December 31, 2007

Blue Devils PWA Champions at Logitech 3-on-3 Tournament

With 3 skaters per team on the ice, no icing and no off-sides, every game was a non-stop, high intensity, high-scoring match. Michael Sinicropi played brilliantly in goal, especially so during the Championship game where he turned aside huge scoring chances by the Isotopes late in the game. Bissell and Flores led the goal-scoring with impressive stick-handling, passing and shooting. In an exciting "penalty shot" finish to the Championship game, trailing by one goal, Sinicropi stopped the Isotopes only penalty shot with an aggressive poke check. Che then rang a shot off the left post past the Isotopes goalie to tie, and Minton scored straight up under the crossbar for the one-goal win, and the winner's T-shirts! Congratulations "Dummies"!

Game Scores:

• Round 1: Crash Test Dummies 11 - Silver Surfers (San Jose) 4
• Round 2: Crash Test Dummies 4 - The Isotopes (Santa Clara) 5
• Round 3: Crash Test Dummies 16 - The Dominators (Santa Clara) 9
• Championship Game: Crash Test Dummies 9 - The Isotopes 8

December 23, 2007

Tri Valley Pee Wee A's split pair of NORCAL games

Dublin , CA - The Tri Valley Pee Wee A's picked up an impressive win but also suffered a loss in NORCAL minor hockey action. The Blue Devils defeated  Santa Rosa , but fell 8-2 to the leagues hottest team, Oakland Pee Wee A1 (5-0). 

Oakland  netted the games first goal in the opening period when Dominic Miroglio scored. Miroglio would end up having a big day recording 4 goals and 1 assist. The score was 2-0 Oakland when Tri Valley got on the scoreboard. Michael Hahn fired the puck past Oakland goaltender Victor Ortiz. Connor Young and Matthew Bissell picked up the assists.  After that the Bears took control of the contest scoring 5 unanswered goals.  Tri Valley 's only other goal came in the third period from Jordan Smith with assists going to Jacob Minton and Gerin Flores.  Goaltender Michael Sinicropi was busy making 28 saves.

Earlier, the Blue Devils defeated the Santa Rosa Flyers 3-1. Young opened the scoring on a first period goal set up by Jeremy Che. After Peter Strauch tied the game for Santa Rosa, Tri Valley shut the door. Sinicropi had an excellent game recording 22 saves. Hahn and Gerin added unassisted second and third period goals to round out the scoring. The Blue Devils out shot the Flyers 41-23.

Other notable performances in the games came from Aleksey Pelletier, Quinn Moore, Cole Merrick, Patrick Mellville, Justin McGowan, Michael Liamos and Daniel Atwater.

Tri Valley carries a 3-1-1 record into the NORCAL holiday break. Next up for the Blue Devils is the Sharks Ice At San Jose Christmas tournament where they are scheduled to face the LA Junior Kings, San Diego Saints, Ventura and California Golden Bears.

December 3, 2007

Pee Wee A Hockey: Tri Valley Blue Devils 14 Oakland Bears 0

Dublin, CA -  Matthew Bissell's 4 goal performance led the way for the Tri Valley Pee Wee A squad as they defeated the Oakland Bears (A2) 14-0 in NORCAL regular season action at Dublin Iceland.

The game was close in the first period as the Blue Devils led 2-0. But a 6 goal barrage in the second period blew things wide open. There were actually two hat tricks in the game. Connor Young also scored 3 goals and added a pair of assists. Young was one of three Tri Valley players with 5 point games. Michael Hahn and Cole Merrick each had a goal and 4 assists.

Daniel Atwater had a solid game for the Blue Devils scoring a pair of goals.  Patrick Melville chipped in with a goal and two assists while Gerin Flores had a goal and an assist.

Jacob Minton also scored for Tri Valley.  Jordan Smith had a 3 assist game while Jeremy Che and Michael Liamos each had an assist.

