Photo credits: Island Images (Ness, Murtagh), Tami Quan (Caron)
Penticton Vees goaltender Andrew Ness, West Kelowna Warriors forward Felix Caron and Nanaimo Clippers forward Mike Murtagh have been named the FortisBC 3 Stars of the Month.
1st Star – Andrew Ness (G) – Penticton Vees
Ness stopped 99 of the 102 shots he faced in December for a league-best .971 save percentage and 0.66 goals-against average, while winning all four of his starts and shutting the door in his lone relief appearance. He also recorded his first two shutouts of the season during the month.
To start the month, the Bemidji State University commit earned his first shutout in the BCHL on Dec. 1 against the Prince George Spruce Kings with a 28-save performance in a 4-0 Vees win and was named first star of the game.
To close out December, he blanked the Vernon Vipers on New Year’s Eve, making 19 stops in a 3-0 road victory and again earned first star of the game honours.
During the month, the 19-year-old from Winnipeg, Man. allowed more than one goal on just one occasion.
Ness’ 2.12 goals-against average on the season ranks fourth in the BCHL, while his .911 save percentage is eighth. He owns a record of 7-1-1 in 13 appearances.
2nd Star – Felix Caron (F) – West Kelowna Warriors
Caron led all BCHL players with eight goals in December and his 12 points in nine games were just one back of the league lead.
The second-year forward had multiple points on four separate occasions during the month, highlighted by a two-goal, one-assist performance in a Dec. 29 win against the Prince George Spruce Kings. He also registered two goals in a Dec. 1 win over the Merritt Centennials, with his second of the game coming in overtime, as well as in a Dec. 16 victory over the Penticton Vees.
Caron currently leads the BCHL with 21 goals in 30 games, while his 36 points rank fourth in the league.
3rd Star – Mike Murtagh (F) – Nanaimo Clippers
Murtagh tied for the most points in the league during the month with 13 in eight contests after piling up five goals and eight assists.
The University of Connecticut commit had at least a point in every game in December, including five multi-point outings. On Dec. 15, he scored the game-winning goal and added an assist in a 5-3 win over the Langley Rivermen, then notched both of his team’s goals the following night in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Merritt Centennials.
Murtagh is the BCHL’s second-leading scorer with 39 points in 29 games. His 18 goals put him in third in the league, just three back of top spot.
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Honourable mentions:
West Kelowna Warriors F Jack Pridham: 9GP – 4G – 9A – 13 PTS
West Kelowna Warriors F Michael Salandra: 9GP – 4G – 8A – 12PTS
West Kelowna Warriors D Isaiah Norlin: 9GP – 1G – 10A – 11PTS
Surrey Eagles F Caden Cranston: 7GP – 5G – 7A – 12PTS
Coquitlam Express F Drew Garzone: 8GP – 6G – 5A – 11PTS
