Burnaby Minor product Marcus Vela was named to the Canada West roster for the World Junior A Challenge.
The 6-2, 200-pound righthander, who has five goals and 19 assists with the Langley Rivermen of the B.C. Hockey League, was selected to the Canada West forward line.
Joining Vela on the all-west region squad are defencemen Carmine Buono of Burnaby and Burnaby Winter Club products Dante Fabbro and Viktor Dombrovskiy.
Canada West opens the challenge against Denmark in Kindersley, Sask. on Sunday.
The gold-medal game is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 20.
Got Mavs number
Tyler Morley of Burnaby bagged a couple of goals to pace the University of Alaska Fairbanks varsity hockey team to a 5-4 overtime win over No. 2 nationally ranked Minnesota State Mankato in Western Collegiate Hockey Association play on Dec. 5.
The victory improved Alaska’s all-time record against the Mavericks to 12-1-0. It was also just the second conference loss of the season for Minnesota State.
Correction
An incorrect email address was listed in the Burnaby NOW’s Friday, Dec. 5 sports story Seniors looking to bolster rosters.
Interested hockey players can get in touch with the group by calling Robin Ross at 604-420-2624 or email him at [email protected].
Four-point night
Former Northwest Giants forward Jansen Harkins had a four-point game for the Prince George Cougars in a 6-3 win over the Kamloops Rockets last Saturday.
Harkins tallied his eighth and ninth goals of the year and was a plus-four in the Western Hockey League game for the third place Western conference Cougars.
We’re No. 1
The Burnaby South Rebels moved into top spot in B.C. high school basketball following a tournament win at the Heritage Kodiak Klassic last weekend.
The 5-0 Rebels boys moved up from second place to take over No. 1 in quad A polling after knocking off No. 3 Vancouver College in overtime and No. 4 Terry Fox in the semifinal in tournament play.
The Rebels edged No. 6 Oak Bay 85-83 in the championship game.
Different directions
St. Thomas More Knights were knocked out of first place in B.C. high school AAA boys’ basketball rankings. The Knights fell to fourth place, while the Byrne Creek Bulldogs moved up to seventh from 10th in this week’s polling.
The STM girls remained on top of the polls in AA for a second consecutive week.
Treading water
EDC FC Burnaby A is in sixth place in the tightly bunched Vancouver Metro Soccer League premier division following a wide-open 5-3 loss to CCBRT United last week.
EDC started the premier season with a 2-2-2 record. They are 2-4-2 in their last eight games.
Rizal Ganief leads the squad with seven goals, while Habib Mohammed has five.
EDC takes on Columbus FC A at Burnaby Lake Sports Complex-West Field 3 this Friday. Game time is 8 p.m.
End 2014 with shutout
Jordan Liem posted the first shutout of his B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League career in Simon Fraser University’s 4-0 victory over Eastern Washington University last Saturday.
Liem stopped all 19 shots fired his way on Teddy Bear Toss Night at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre.
Adam Callegari scored what proved to be the game-winning goal, opening the scoring in the first minute of the middle frame from second star Jono Ceci and leading scorer Nick Sandor.
SFU’s next game is against UVic on Jan. 10 at the Copeland centre.
