Port Alberni, BC – With the regular season opener less than a week away, the Bulldogs announced that it has trimmed its roster to twenty three players. On Sunday September 6th, the team acquired forward Brodie Smith from the Cowichan Valley Capitals for Future Considerations.
Smith spent parts of the past two seasons with the Capitals where he scored 13 points in 58 career BCHL games. Prior to that, Smith played for the Oceanside Generals in the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League where he accumulated 30 points in 42 games before making the jump to Junior “A.”
The Parksville, BC, resident is known for his tenacious play and will complement the style of hockey the Bulldogs are known for. “Brodie adds more depth and grit to our hockey club,” says head coach and general manager Kevin Willison. “We are very familiar with Brodie from the past two seasons and believe he will make a positive impact on our program.”
“I am very excited to start a new season as a Bulldog,” says the 5-foot-9, 165-pound Smith, who will wear jersey number 8. “I can’t wait to put on the uniform for the first time.”
The Bulldogs would also like to announce the signing of forward Will Lavezzorio. The Chicago, Illinois, native spent the past three seasons developing for his hometown academic institution at the Lake Forest Academy. The 5-foot-10, 172 pound American will be relied on to play and develop in all situations and will bring a lot of speed to the Bulldogs line up.
“I am excited to be a part of the Bulldogs organization,” says Lavezzorio. “I really enjoyed my time here so far and the support from the community is awesome. I cannot wait to get the regular season started.”
“Will has been on our radar for quite some time,” says Willison. “We want to be a fast pace hockey team and Will definitely brings a lot of energy to our on-ice product.”
The Bulldogs are also very proud to announce that the team has signed local forward Logan Savard for the 2015-16 season. The graduate of Alberni Valley Minor Hockey Association spent the last two seasons playing for the Oceanside Generals of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League where he posted 15 goals and 32 points in 47 games.
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound power forward also appeared in 4 playoff games for the Bulldogs last season adding 2 assists. Savard will be the only local player to begin the season on the roster and will be relied on for his size and strength down the middle.
“I am excited and honored to play for the team I grew up watching and idolizing as a child,” says Savard. “I worked very hard this off-season and I am looking forward to the opportunity to contribute to what should be a strong Bulldogs team this year.”
“We are excited to have Logan with us this season,” says Willison. “He has put in a lot of hard work the past few off seasons and we have noticed a huge improvement in his game. He will be a leader for us in the community and a great role model for other local players who hope to crack our roster in the future.”
Savard will wear jersey number 7 for the Bulldogs.
For the time being, the Bulldogs will carry a roster of 23 players leading up to the season opener.
2015-16 Alberni Valley Bulldogs:
Goaltenders: Chris Tai (Delta, BC), Carson Schamerhorn (Kelowna, BC) Defense: Nolan Alward (Havelock, NB), Tyler Cooper (Sudbury, ONT), Taylor Derynck (Whistler, BC), Troy Dobbs (Buffalo, NY), Garrett Halls (Comox, BC), Paul Meyer (Edina, MN), Nathan Walker (Calgary, AB) Forwards: Josh Adkins (Victoria, BC), Will Lavezzorio (Chicago, IL), Drew Blackmun (Hudson, WI), Scott Clark (New Boston, MI), Liam Conrad (Sackville, NB), Nathan Dingmann (Plymouth, MN), Adam Donnelly (Bolton, ONT), Cayden Kraus (Whistler, BC), Eric Margo (North Vancouver, BC), Jordan Sandhu (Richmond, BC), Logan Savard (Port Alberni, BC), Chris Schutz (Fort Worth, TX), Brodie Smith (Parksville, BC), Quinn Syrydiuk (Toronto, ONT).
The Bulldogs open the regular season against the Cowichan Valley Capitals, on Saturday September 12th at 7:00pm.