Dev's goaltender Michael Sinicropi made 6 saves to record the shutout. Coaches John Young, John McGowan and Anthony Melville also received excellent performances from Justin McGowan and Aleksey Pelletier.

With the victory the Blue Devils NORCAL record improved to 2 - 0 - 1.  Next up will be a meeting against Santa Rosa in Oakland.

November 26, 2007 II

Midget 18A's Win Silver Stick Regional

The Tri-Valley Midget 18A team won the championship of their division at the recently completed Silver Stick regional tournament held at Sharks Ice at San Jose. The Devils completed the 5 game sweep to advance to the International Silver Stick tournament which will be held January 18-20, 2008 in Sarnia, Ontario. We wish the team good luck as they represent Northern California in this long running and highly prestigious event.

November 26, 2007 I

Tri Valley Blue Devils Pee Wee A Finished 2-2 at Silversticks

San Jose - The Tri Valley Blue Devils Pee Wee A team finished with a record of 2-2 at the annual San Jose Regional Silver Stick Hockey tournament at Sharks Ice of San Jose.

The Blue Devils opened the 64 team event with a game against NORCAL rival Santa Clara . The Blackhawks built up a 3 goal first period lead and went on to beat Tri Vally 4-1. Douglas Gutierrez scored twice for Santa Clara with John Woo and Justin Hoffman adding single goals. Quinn Moore scored the only Blue Devils goal while net minder Michael Sinicropi made 27 saves. Martin Munn was excellent in goal for the Hawks making 30 saves.

A night later Tri Valley rebounded with a 3-2 victory over Bakersfield . Moore, Michael Hahn and Matthew Bissell scored the goals. Aleksey Pelletier had 2 assists, while Connor Young added another. Sinicropi stopped 18 Bakersfield shots.

The Blue Devils played their strongest game of the tournament against the Ontario Eagles from Southern California . Daniel Atwater had a 5 point game with a hat trick and 2 assists as Tri Valley romped to a 9-1 victory. Jordan Smith had two goals and two assists in the game. Patrick Melville scored a goal and 3 assists while Young, Hahn and Jeremy Che had a goal and an assist each. Matthew Bissell also had 2 assists.

Unfortunately the Blue Devils ran into a hot Oakland Bears Pee Wee 1 squad in their final game, losing 7-1. Andrew Frojelin led the way for Oakland with two goals and an assist. Atwater scored the only Tri Valley goal. Sinicropi had a busy night in the Blue Devils net facing 27 shots.

Throughout the tournament Tri Valley Coaches John Young, John McGowan and Anthony Melville also received strong performances from Gerin Flores, Justin McGowan, Cole Merrick and Jacob Minton.

The Blue Devils now return to NORCAL regular season action where they will next face Oakland . Tri Valley is scheduled to play in the Holiday Tournament in San Jose December 26 - 31.

November 25, 2007

NORCAL STAR OF THE WEEK - PEEWEE A - CONNOR YOUNG

	Nominee	Connor Young
	Jersey #	17
	Age Division	12U
	Team Name	Tri-Valley Peewee A
	Position	Center
	Date of Game	November 17, 2007
	Opposing Team	Vacaville Jets
	Location of Game	Vacaville Ice Sports

Summary/Highlights of Game Played:

Connor Young's outstanding contribution helped lead the Tri-Valley Peewee A team to victory with a hat-trick, beating the Vacaville Jets 6-2 on Saturday, November 17th. His first and second goals were scored in the middle of the first period only two minutes and 19 seconds apart. He intercepted a pass from Vacaville and then used his ability to deke to put Tri-Valley on the scoreboard at 1-0. Less than three minutes later, he broke through Vacaville 's defense to put the puck in the net a second time, giving Tri-Valley a cushion at 2-0. Both goals were breakaway dekes with backhand shots to the lower left corner. His third goal was scored eight and a half minutes into the second period when he crashed the net to poke in a rebound puck over the goalie's pad. What a huge accomplishment at the peewee level! Connor's tremendous speed, tireless work ethic, and ability to see the ice contributes to this center-man's success on the ice.

