It wasn't like Dasan Sydora needed to prove himself, again. But he did, again.
The diminutive goaltender was superb in making 29 saves for the Red Deer Optimist Rebels in their 2-0 semifinals win over the Saskatoon Contacts at the 2012 Telus Cup in Leduc. Sydora stands just 5'8 tall but seems to grow about a foot taller whenever he stands between the pipes for his club.
"They're awesome to play in," Sydora said following the win. "Nothing can compare to the do-or-die games."
Showing posts with label Saskatoon Contacts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saskatoon Contacts. Show all posts
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Semifinal Saturday @HC_TelusCup
They are down to the final four at the 2012 Telus Cup national midget championship in Leduc, Alberta.
It may be cliche to say that all four teams have a legit shot at winning it all... but it is absolutely the truth in the is case.
The Red Deer Optimist Rebels finished the preliminary round of the tournament with a 3-0-2 record after a sound 10-3 thrashing of this year's tournament basement-dwelling Sudbury Wolves. 13 players had at least one point for the baby rebels in this one. Ty Mappin led with two goals and three assists. But the big moment in this game perhaps belonged to defenceman Kolton Dixon who scored Red Deer's 10th goal of the game... his first of the season. No doubt he had a smile on his face and received "plenty of support" from his teammates. On a more serious note... if the Optimist Rebels take nothing else from this game hopefully they gained some confidence on their powerplay (they converted three times on the man advantage vs. Sudbury compared to just twice throughout the rest of the tournament).
Red Deer finished second in the preliminary standings with 8 points, one behind 4-0-1 Phenix College du Esther-Blondin. Saskatoon (2-1-2) finished third with 6 points while the host Leduc Oil Kings (2-3-0) earned four points to claim the fourth and final playoff spot. So here's how Semifinal Saturday shapes up...
2pm - Red Deer vs. Saskatoon - These two western squads met in the opening game of the tournament, playing to a 2-2 tie. You can check out my earlier blog post for a full game re-cap but it was a match that wasn't nearly as even as the final score indicates. Contacts goalie Mack Shields kept his team in it making 38 saves. Saskatoon should have plenty of confidence knowing they managed to hang in with the Optimist Rebels and pull out a single point. Red Deer Rebels fans will again get to see four prospects do battle in this game... Scott Feser and Scott Ferguson for Red Deer and Vukie Mpofu and Rodney Southam for Saskatoon.
6pm - Phenix College du Esther-Blondin vs. Leduc Oil Kings - This will be the second meeting between these two teams in just over 24 hours. The Quebec squad edged the hosts 5-4 in the final preliminary game on Friday afternoon. If, and it's a huge 'if', that game is any indication today's semifinal should be an dandy.
Meantime... a pair of Red Deer Optimist Rebels have won player awards at the Telus Cup. Joel Topping is the Top Defenceman. Dasan Sydora is the top goaltender. Congrats to both!
The Red Deer Optimist Rebels finished the preliminary round of the tournament with a 3-0-2 record after a sound 10-3 thrashing of this year's tournament basement-dwelling Sudbury Wolves. 13 players had at least one point for the baby rebels in this one. Ty Mappin led with two goals and three assists. But the big moment in this game perhaps belonged to defenceman Kolton Dixon who scored Red Deer's 10th goal of the game... his first of the season. No doubt he had a smile on his face and received "plenty of support" from his teammates. On a more serious note... if the Optimist Rebels take nothing else from this game hopefully they gained some confidence on their powerplay (they converted three times on the man advantage vs. Sudbury compared to just twice throughout the rest of the tournament).
Red Deer finished second in the preliminary standings with 8 points, one behind 4-0-1 Phenix College du Esther-Blondin. Saskatoon (2-1-2) finished third with 6 points while the host Leduc Oil Kings (2-3-0) earned four points to claim the fourth and final playoff spot. So here's how Semifinal Saturday shapes up...
2pm - Red Deer vs. Saskatoon - These two western squads met in the opening game of the tournament, playing to a 2-2 tie. You can check out my earlier blog post for a full game re-cap but it was a match that wasn't nearly as even as the final score indicates. Contacts goalie Mack Shields kept his team in it making 38 saves. Saskatoon should have plenty of confidence knowing they managed to hang in with the Optimist Rebels and pull out a single point. Red Deer Rebels fans will again get to see four prospects do battle in this game... Scott Feser and Scott Ferguson for Red Deer and Vukie Mpofu and Rodney Southam for Saskatoon.
