Photo credits: Darren Francis (Pirtle), Alicia Baas (Jones), Garrett James Photography (Brassington)
Victoria Grizzlies forward Chase Pirtle, Powell River Kings defenceman Will Jones and Surrey Eagles defenceman Ty Brassington have been named the NAPA Auto Parts 3 Stars of the Week.
1st Star – Chase Pirtle (F) – Victoria Grizzlies
Pirtle led the league in points with five and tied for the most goals with three, guiding the Grizzlies to a pair of wins over the weekend.
On Friday night, on the road against the Powell River Kings, the rookie forward was the key cog in Victoria’s comeback win. With his team down 4-1, he potted his first of the year midway through the middle frame to cut the lead to two, then scored the game-winning goal at the 11:09 mark of the third period to make it a 5-4 final. He was named first star of the game.
The Grizzlies were back in action on Sunday afternoon for their home-opener against the Cowichan Valley Capitals and Pirtle took centre stage again, assisting on two second-period goals and scoring another of his own in the third to finish with three points and first-star honours for the second game in a row.
Pirtle now has five points in four games to start the year.
2nd Star – Will Jones (D) – Powell River Kings
Jones led all defencemen in points last week with four in two games, helping Powell River earn their first win of the season on Saturday night.
The second-year BCHLer scored his first goal of 2023-24 in Friday night’s matchup with the Victoria Grizzlies. He added a power-play assist later in the game to finish with two points on the night in a 5-4 loss.
On Saturday, Jones assisted on both Kings goals in regulation, both coming with the man advantage, as Powell River beat the Penticton Vees 3-2 in a shootout.
Jones’ four points are the most among Kings blueliners and are just two back of the league lead among defencemen.
3rd Star – Ty Brassington (D) – Surrey Eagles
Brassington helped the Eagles continue their hot start to the season, chipping in with three points in two games as Surrey survived the weekend as the only unbeaten team left in the BCHL.
The Clarkson University commit scored his first goal of the season on Friday night to open the scoring for the Eagles in an eventual 3-2 win at home over the Langley Rivermen.
On Sunday afternoon, Brassington assisted on Ante Zlomislic’s goal late in the second period, then scored his second in as many games with 5:55 to play in the third, a goal which stood as the winner in a 4-2 triumph over the visiting Chilliwack Chiefs. He was named first star of the game.
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Honourable mentions:
Trail Smoke Eaters F Josh Schenk: 2GP – 3G – 3PTS
Vernon Vipers F Shea Busch: 1GP – 1G – 2A – 3PTS
Cowichan Valley Capitals F Matthew Swanson: 2GP – 1G – 3A – 4PTS
Powell River Kings F Anthony Yu: 2GP – 1G – 3A – 4PTS
Victoria Grizzlies D Richard Baran: 2GP – 4A – 4PTS
Salmon Arm Silverbacks F JJ Monteiro: 2GP – 4A – 4PTS
Surrey Eagles G Ajeet Gundarah: 2GP – 2W – .935 SV% – 2.00 GAA