November 20, 2007

Tri Valley Blue Devils Pee Wee A 2 San Jose Junior Sharks 2
Tri Valley Blue Devils Pee Wee A 6 Vacaville Jets 2

Two games into the NORCAL hockey regular season the Tri Valley Blue Devils Pee Wee A team finds themselves undefeated,  thanks to a win and a tie.

The Blue Devils began the 2007-2008 season with a 2-2 tie against the San Jose Junior Sharks.

Patrick Melville opened the scoring for Tri Valley on a setup from Jordan Smith. After Matt Woodley tied it for San Jose , Smith put the Blue Devils back in front with his second goal midway through the middle period. But early in the third period Chris Schumacher scored for the Junior Sharks and the contest ended in a tie.

Blue Devils goalie Michael Sinicropi was outstanding in the contest  making 24 saves.

Against Vacaville , Tri Valley scored two goals in each period to post a convincing 6-2 victory. The first star of the game was Connor Young who recorded a three goal "hat trick". Two of his goals came on breakaways. Jordan Smith also scored 2 goals in the game with Michael Hahn adding another. Matthew Bissell  had a pair of assists. Hahn, Aleksey Pelletier and Patrick Melville also had assists. Sinicropi had another strong game recording 13 assists. Robert Rogers scored both Vacaville goals. Tri Valley coaches John Young, John McGowan and Anthony Melville also received solid efforts from Daniel Atwater, Jeremy Che, Gerin Flories, Michael Liamos, Justin McGowan, Cole Merrick, Jacob Minton and Quinn Moore.

The Blue Devils now prepare for the Silver Sticks Holiday Tournament in San Jose with games scheduled against Santa Clara , Bakersfield , Ontario and Oakland.

November 8, 2007

Santa Clara Blackhawks 5 Tri Valley Blue Devils (Dublin) 2

Dublin, CA -  The Santa Clara Blackhawks scored 3 unanswered goals in the third period to break open a close game and defeated the Tri Valley Blue Devil Pee Wee A's 5-2 in a NORCAL exhibition game at Dublin Iceland. The game was the last tune up between the two sides before they prepare to meet in regular season action.

Santa Clara opened scoring just a little over a minute into the first period on a goal from Benjamin Messick. However, Tri Valley wasted no time getting that back as Michael Hahn fired a wrist shot over the Hawks goaltender to tie the contest at 1-1. Matthew Bissell and Connor Young drew assists on the play.

In the second period the visitors regained the lead on Messick's second goal of the game. But Young tied it again scoring on a breakaway and it was 2-2 heading into the final period.

That's when Santa Clara took over. First they netted a power play goal from Tyler Logan to make it 3-2.  Then with under three minutes left the Hawks got goals from Michael Sharp and Cory Tripp just :45 seconds apart to seal the victory.

Santa Clara out shot Tri Valley 25-15.  Michael Sinicropi had a busy night in goal for the Blue Devils registering 20 saves. Devils coaches John McGowan and Anthony Melville also saw strong performances from Jordan Smith, Aleksey Pelletier, Quinn Moore, Jacob Minton, Cole Merrick, Patrick Melville, Justin McGowan, Michael Liamos, Gerin Flores, Jeremy Che and Daniel Atwater.

Next up for the Blue Devils is a regular season tilt at San Jose against the Junior Sharks.

October 30, 2007

Tri Valley Blue Devils Pee Wee A (Dublin)  4 San Jose Junior Sharks Pee Wee A  4

San Jose , CA - The Tri Valley Blue Devils Pee Wee A squad skated to a  4-4 tie with the San Jose Junior Sharks in the opening game of NORCAL regular season play.

