early-game challenges, and we try to address that with our intensity in practice and by throwing curve balls at our players with our plans and practice. We make sure that when we step on the ice we’re still ready to compete and battle at game-type intensity.”

Alberni Valley dropped its regular season finale at home to the Langley Chiefs but recorded an eight-game winning streak prior to that loss. Defeats have been a rare occurrence for the Bulldogs, who have only been beat twice in an 18-game span since the calendar turned to 2010.

“We've won 23 of our last 25, and we would’ve loved to keep it going, but at the same time we’re able to do a lot of pre-scouting and to rest our guys. I think the practice time is valuable, too. It is welcomed for us to have this practice time and be able to pre-scout your opponent,” says Graham, who may not find out his team's semi-final matchup until Sunday.

In the meanwhile, Graham has mixed up the on-ice training with dry land work to keep it fresh for the players, who haven’t played a meaningful game since February 21st.

The team also took advantage of the opportunity with a ferry ride over to the Mainland last week to enjoy the Olympic celebration.

The American-born players – Matt Hatch, Tye Lewis, and Jeff Reppucci – were lucky enough to score tickets to the quarter-final game between the U.S. and Switzerland, while others gathered at the Vogue Theatre to watch the Canada-Russia bout.

It was all part of Graham’s plan to use team-building activities as a launching point for a deep playoff run in the coming weeks and months.

“You can build it into a good thing for your playoff drive; it’s also a good life experience for the players,” he says.

The unprecedented campaign has the Bulldogs ranked seventh in the CJHL’s Weekly Top 20 rankings and helped put Alberni Valley on the shortlist of host cities for the 2012 RBC Cup.

A big part of the organization’s success has been their goaltending, which is always an important element for a championship run. The Bulldogs are fully confident in their dynamic duo of Frank Slubowski and Scott Lewan, who both posted impressive numbers during their first seasons in Alberni Valley.

“Our players have confidence in both guys. You don’t feel better when one guy is in,” Graham says. “Scottie Lewan hasn’t lost a game since November, he’s won his last 11. Frank Slubowski has obviously had a terrific year himself. Over the past couple months, we’ve been rolling those guys 50/50 each, and we know our players have full confidence in both.”

If all the Coastal quarter-final series are to play out according to seed, Alberni Valley would host Langley or Surrey in Game 1 on Tuesday, March 9.

“It can be a great thing for us having this time off. The community excitement is really building here, and I think it will come to a climax on March 9 when we step on the ice after a 16-day layoff,” says Graham.