DOUGLAS CCLLEGE LIBRARY

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TEAM DOUGLAS WINS PLAYOFF CHAMPIONSHIP

The hockey season ended on a trimuphant note for Team Douglas as they defeated
Trinity Western College, two games to one in the best-of-three finals, to win the
Fraser Valley College Hockey League playoff championship. BCIT Forestry was
disqualified in the semi-finals for using an ineligible player and Columbia Bible
Institute was eliminated in two straight games by Trinity. Team Douglas won the
first game of the finals 3-1 on March 23rd at Abbotsford. The game was a close
one, with Douglas scoring their third goal into an empty net in the last second
of the game. Scoring for Douglas were Gene Guiricich (assisted by Al Lewis and
Rick Matheson), Ron Ames (assisted by Pat Ponti and Ron Hovey) and Ken Zakala
(assisted by Ron Ames).

In the second game of the finals, Trinity Western College scored six
unanswered goals in the last fourteen minutes of the third period to defeat Douglas
10-6. Up to that point, it had been a see-saw battle which saw Douglas score
first and Trinity tie it up at 1-1, 2-2 and 3-3 before Douglas went ahead 5-3 and
then 6-4 at the midpoint of the third period. Then the roof fell in. Scoring
for Douglas were Wes Hawkes (assisted by Keith MacKenzie and Rick Matheson),

Al Lewis (assisted by Ron Ames and Ken Zakala), Don Funk (assisted by Bill Bonner),
Ron Hovey (assisted by Ron Ames and Gene Giuricich) and Al Lewis (assisted by
Gene Guiricich and Ron Ames).

The third and deciding game of the series was played on March 30th and
saw goalie Peter Collins of Douglas shut-out Trinity, 3-0. Once again, the game
was a close one, but Team Douglas was fore-checking and back-checking extremely
well as they helped Peter Collins to his well-earned shut-out. Neither coach
Len Millis nor manager John Patterson was able to attend the game, so substitute
goalie John McKenzie (supported by Robin Ryan) ably coached the team to its win.
The offensive star of the game was Ken Zakala, who scored two unassisted goals
and assisted on the third, which was scored by Ron Hovey. Pat Ponti also assisted
on Hovey's goal. The win climaxed a successful season for the team which saw
them gradually improve through the season and peak in the playoffs. Including
exhibition and playoff games, Team Douglas won 10, lost 10 and tied 3.

On April 3rd, the Fraser Valley College Hockey League held its first annual
hockey banquet which was attended by about 80 players, coaches and managers,
together with their girl-friends and/or wives. The food was excellent and guest
speaker, Babe Pratt, of the Vancouver Canucks, amused the audience with his many
hockey anecdotes. The league trophies were awarded as follows:

Playoff champions - Douglas College

League champions - Columbia Bible Institute
Scoring champion - Rudy Martens (CBI)

Best goalie - Neil Josephson (TWC)

Best defenceman ~ Ken Zakala (DC)

Most valuable player - George Ryan (BCI TF)
Most gentlemanly player - Wally Unger (CBI)

All in all, it has been a very successful season for Team Douglas and they
are looking forward to next year. ¢

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