The Blue Devils jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the game, played at Sharks Ice at San Jose , but couldn't hold on. Matthew Bissell scored the first goal of the 2007-2008 campaign for the visitors just three minutes into the first period. Michael Hahn drew an assist on the play. The Blue Devils quickly made it 2-0 just four minutes later thanks to a goal from Jordan Smith with Daniel Atwater drawing the only assist.  The Junior Sharks got on the board when Takuto Wado found the net to make it 2-1.

In the second period Tri Valley quickly jumped to a 4-1 lead. Just twenty two seconds into the middle frame, Hahn scored from Justin McGowan. Less than a minute after that Smith scored again on a pass from Patrick Melville. It looked as if the Blue Devils were in good shape. However San Jose got a pair of goals late in the period from Peter Romanchuk and Kevin Chang to make it a one goal game. About 5 minutes into the third period the Junior Sharks completed their comeback on a goal by Bridget Baker.

Tri Valley outshot San Jose 28-20 ini the game. Michael Sinicropi made 16 saves for the Blue Devils. Blue Devils Head Coach John Young and Assistants John McGowan and Tony Melville also received solid performances from Jeremy Che, Gerin Flores, Michael Liamos, Cole Merrick, Jacob Minton, Quinn Moore, Aleksey Pelletier and Connor Young.

Tri Valley returns to action Sunday at Dublin Iceland when they host Santa Clara .

September 11, 2007

Tri Valley Pee Wee's take opener vs San Jose

Dublin , CA - The Tri Valley Blue Devils Pee Wee A team began the 2007-2008 NORCAL preseason with an exciting 4-3 win over the visiting San Jose Junior Sharks at Dublin Iceland .

Tri Valley jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead with a pair of first period goals. Matt Bissell scored first goal on a pass from Michael Hahn. The Blue Devils added another goal just minutes later when Connor Young tallied on a setup from Jake Minton. The Sharks got a goal from Ryan Dudschus midway through the opening period and then took the lead in the second period thanks to goals from Chris Schumacher and Joey Cea.

Tri Valley returned to form in the third period with some solid play. Gerin Flores tied the game when he scored a shorthanded goal on a setup from Cole Merrick. Young came through with the game winner thanks to Minton's assist.

Michael Sinicropi picked up the victory in goal making 17 saves. Tri Valley was outshot by San Jose 20-19.

Dev's Head Coach John Young also saw solid performances from Daniel Atwater, Matt Bissell, Jeremy Che, Michael Liamos, Justin McGowan, Quinn Moore, Alex Pelletier and Jordan Smith.

July 9, 2007

TRI-VALLEY GOALTENDER HEADING TO BCHL JUNIOR A TRYOUTS!

Midget 18A State Champion Goaltender Kenny Heumann will be attending tryouts for the Prince George Spruce Kings in August.

Kenny has been with the Blue Devils for several years and his commitment and dedication is an inspiration to all of our players.

In a short discussion with Tri-Valley Midget Head Coach Mike Holmes, Mike confirmed that he is now working with a number of clubs in the BCHL Junior A League including the Penticton Vees and Prince George Spruce Kings.

"No kidding around, Kenny's got a very real shot at a position, and I'll be watching all the kids in Northern California this year for next years candidates."

Without question, this brings a new level of opportunity to many ambitious players throughout Northern California that may decide to play "A" level hockey instead of the more traditional "AA" or "AAA" route.

This is very encouraging for many players and families that are unable to play AA or AAA because of academic commitments or finances and will absolutely make the Midget A Division in Norcal very exciting to play and watch this season.

Best of luck Kenny. The Blue Devils are behind you.

May 20, 2007

TRI-VALLEY ANNOUNCES COACHES FOR 2007-2008 SEASON

Tri-Valley Minor Hockey Association is proud to announce it's coaches for the 2007-2008 season.

Several changes in the coaching lineup are expected to bring excitement and enthusiasm to the club after a very successful 2006 season.

