Photo credit: Garrett James Photography
Cranbrook Bucks forward Jack Silich, Surrey Eagles forward Jake Bongo and Nanaimo Clippers forward Brody Waters have been named the NAPA Auto Parts 3 Stars of the Week.
1st Star – Jack Silich (F) – Cranbrook Bucks
Silich tied for the league lead in goals last with with six, despite playing one less game than the other two players that reached that mark. He added an assist to finish with seven points in three games.
The 19-year-old Quinnipiac University commit notched his first career hat trick on day one of the BCHL Showcase on Monday in a Cranbrook victory over the Cowichan Valley Capitals. He scored early in the second period to put his team up 4-1, then scored twice in the third to make it a 9-2 final. He was named first star of the game.
On Tuesday morning against the Nanaimo Clippers, Silich scored the Bucks first goal of the game 3:27 into the middle frame to tie things up at one. He also assisted on Cranbrook’s second goal to finish with two points in an eventual 4-2 loss.
The Long Grove, Ill. native finished his week with a two-goal performance at home on Saturday night in a 10-3 victory over the Powell River Kings. He was again named first star of the game.
Silich has now recorded multiple points in four straight contests and is tied for the team lead in scoring with 12 points in 10 games. His nine goals are the third most in the BCHL.
2nd Star – Jake Bongo (F) – Surrey Eagles
Bongo tied for the league lead with six goals and eight points last week in four games.
The second-year BCHL veteran got things started for the Eagles at the Showcase on Monday, scoring the team’s first goal less than five minutes in to go up 1-0. He would later add a second-period assist to finish with two points in a 6-4 win against the Merritt Centennials.
On Thursday, Bongo capped off a dramatic comeback for Surrey, scoring the game-tying goal in the third period and winning it in a shootout as the Eagles beat the Prince George Spruce Kings 4-3 after being down 3-0. He earned first-star honours.
The 19-year-old from Ridgefield, Conn. was back at it on Friday in West Kelowna, scoring both of his team’s goals in a 4-2 defeat at the hands of the Warriors, which was the Eagles first loss of the season.
Bongo made sure the team bounced back on Sunday afternoon in a rematch against Merritt as he potted another two goals and added an assist to finish with three points in a 7-3 road win.
The Sacred Heart University commit has points in eight of 10 games this year, including five multi-point efforts. Bongo is tied for sixth in league scoring with 15 points and tied for fourth in the BCHL with eight goals.
3rd Star – Brody Waters (F) – Nanaimo Clippers
Waters also tied for the league lead in points (eight) and goals (six) last week over four games.
On Tuesday morning in Nanaimo’s Showcase opener, Waters scored a second-period goal to put the Clippers ahead for good and later assisted on an empty-netter in a 4-2 win over the Cranbrook Bucks.
In game two of Nanaimo’s Showcase schedule on Wednesday afternoon, the 2002-born forward extended his point streak to six games, notching a pair of goals and a helper to finish with three points in the Clippers 7-3 victory over the Trail Smoke Eaters. He was named first star of the game.
Despite being held off the scoresheet on Friday in a 4-2 home defeat against the Victoria Grizzlies, Waters was still noticeable as he earned FortisBC Energy Player of the Game honours.
The Heidelberg, Ont. product capped his week with a hat trick on Saturday, the first of his BCHL career, in a 7-3 win against the Cowichan Valley Capitals. Waters scored his first goal of the game while shorthanded, giving Nanaimo a second-period lead, before scoring on the power play 10 minutes later to knot the game up at 3-3. His hat trick goal came with less than five to play in the third to extend the Clippers lead to two.
Waters sits third in BCHL scoring with 18 points in 11 games and is tied for fourth in the league with eight goals.
+++
Honourable mentions:
Penticton Vees D Ryan Hopkins: 3GP – 3G – 4A – 7PTS
Cranbrook Bucks D Cameron Kungle: 3GP – 1G – 6A – 7PTS
Nanaimo Clippers F Kai Daniells: 4GP – 3G – 5A – 8PTS
Nanaimo Clippers F Jake Hewitt: 4GP – 5G – 2A – 7PTS
Penticton Vees F Bradly Nadeau: 3GP – 3G – 3A – 6PTS
Victoria Grizzlies G Oliver Auyeung-Ashton: 2GP – 2W – .962 SV% – 1.50 GAA
Salmon Arm Silverbacks G Carter Richardson: 1GP – 1W – 1SO – 1.000 SV% – 0.00 GAA
