By: Erik Morken-Alexandria Echo Press
Former Alexandria Cardinal standout Thomas Williams has earned the trust of his Blizzard teammates to the point where they named him as the team captain for the 2011-2012 season recently.
The second-year forward made progress in his first season with the Blizzard. He worked his way into a position where he was getting steady ice time as he racked up 44 points on 10 goals and 34 assists last year.
Head coach Doc DelCastillo saw him taking on a much bigger role heading into this season. Williams has not disappointed through five games played. He already has six points and five goals. He is a guy who has worked his way into a position of leadership on this year’s roster.
“We’re really excited for Tommy,” DelCastillo said. “It is something he has earned, and the guys really respect him. He’s a leader, and I’m excited to have him as our captain.”
Assistant captains were also chosen with forwards Tucker Coborn and Seth Ronsberg and defenseman Vadim Gyesbreghs being named to that list.
Three battle for
time in net
Jameson Shortreed of Emo, Ontario has been getting the bulk of the minutes in net so far, but DelCastillo said that doesn’t mean he has established a No. 1 goalie for this team.
Shortreed has been up and down through his first five games in goal for Alexandria. He has posted a 2-2 record with a 3.46 goals against average and a save percentage of .875. He gave up 10 goals in his two losses but bounced back with a nice showing in the 3-2 win over Minot last Friday.
Zach Woodman is also in the mix for playing time. The Beloit, Wisconsin native has allowed 10 goals in two games played so far. DelCastillo is still trying to figure out what guy will give this team the best chance to win on a night-to-night basis.
“It’s really competitive,” he said. “It’s too early to say who’s No. 1 and who’s No. 2. Jameson has a little more experience than Zach right now, but it’s hard for a coach when you only have one game on a weekend. You got to kind of go with your gut and then the other guy, unfortunately, doesn’t play.”
Adding to that competition is the addition of a familiar face in Jacob Meyers. Meyers was brought back to Alexandria earlier this week after a stint with the Tri-City Storm in the United States Hockey League. He spent a portion of last season with the Blizzard where he posted a 7-10 record and a 3.10 goals against average.
“Jacob is a welcome addition,” DelCastillo said. “It makes it a very competitive situation in the net. Jacob was with us last year and went to Tri-City, and I think he did well, but it just didn’t work out the way it was suppose to. We’re happy to have him back.
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