Mike Holmes returns as Norcal and CAHA State Champ Head Coach of the Midget 18's and Randy Stewart  returns as CAHA State Champ Head Coach with the Midget 16's.

Also returning are head coaches Bobby Long, Paul Bates, John McGowan, John Burgess and Vinnie Heumann as the Director of Goaltenders.

New head coaches include Joe Carranza at Mite X, Tom O'Connell at Squirt, and John Young at Peewee.

The new coaching lineup keeps our hockey club among the best in coaching in Northern California with a balance of excellent veteran experience and  new and exciting leadership.

Good luck gentlemen. Our association thanks you for your commitment to making our upcoming season a success and we look forward to seeing you on the ice.

The Tri-Valley Blue Devils entered the CAHA State Championships at Logitech Ice in San Jose with high expectations.

In the end, it was BLUE DEVIL DOMINATION!

The Blue Devils 16A's played strong hockey thoughout the CAHA Tournament with three consecutive victories against the Anaheim Ducks, the Yorba Linda Blackhawks and the Vacaville Jets.

In the Midget 16A Championship Game against the Ducks, the Blue Devils took command early in the game and scored three goals which put the Ducks on their backs.

The security of a three goal lead quickly evaporated when the Ducks exchanged goals with the Blue Devils on power plays early in the second period to make the score 4-1. The Ducks rebounded again on a power play and scored their second goal which left the Tri-Valley fans very quiet with many families seeing a momentum change in the game. Once again though, the Blue Devils managed to break through with their fifth goal to take a 5-2 lead midway through the second period. The Blue Devils struggled to clear the puck out of the zone and allowed the Ducks several scoring opportunities which unfortunately resulted in two goals by the opponents on consecutive power plays, bringing the score to 5-4 Blue Devils. The Blue Devils managed to hold off the Ducks and the horn sounded to end the second period that provided a much needed break for the Blue Devil Midgets.

The third period started with furocious intensity as the Blue Devils showed renewed strength and kept the puck deep in the Ducks zone for several minutes. The atmosphere in the building was reaching a boiling point as each play yielded hard hits and fierce battles while being very careful not to incur the dreaded penalties that had allowed the deadly Ducks power play to score their previous goals.

The score stayed at 5-4 and again the Ducks brought their very aggressive attack into the zone and turned the momentum of the game which had our fans cheering harder and louder to encourage the team to fight off the onslaught. With only three minutes remaining in the game the Ducks took a penalty for tripping and the pressure cooker seemed to ease only slightly. Then with less than two minutes the Ducks suffered another penalty for interference and the relief seemed to give the Blue Devils enough energy to hold off and win the game 5-4 to take home the State Championship Title.

When the game ended, it was mass hysteria as the team flooded the ice with the customary pile on to celebrate a fantastic victory over a great Ducks team.

For many of the long time Tri-Valley Blue Devil players that have played for our club over the past decade, this was their first State Championship victory and it couldn't have come at a better time!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE MIDGET 16A TEAM IN THEIR CAHA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP VICTORY!

Leading up to the championship game, the Blue Devils first had to play the top two teams from Southern California, the Artesian Avalanche and the Channel Island Rip Tides, followed by the NORCAL runner-ups the San Jose Jr Sharks.

The tournament opened up with the Blue Devils facing the Artesian Avalanche. The Blue Devils, from start to finish, dominated the play. They jumped out to a quick lead with a goal by Drew Victoriano just 5 minutes into the game. Solid defense led by Matt Block, Tim Conte, Mike Hamilton, Justin LaCasse, Jon Tom, and goal-tending by Kenny Huemann was key as the offense took awhile to kick into gear. 2 goals were added in the second period by Alex Gordon (assisted by TJ Wynn and Tyler Creighton) and by Jimmy O’Brien (assisted by Jeffrey Kraus). Leading 3 – 0, the Blue Devils continue to play puck control offense and solid defense keeping Artesian off the board. The Blue Devils added 3 goals in the 3rd period, 1 by Drew Victoriano and 2 by Jeffrey Harrison. Only a late 3rd period goal by Artesian prevented a shut-out. The Blue Devils out shot the Avalanche 24 to 16.