6pm - Phenix College du Esther-Blondin vs. Leduc Oil Kings - This will be the second meeting between these two teams in just over 24 hours. The Quebec squad edged the hosts 5-4 in the final preliminary game on Friday afternoon. If, and it's a huge 'if', that game is any indication today's semifinal should be an dandy.
Meantime... a pair of Red Deer Optimist Rebels have won player awards at the Telus Cup. Joel Topping is the Top Defenceman. Dasan Sydora is the top goaltender. Congrats to both!
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Optimist Rebels Make Contact But Settle For Tie
For whatever reason, the Red Deer Optimist Rebels simply weren't themselves to start the game.
But in the end they showed enough of their regular selves to pull out a 2-2 tie versus the Saskatoon Contacts in the opening game at the 2012 Telus Cup in Leduc.
Red Deer Head Coach Doug Quinn said his team did do well to overcome their shaky start.
"I thought we were a little bit nervous in the first period. We settled in in the second period and created some pressure and had a good third [period]."
Scott Feser, who scored the game-tying goal in the third period, wasn't exactly sure why his team started the game so poorly (the Optimist Rebels trailed 2-0 after the first period).
"It's obviously been a couple weeks since we played a game and it's a pretty big tournament. So I don't know if a few guys were nervous. It could be nerves but it's good to get that first one over and I think we should be able to push forward now."
Slow start aside, Monday's game was like many others we've seen throughout the baby Rebels postseason. It was a game in which they badly outshot (40-18) and outplayed their opponents yet ended up in a tight game. Playing against a fairly high scoring Contacts team, Quinn was pleased with his squad's defensive play.
"We knew that they had a lot of skill. We certainly wanted to make sure that we played a pressure game and didn't give them opportunities and space to handle the puck. I thought for the most part, once we adjusted to their quickness, we did that in the second and third periods."
Josh Uhrich opened the scoring for Saskatoon 6:27 into the game with a well-placed shot that seemingly fooled Red Deer goalie Dasan Sydora (he hardly flinched as the shot went off his shoulder and beat him top shelf). Rourke Chartier made it 2-0 with a powerplay goal at 15:44.
The Optimist Rebels finally broke through late in the second period on their 26th shot of the game. Brady Bakke fired on net, Contacts goalie Mack Shields made the save, but Nick Glackin was there to put home the rebound for a shorthanded goal at 15:50. The goal set the stage for complete Red Deer dominance the rest of the way.
Shields was outstanding between the pipes for Saskatoon. He did everything he could to try and steal the win for his club. And it started to look like he would do just that until Feser tipped Cole Berreth's point shot out of mid-air and past Shields 6:16 into the final frame. Neither team was able to find the go-ahead goal from there and settled for a single point in the standings.
The Optimist Rebels are back in action today at 4pm vs. Moncton.
In other Telus Cup action on Monday... Phénix du Collège Esther-Blondin beat the Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves 6-2 and the host Leduc Oil Kings knocked off the Moncton Flyers 5-4.
The Optimist Rebels finally broke through late in the second period on their 26th shot of the game. Brady Bakke fired on net, Contacts goalie Mack Shields made the save, but Nick Glackin was there to put home the rebound for a shorthanded goal at 15:50. The goal set the stage for complete Red Deer dominance the rest of the way.
Shields was outstanding between the pipes for Saskatoon. He did everything he could to try and steal the win for his club. And it started to look like he would do just that until Feser tipped Cole Berreth's point shot out of mid-air and past Shields 6:16 into the final frame. Neither team was able to find the go-ahead goal from there and settled for a single point in the standings.
The Optimist Rebels are back in action today at 4pm vs. Moncton.
In other Telus Cup action on Monday... Phénix du Collège Esther-Blondin beat the Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves 6-2 and the host Leduc Oil Kings knocked off the Moncton Flyers 5-4.
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Sticking with our theme from my previous blog... here are my thoughts on how the four Red Deer Rebels prospects fared in yesterday's game (as they auditioned for Rebels assistant coaches Chris Neiszner and Bryce Thoma who were both in attendance)...
Scott Feser, Red Deer (F) - Game-tying goal aside, Feser did a fairly good job of creating scoring chances throughout the game. He certainly seemed more comfortable versus Saskatoon than he did in either game of the pacific regional final versus Vancouver. Scott, like the rest of the Optimist Rebels, should look even more comfortable starting today now that the opening game jitters are out of the way.
