Recent attendance at BC Hockey’s U15 Vancouver Island region camp has resulted in more ice time for three Powell River Minor Hockey Association products.
From April 1-3, forward Nicolas Porchetta and defencemen Gabe Shipley and Keagen Abbott, all members of Powell River Bantam Rep Kings, participated in on- and off-ice training and skills-development sessions in Duncan with approximately 80 other players from the region.
After the camp, 25 of the players trying out were chosen to play at the U15 high-performance provincial tournament in Richmond from May 5-8, including Porchetta, Shipley and Abbott.
A total of 160 players will represent regional camps from across BC and play in a jamboree-style tournament with teams specifically formed for the event.
BC Hockey and the Western Hockey League will promote skill development through a national skill-testing program, which utilizes the latest in combine-testing technology and includes on- and off-ice sessions for the competitors.
Key areas for improvement are identified for each player and, at the end of the tournament, each player is presented with sports-testing results and a ranking within a national database.
Porchetta, who scored 20 goals and added eight assists in 23 games for the Bantam Kings last season, is one of 14 forwards selected from the Vancouver Island region.
Nine defencemen were also chosen to move on, including Shipley and Abbott, each of whom also suited up for 23 games. Shipley scored twice and added 11 assists, while Abbott contributed five goals and three assists over the course of the season.
Bantam Kings faced tier one competition during regular-season play and competed in tier two playoffs, advancing to the Island final before being eliminated by Campbell River.
