Burnaby puck product Nic Holowko is returning home to pursue his education at Simon Fraser University following three-plus years in the Western Hockey League, according to Gregg Drinnan of the Taking Noteblog.
Drinnan reported the 20-year-old Holowko, rather than playing as an overage junior, left the Kamloops Blazers on Sunday. The former Burnaby Winter Club left winger had three goals and an assist in seven games this season. He spent his first two seasons in the WHL with the Seattle Thunderbirds before splitting 2016-17 between the Prince Albert Raiders and the Blazers.
In 208 regular-season games, Holowko had 21 goals and 32 assists. The six-foot, 190-pounder had two goals and four assists in 30 playoff games. All of those points came in the 2016 post-season playing for Seattle.
SFU puck home opener
After playing six games – including in exotic places like Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska, Castlegar, B.C., and Cheney, Washington – the Simon Fraser University men’s hockey squad will finally get to play its home opener in the cozy confines of Bill Copeland Arena on Saturday.
The Clan, coached by Burnaby’s Mark Coletta, will take on the Nanaimo-based Vancouver Island University Mariners at 7 p.m.
After losing all four of its exhibition games, SFU is 1-1 in B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League regular-season play. After scoring the game’s first three goals, the Clan lost 6-3 in Castlegar to the Selkirk College Saints last Friday (Oct. 6) before beating the Eastern Washington Eagles 7-3 the next night. Third-year forward Brandon Tidy notched two goals and two assists in the two games.
Nominations needed
The Burnaby Sports Hall of Fame is seeking nominations for its next group of inductees.
Deadline for nominations, which include athlete, builder, coach and team categories, is Nov. 24. The 17th annual induction banquet will be held at the Burnaby Firefighters Metrotown banquet hall on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018.
Nomination forms can be downloaded from www.burnabysportshalloffame.ca. Nominations can be sent to: Burnaby Sports Hall of Fame, Nomination, c/o Jill Porter, Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services, 101-4946 Canada Way, Burnaby, B.C., V5G 4H7.
Previous inductees can be viewed at Bill Copeland Arena, or at the hall’s website.
Whitmore wins two
Paul Whitmore of the host Burnaby Lake Rowing Club won two events at the seventh annual Small Boat Invitational Regatta on Saturday.
Whitmore won the men’s single sculls and teamed with BLRC teammate Greyson Classen to capture the double sculls. Herein Paterson and Elisa Luo of BLRC won the women’s double sculls.
The club’s Kieanna Stephens, who recently finished third in the women’s double sculls at the junior world rowing championships, had the fastest time in the women’s single scull four-kilometre time trial, which required competitors to do a 180-degree turn at the halfway point.
The competition included rowers from Seattle, UBC and Washington State University.
Kafadar No. 1
Burnaby’s Josipa Kafadar is currently ranked number 1 in the world in the youth women’s under-52 kilogram division in the latest world taekwondo rankings.
The 16-year-old’s most recent victory came at the Pan American championship in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Panthers on the provincial prowl
Burnaby’s Moscrop Panthers have vaulted up the provincial AAAA senior girls volleyball rankings to sixth spot after a second-place finish at the University of B.C.-Okanagan tournament Thanksgiving weekend.
In the round-robin, the previously-unranked Panthers finished first in their division with wins over Vernon, College Heights of Prince George and Kelowna, who were ranked fifth prior to the 40-team tourney but dropped to 10th.
In the playoff rounds, Moscrop defeated Kelowna Christian, Prince George Secondary and Caledonia (Terrace).
North Vancouver’s Handsworth Royals downed Moscrop in straight sets in the championship final. Moscrop middle blocker Fiona Chen and left side hitter Camilla DeVito were named as tournament all-stars.
The Panthers will play in the Burnaby South Invitational this weekend.