Later that day, the Blue Devils returned to face the Southern California Champions, the Channel Island Rip Tide. Even before the first puck was dropped, you could sense that the Rip Tide and their fans were expecting to win. However, with in the first 1:10 minutes of the 1st period, Tyler Creighton, assisted by TJ Wynn, set the tone with a quick goal. From there, the offense, lead by defensemen Matt Bock (2) and Mike Hamilton (2), with assists from Jeff Paluck, Jon Thom, Justin Lacasse, Drew Victoriano and TJ Wynn added 4 more goals in the first period to allow the Blue Devils to take a commanding 5 - 1 lead into the second period. With a stifling defense, dominating offense, and solid goal tending, the game was well in hand. Unfortunately, the second and third period was marred by 2 fighting majors by the Rip Tide as they clearly took out their frustrations out on the Devils. The Devils stayed strong and did not retaliate and continue to play their game. A credit to the players and coaches. The Devils then proceeded to add 3 more goals by Tim Conte, Robbie Vaughan, and Mike Hamilton (a hat trick for Hamilton). The final score was 8- 1. The Devils out shot the Rip tide 50 to 13.

On Saturday, the Blue Devils faced their NORCAL rivals, the San Jose Jr. Sharks to complete round-robin play. Amber Carey led the way for the Blue Devils by posting the first shut-out victory for the tournament. The final score was 5 – 0. Alex Gordon, TJ Wynn, Justin Lacasse, Matt Block, and Jeffrey Paluck provided the scoring. Defense was again strong throughout with key roles being played by Jeffrey Merrick and Tim Conte. With the victory, the Blue Devils had a 3 - 0 record in round-robin play that automatically qualified them for the championship game to face, once again, the San Jose Jr Sharks.

The team arrived early Sunday and ready to go at Logitech for the Championship game. The Devils knew that while they had the up-most respect for the players and coaches of the San Jose Jr. Sharks, they simply needed to play their game and a victory was theirs. The start of the game was delayed by about an hour while the Pee Wee Championship game needed 3 overtime periods. Nonetheless, the Devils took the delay in stride and went through their pre-game preparation confident and anxious to put an exclamation point on the season. A season with many ups and downs as they fought through a season in seeking respect from other teams, key injuries to players, and an administrative mishap that required the team to forfeit 4 games and put in jeopardy their eligibility for end of season tournament play. But the players, coaches, and families used adversity to simply make a statement about their character, their spirit, their skills, their team play, their coaches, and desire to win.

But, the San Jose Jr Sharks were not going to let an opportunity to upset the Devils and claim the CAHA Championship slip away. Their players, coaches, and fans were well prepared and knew that with hard play for 45 minutes, solid goaltending, and a few “freaky” goals they could steal a victory. They played like a team with nothing to lose. With the Jr Sharks goaltender playing very, very solid in net, Tri-Valley had to reach down to play the game in which they been coached and practice over and over. About ½ way through the first period, Robbie Vaughan final broke through, on a great individual effort, to score the first goal of the game. Shortly, thereafter, the Devils were called for 2 penalties that led to a 5 on 3 power play goal by the Jr. Sharks to tie the score at 1 – 1. The first period ended at 1 – 1 and the Jr Sharks got what they wanted – a glimpse of hope.