Scott Ferguson, Red Deer (F) - Personally, I thought Ferguson played the best game out of any forward on the ice. Every time he was on the ice, Ferguson either had the puck on his stick or was getting it to his line mates for scoring chances. Scott also used his size (6'0 182lbs) to create havoc in the corners for Saskatoon defenders. The Optimist Rebels will definitely benefit if Ferguson can maintain a high level of play throughout the rest of the week.
Sticking with our theme from my previous blog... here are my thoughts on how the four Red Deer Rebels prospects fared in yesterday's game (as they auditioned for Rebels assistant coaches Chris Neiszner and Bryce Thoma who were both in attendance)...
Scott Feser, Red Deer (F) - Game-tying goal aside, Feser did a fairly good job of creating scoring chances throughout the game. He certainly seemed more comfortable versus Saskatoon than he did in either game of the pacific regional final versus Vancouver. Scott, like the rest of the Optimist Rebels, should look even more comfortable starting today now that the opening game jitters are out of the way.
Scott Ferguson, Red Deer (F) - Personally, I thought Ferguson played the best game out of any forward on the ice. Every time he was on the ice, Ferguson either had the puck on his stick or was getting it to his line mates for scoring chances. Scott also used his size (6'0 182lbs) to create havoc in the corners for Saskatoon defenders. The Optimist Rebels will definitely benefit if Ferguson can maintain a high level of play throughout the rest of the week.
Vukie Mpofu, Saskatoon (D) - While Joel Topping was clearly the best defenceman on the ice for either team, Mpofu definitely led the charge for the Contacts group of bluelines. I have no official stats, but I'd be willing to bet that Vukie played in excess of 25 minutes in the game. His small small stature works against him, but Mpofu stood in tough against Optimist Rebels forecheckers. He also was effective at moving the puck ahead to his forwards. Speaking with him after the game, Mpofu is happy with how his game has progressed throughout the season, "I think not only myself but a lot of our [Contacts] young players grew a lot. I think it [qualifying for Telus Cup] has got us really ready to maybe make the jump to the WHL next year."
Rod Southam, Saskatoon (F) - Yesterday's game was not an overly physical affair, which didn't play well into Southam's power forward style. But he didn't look horribly out of place and didn't hurt himself at all in the way of turnovers and such. A harder hitting game will help Southam better show off what he has to offer. Southam told me he is happy with his development this season, having gotten bigger and stronger and quicker on his feet. He says there is no secret to what his game is all about, "I like to hit and bring the body and be a physical presence out there."
Monday, April 23, 2012
Rebels Prospects To Do Battle In Leduc - UPDATED**
**IN MY ORIGINAL VERSION OF THIS POST I HELD OFF OF MENTIONING SCOTT FERGUSON UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO CONFIRM A FEW DETAILS I WAS LOOKING FOR. I HAVE NOW INCLUDED FERGUSON IN THIS VERSION UPDATED MONDAY EVENING**
While four weeks of campaigning in the Alberta provincial election has come to an end (please... get out and vote on Monday!) a foursome of Red Deer Rebels will be some campaigning of their own this week in Leduc.
The Red Deer Optimist Rebels are representing the Pacific Region at this week's Telus Cup national midget championship tournament. The Optimist Rebels feature forwards Scott Ferguson, taken by the Red Deer Rebels in the 6th round (122nd overall) of the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft, and Scott Feser, selected by his hometown Rebels in the 8th round (166th overall) in the same draft.
The Saskatoon Contacts are in Leduc representing the West Region and feature two Rebels drafted players. Defenceman Vukie Mpofu was selected in the 4th round (87th overall) in last year's bantam draft while forward Rodney Southam was selected by the Rebels in the 6th round (131st) overall.
It just so happens that the Optimist Rebels and Contacts meet in the opening game of the tournament (Monday, 12:30pm) meaning fans of the big Rebels will get an early look at their potential future players. Here's a quick look at all four...
SCOTT FESER (F) - 5'10 170lbs, 01/05/1995, Red Deer AB
Feser finished second on the Red Deer Optimist Rebels in regular season scoring with 40 points (18 G, 22 A) in 49 games played. He followed that up by leading all AMHL skaters with 11 points (8G, 3A) in 10 games. Scott was held pointless in the two game pacific region final versus the Vancouver NW Giants. Feser was called up to the WHL Rebels this past season, playing nine games and collecting two assists. His older brother Justin is a star player for the Tri-City Americans.
