Photo credits: Garrett James Photography (Gendron), Liz Wolter (Wagnon, Urness)
Nanaimo Clippers forward Willyam Gendron, Surrey Eagles forward Zachary Wagnon and Cranbrook Bucks forward Noah Urness have been named the NAPA Auto Parts 3 Stars of the Week.
1st Star – Willyam Gendron (F) – Nanaimo Clippers
Gendron led all BCHL players with six points in two games last week, helping the Clippers to a pair of wins over their Island rivals.
On Friday night against the Victoria Grizzlies, with Nanaimo down 2-0 at home in the first period, Gendron assisted on the Clippers opening goal of the game, on the power play, to cut the deficit to 2-1 at intermission. He then registered a goal and another two helpers, all in the second period, as his team scored five straight to win the game 5-2. His four-point effort earned him first star of the game.
Nanaimo was in Alberni to take on the Bulldogs the following night and Gendron scored a go-ahead goal midway through the third period, then assisted on the insurance marker into an empty net to finish with his second straight multi-point outing in a 5-2 Clippers win.
Gendron is now riding a nine-game point streak and has jumped into a tie for third in BCHL scoring with 23 points in 17 games.
2nd Star – Zachary Wagnon (F) – Surrey Eagles
Wagnon scored three goals in two games over the weekend, tying for the most among his BCHL peers. He added an assist to finish with four points on the week.
The Eagles were in Powell River for two games against the Kings on Friday and Saturday night. In the first game, Wagnon scored the eventual game-winner with just 27 seconds to play in the first period, then chipped in with an assist halfway through the final frame in Surrey’s 5-1 victory.
The next night, he scored a goal 2:14 into the game, the Eagles second of the period, to help his team jump out to an early 2-0 advantage. He potted another one, his fifth of the year, just 24 seconds into the middle frame, a goal that stood as his second game-winning marker in as many games, as Surrey skated to a 4-2 win. He was named first star of the game.
Wagnon’s five goals and six assists on the year give him 11 points in 16 contests.
3rd Star – Noah Urness (F) – Cranbrook Bucks
Urness tied the BCHL lead in goals last week with three in two contests, including his first-career overtime game-winning goal.
The Roseau, Minn. native scored his ninth of the season at the 11:13 mark of the first period on Friday night to give the Bucks a 2-0 lead in their home matchup with the Penticton Vees. The Bucks would go on to win the game 4-3 in overtime.
The following night, Cranbrook welcomed their rivals the Trail Smoke Eaters to Western Financial Place. Urness gave his team the lead with a second-period goal, then after Trail forced overtime with a late equalizer in the third, the 17-year-old netted the winner less than a minute into extra time to give the Bucks their third-straight victory.
In his rookie season in the BCHL, Urness leads the Bucks in scoring with 14 points in 18 games, while his 11 goals is also tops on the team and puts him in a tie for fourth overall in the league.
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Honourable mentions:
Penticton Vees D Francesco Dell’Elce: 2GP – 3G – 3PTS
Nanaimo Clippers F Mike Murtagh: 2GP – 3G – 1A – 4PTS
Nanaimo Clippers D Brett Merner: 2GP – 4A – 4PTS
Salmon Arm Silverbacks F Ty Paisley: 2GP – 1G – 3A – 4PTS