In the second period, the Devils settled down and played their game. Strong D led by Matt Block, Tim Conte, Mike Hamilton, Justin Lacasse, Jeffrey Merrick and Jon Thom, solid goal tending form Kenny Heumann, and relentless puck control offense lead by 3 cohesive lines of Creighton, Gordon and Wynn, Vaughan, Harrison, Victoriano, and O’Brien, Kraus and Paluck, along with Ryan Cohen filling in admirably in a supportive offensive role for each of the lines, led to 2 unanswered goals by the Devils. Going into the 3rd period, the Devils lead by 3- 1, with goals from Creighton and Vaughan. The 3rd period saw a continuation of puck control by the Devils and numerous scoring chances. At the ½ mark, a goal by Jeff Kraus assisted by Jeff Paluck was the culmination of hard work to put the game out of reach. It appeared, with this goal, the “wind” was taken out of the Jr Shark’s sail. However, the Jr Sharks continue their opportunistic play and scored with a little more than 4 minutes in the game. Sensing an emotional let down, Coach Holmes called a timeout. The message was simply to the players: “let it go, play your game, and work hard over the next 4 minutes.”

What pursued over the next 4 minutes was a true reflection of the team’s dedication to their goal. Each line and defensive unit for the Devils put out on the ice simply sent the puck into the offensive zone and would not let the puck out. Each line killed a solid minute with their shifts. The puck never left the Jr Sharks zone. No way were the Devils going to allow the Jr Sharks another sniff of their net. It was their final statement of statements of who was the best team. All the hard work down low paid dividends as Jeff Paluck worked the puck around the back of the net to feed Jimmy O’Brien for the final goal of the game. Now all that was needed was 58 seconds to tick-off and the Devils were CAHA – State Champions. A goal that was set in August, committed to on day one and accomplished some 7 ½ months later. The final horn rang, the final hit was felt, the final handshakes were exchange, and the final skate to receive a trophy was made. A picture under the scoreboard, a salute by the players to the parents, and a casual walk to the locker room took place as CAHA Champions for the Midget U18 division.

The weekend, the game, and the championship completed the journey for the players, families and coaches who were a part of the team. Most of the players are now “aging out” and their youth hockey career is over. So more than just another game came to an end; much, much more had just come to an end. Many of us as parents are still dealing with the emotion and reality of a large chapter in our child’s, and now young adult’s life, coming to a glorious end. Each of us will, I am sure, continue to relish the memories, relive the excitement by watching a video, and shedding a tear with that last washing of those hockey jerseys.

Many of you as parents of young mites, squirts or simply in –house players may be asking if all the time is worth it. For many of us as we have given over 12 years to our son or daughter as a youth hockey player, an estimated 480 games, over 800 practices, 36 Tournaments, 10 tryouts, 10 clinics, 10 pairs of skates, 50 sticks, 500 rolls of tape, endless miles, and countless trips to Starbucks, and I can say without a doubt it was worth it! And I believe I speak for all our parents that we would do it over again in a heartbeat.

A final word of thanks to the countless volunteers who have served Tri-Valley so well for the last decade or more. Names such as John Carey, Jean Wright, David Block, Keith Vaughan, Rich Wilcox, Paul Bates, Lori Diaz, Bill Davis, Mike Holmes, Becky Figueroa and many others have allowed the TVMHA organization to stay together for our players. Our coaches, Mike Holmes, Don Thom, Vincent Heumann, and Dave Perna who gave endlessly of their time and support as not only as coaches but as friends and parents. Lastly a special thanks to the players. Those who gave all us memories that will stay with us forever; Thank you, Tyler, Alex, TJ, Robbie, Justin, Matt, Jimmy, Jeff P. , Drew, Jeff K., Jeff H., Mike, Jon, Jeff M., Tim, Ryan, Kenny, and Amber.

TVMHA – Midget U18A State Champions.

Terry Wynn, Retired Team Manager

March 15, 2007

Nathan Churchill Named Norcal Star of the Week!
This weekend, the Tri Valley Blue Devils Squirt A team played the #1 and #2 teams in Norcal; the Oakland Bears and the San Jose Jr. Sharks respectively. With 77 shots against him this weekend, Tri Valley’s goalie; Nathan Churchill only let in 6 goals. That’s a save ratio of 92.2%. Congratulations on two outstanding games!