SCOTT FERGUSON (F) - 6'0 182lbs, 04/22/1995, Red Deer ABSize is definitely one of Ferguson's strongest assets. He used his frame to record a respectable 23 points (12G, 11A) in 33 regular season games and another 7 points (2G, 5A) in 12 playoff games. Ferguson was not called up by the big Rebels this season but did appear in three games with the Camrose Kodiaks of the AJHL. He did not record a point for Camrose in those games.
VUKIE MPOFU (D) - 5'9, 165lbs, 18/02/1996, Saskatoon SK
When it came to scoring during the Saskatchewan Midget AAA regular season, Vukie finished fourth among Contacts defencemen with 19 points (7G, 12A) in 43 games played. He also racked up 45 penalty minutes. Mpofu followed up with 6 points (2G, 4A) in 16 playoff games played for the Contacts, good for second among team blueliners.
RODNEY SOUTHAM (F) - 5'10, 170lbs, 08/09/1996, Saskatoon SKNot a particularly dominant force offensively, Southam was 10th in Contacts team scoring this season with 23 points (12G, 11A) in 43 games played. But if penalty minutes are any indication, he ranked 4th on the team and 2nd among forwards with 93PIM, Southam isn't afraid to throw his weight around (he's not overwhelmingly big but 170lbs will still get you places). Southam had just one assist and 16 penalty minutes in 17 playoff games for the Contacts.
Admittedly, it's easier to get a read on Feser having watched him play numerous times this season. It will be interesting to watch Mpofu and Southam in action today. A good showing by both players would serve them well heading into Rebels Prospects Camp this June.
You can follow the Telus Cup on Twitter @HC_TelusCup and online at hockeycanada.ca
TG
While four weeks of campaigning in the Alberta provincial election has come to an end (please... get out and vote on Monday!) a foursome of Red Deer Rebels will be some campaigning of their own this week in Leduc.
The Red Deer Optimist Rebels are representing the Pacific Region at this week's Telus Cup national midget championship tournament. The Optimist Rebels feature forwards Scott Ferguson, taken by the Red Deer Rebels in the 6th round (122nd overall) of the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft, and Scott Feser, selected by his hometown Rebels in the 8th round (166th overall) in the same draft.
The Saskatoon Contacts are in Leduc representing the West Region and feature two Rebels drafted players. Defenceman Vukie Mpofu was selected in the 4th round (87th overall) in last year's bantam draft while forward Rodney Southam was selected by the Rebels in the 6th round (131st) overall.
It just so happens that the Optimist Rebels and Contacts meet in the opening game of the tournament (Monday, 12:30pm) meaning fans of the big Rebels will get an early look at their potential future players. Here's a quick look at all four...
Feser finished second on the Red Deer Optimist Rebels in regular season scoring with 40 points (18 G, 22 A) in 49 games played. He followed that up by leading all AMHL skaters with 11 points (8G, 3A) in 10 games. Scott was held pointless in the two game pacific region final versus the Vancouver NW Giants. Feser was called up to the WHL Rebels this past season, playing nine games and collecting two assists. His older brother Justin is a star player for the Tri-City Americans.
SCOTT FERGUSON (F) - 6'0 182lbs, 04/22/1995, Red Deer ABSize is definitely one of Ferguson's strongest assets. He used his frame to record a respectable 23 points (12G, 11A) in 33 regular season games and another 7 points (2G, 5A) in 12 playoff games. Ferguson was not called up by the big Rebels this season but did appear in three games with the Camrose Kodiaks of the AJHL. He did not record a point for Camrose in those games.
When it came to scoring during the Saskatchewan Midget AAA regular season, Vukie finished fourth among Contacts defencemen with 19 points (7G, 12A) in 43 games played. He also racked up 45 penalty minutes. Mpofu followed up with 6 points (2G, 4A) in 16 playoff games played for the Contacts, good for second among team blueliners.
RODNEY SOUTHAM (F) - 5'10, 170lbs, 08/09/1996, Saskatoon SKNot a particularly dominant force offensively, Southam was 10th in Contacts team scoring this season with 23 points (12G, 11A) in 43 games played. But if penalty minutes are any indication, he ranked 4th on the team and 2nd among forwards with 93PIM, Southam isn't afraid to throw his weight around (he's not overwhelmingly big but 170lbs will still get you places). Southam had just one assist and 16 penalty minutes in 17 playoff games for the Contacts.
Admittedly, it's easier to get a read on Feser having watched him play numerous times this season. It will be interesting to watch Mpofu and Southam in action today. A good showing by both players would serve them well heading into Rebels Prospects Camp this June.
You can follow the Telus Cup on Twitter @HC_TelusCup and online at hockeycanada.ca
TG
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