Photo credit: Island Images
Alberni Valley Bulldogs forward Fischer O’Brien, Chilliwack Chiefs forward Caleb Elfering and Penticton Vees forward Simon Meier have been named the NAPA Auto Parts 3 Stars of the Week.
1st Star – Fischer O’Brien (F) – Alberni Valley Bulldogs
O’Brien led all BCHL players last week with six points in two games after scoring twice and adding four helpers.
The 20-year-old from Prince George, B.C. had a goal and two assists in Alberni’s 4-3 win over the Cowichan Valley Capitals on Wednesday. With the Bulldogs down 2-0 in the second period, O’Brien assisted on two straight goals to tie the game, then scored the eventual game-winner on the power play with 6:28 to play in the final frame. He was named first star of the game.
Alberni was back on home ice on Saturday night to take on the West Kelowna Warriors and O’Brien repeated his three-point performance in a 3-1 victory. With the score 0-0 entering the second period, he chipped in with two assists to give his team a 2-0 advantage, then scored his 14th of the season early in the third. He earned first-star honours for the second game in a row.
O’Brien is third in team scoring with 33 points in 36 games, while his 14 goals are second most on the club.
2nd Star – Caleb Elfering (F) – Chilliwack Chiefs
Elfering averaged two points per game in a pair of Chilliwack wins over the weekend, finishing with three goals and one assist.
The Chiefs were in Langley on Friday night to take on the Rivermen where Elfering tied a career-best with three points in a 4-3 overtime victory. The 2004-born forward assisted on the game’s opening goal in the first period, then notched one of his own at the 12:00 mark of the second. After the Rivermen tied things up in the third, Elfering finished off a 2-on-1 just under five minutes into overtime to score the game-winner, the first overtime goal of his career. He was named first star of the game.
Chilliwack was back at home the next night to host the Victoria Grizzlies. With his team down 2-0 after one, Elfering scored his 10th of the season early in the middle frame to spark the Chiefs comeback in an eventual 5-3 win.
The Richland, Wash. native is tied for fourth in team scoring with 26 points in 37 games.
3rd Star – Simon Meier (F) – Penticton Vees
Meier had three goals and one assist in two games over the weekend, including his first hat trick in the BCHL.
His three-goal milestone came in Friday night’s 5-2 road victory over the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. The Regensberg, Switzerland product opened the scoring for the Vees with a power-play goal 8:59 into the game, then with the score tied 1-1 in the second, he gave his team the lead again with his second of the game. He would complete the hat trick just a few minutes later to give Penticton a two-goal advantage at the intermission. He was named first star of the game.
Meier assisted on the eventual game-winning goal the following night in the Vees 4-0 road win against the Merritt Centennials.
The 18-year-old Northern Michigan University commit is averaging a point per game this season with 29 in 29 contests on 10 goals and 19 assists.
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Honourable mentions:
Chilliwack Chiefs F Mateo Mrsic: 2GP – 1G – 4A – 5PTS
Surrey Eagles F Caden Cranston: 2GP – 1G – 4A – 5PTS
Surrey Eagles F Aaron Schwartz: 2GP – 2G – 2A – 4PTS
Surrey Eagles F Ryden Evers: 2GP – 4A – 4PTS
Surrey Eagles F Ryan Schelling: 2GP – 4A – 4PTS
Merritt Centennials G Andrew Ballantyne: 2GP – W – .951 SV% – 2.00 GAA
Cranbrook Bucks F Jacob Fletcher: 2GP – 2G – 2A – 4PTS
Alberni Valley Bulldogs F Hayden Stavroff: 2GP – 2G – 2A – 4PTS
Alberni Valley Bulldogs G Callum Tung: 2GP – 2W – .945 SV% – 2.00 GAA