February 21, 2007

Midget 18A's Win AA Event At Lakewood

The Midget 18A's ventured to Lakewood to play in a AA event over the Presidents Day Holiday Weekend. More to come later, but here's the scoop so far.

The Midget 18A's went 3-1 in their preliminary rounds and waited until Sunday night to find out if they were in the championship game on Monday afternoon. When the games finished on Sunday evening and it was determined that the team was in the championship final, the Blue Devil 18's were absolutely thrilled to play again for a title after returning from the Silver Sticks International with a heartbreaking loss.

This was their opportunity to get the job done and now they had to snatch a victory away from the team they had previously lost 6-2 to in the preliminary round, the Ventura Vipers. In the championship game, the Blue Devil 18A's took the lead 2-0 and dug in hard while the Vipers continually pressured and eventually scored a goal to bring the game to a much closer 2-1 score. In the end, it was our 18A's that held off the Vipers with outstanding goaltending from Kenny Heumann for the Championship victory.

Congratulations to the Tri-Valley Blue Devil Midget 18A Team in their great victory in Lakewood !

PeeWee A's Finalists in Salt Lake City

The PeeWee A team traveled to the Great Western Showcase tournament in Salt Lake City , Utah over President's Day weekend for the second year in a row. Continuing on the success from last year, the A team competed against A and AA teams from Utah , Wyoming , and Colorado.

The Blue Devils put up a 3 and 1 record in Round Robin play, defeating the Utah Stars, Salt Lake County , and Team Wyoming , while losing to Hyland Hills. The 3 and 1 record in round robin play was bettered only by the Boulder Bison who went 4 and 0, setting up the showdown. The Blue Devils fought hard throughout the first 2 periods finding themselves only down 2 to 0 to the AA team. In the end, Boulder was just too tough, and the Blue Devils lost 5 to 0.

The team was pleased with the Runner Up position against the much tougher division and returned excited for the remainder of their Norcal Schedule.

Head Coach Ken Vonderach had this to say about his players. "Every player on our team contributed to the success that was achieved over the weekend." He went on to say, "I am proud of the effort, tenacity, and drive that they all displayed against the tougher competition, and look forward to our tilt with Santa Clara this Saturday".

Squirt A's Make Riverside Finals

The Squirt A team traveled to the Inland Valley Wild Tournament in Riverside for the Presidents Day Weekend Holiday. The team started the Inland Valley Wild Tournament by beating the LA Jr. Kings A2 team 6 to 2. The next morning, they continued to win by defeating SDIA 10 - 0. That afternoon, the team had a very exciting game against the Phoenix Firebirds. It was 4 - 3 with 34 seconds to go. The team played their hearts out, but ended up losing that game.

We came back strong the following afternoon with a 6 - 1 win over the Ontario Eagles. This game put us in the final championship game on Monday. In the championship game on Monday, the team played a terrific game against the Phoenix Firebirds and came away with a second place finish.

It was 5 great hockey games and a fun filled long weekend. Good Job Tri Valley Squirt A Team!

February 14, 2007

Devyn Kelly is a Norcal Star of the Week!

Devyn is the captain of the Tri-Valley Blue Devils Squirt B team.

Devyn embraces the work ethic and sense of teamwork that his team defines themselves by and he leads by example with his efforts and behavior on and off the ice.

This past weekend he and his line mates, Sean O'Connell and Tiegen Bagnall, helped to lead their team with a collective 14 points in a great 2 game series in Lake Tahoe. Supported by some excellent goaltending from their up and coming goalie Zackary Kruse, Devyn and his team skated to a 1 and 1 split in their 2 game set against the Tahoe Grizzlies.

Devyn loves the sport of hockey and when not actually on the ice he can be found teaching his Dad a couple of new moves in some spirited street hockey at their Home in Livermore .

Great job Devyn and keep up the hard work.