Document text
53 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, January 28, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend January 9, 2005 Hockey gaining momentum in Rogue Valley By KEVIN GOFF Mail Tribune The snow that blanketed the Rogue Valley on Saturday wiped out a majority of the high school sporting events. But while most of Southern Oregon was shoveling away the fresh white precipitation, high school hockey was again in action at The RRRink. The sport, now in its second year at the high school level in the Rogue Valley, is rapidly gaining momentum among fans and players. Saturday night pitted Crater against South Medford in the opener, and Ashland versus North Medford in the nightcap before a near-capacity crowd. The Comets defeated South, 7-3, for the second time this season behind two goals from junior Johannes Ellendorff and 16 saves by senior goalkeeper Chris Venables. Robert Hayward scored unassisted to put Crater on the board in the first period, while Russell Biskeborn, Michael Drew, Jake Keyser and Devin Swanson each added a goal. Advertisement Richie Peterson slipped in South’s first score in the opening period. Jared Adamson tallied unassisted to put the Panthers, who were down a man at the time, ahead 2-1 in the first. Christopher Williams pushed across South’s final goal in the third period. North Medford and Ashland finished up the evening with the league’s first-ever overtime contest. The Black Tornado came away with a 6-5 victory as Antti Pesso, who finished with two goals and an assist, scored the game-winner 30 seconds into the extra period. Dustin Fender led the North attack with three goals, while Gianni Assam tacked on a score and keeper Alex Orr stopped 33 shots. Cody Schoonover paced the Ashland offense with two goals. Tiffany Schoonover also scored to go along with two assists, while Matt Dierks and Stephen McLaughlin each notched goals. The Grizzlies dropped its first game, an 8-3 decision to North, earlier in the season — their first-ever loss in high school hockey action after finishing the inaugural season undefeated. Ashland benefited last season from having a majority of its players come straight from the now-defunct Rogue Valley Youth Hockey Association midget-level Stars. But the improvement in skill level, and the addition of two teams (North Medford and Klamath Falls), has significantly increased the competition level. Each team has at least one loss through the first four weekends, leaving the playoff field — scheduled for March 11-12 — wide open. "Last year we started out with three or four kids that could really skate," said Comet coach Lisa Hayward, whose daughter Madison and son Robert play for Crater. "This year is completely different. We started off with only three kids that couldn’t skate real well. The skill level has really gone up." The improvement in play isn’t the only difference to the league, however. North Medford and South Medford split after sharing a team last season. The natural rivalry has added an extra dimension to the spirited competition between the schools. "I feel more of a bond with my teammates this year (after the split)," said Adamson, who leads South in goals with six in only his second year of playing hockey. "There’s that rivalry between us and North that makes it more fun." Adamson took up the sport last year after dabbling in roller hockey. "Oh, I love playing hockey," said the junior. "This year feels more competitive with the new teams. The fans seem to really get into it." North Medford coach Tyler Stephenson, who works at The RRRink and officiated games last season, has also been impressed with the seasoned play. "I’d say this year the play is way faster than last year," said Stephenson. "The kids are huge ... way bigger. I know most of these kids, and I’ve been so impressed with how the level of competition has gone up." The crispness of the game is due in part to the no-checking rule. Players are allowed to roam the ice without body checking, a standard put in place last season to help the competitors learn the nuances of the game without someone impeding their progress. While high school hockey isn’t a sanctioned sport by the Oregon School Activities Association, players can letter with their school. And the league may expand again next season to possibly seven teams, with Grants Pass and Eagle Point looking to enter the mix. Klamath Falls, which had to turn away players after 40 kids tried out, may split next year, too. "I think this league will be around for a long time," said Stephenson. "You have coaches like myself, Lisa (Hayward), (South’s) Erich (Weber) and (Ashland coach) Michael (Mahlstadt) that are going to be around for a while. "It’s pretty exciting to think about what could happen." Reach reporter Kevin Goff at 776-4483 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers