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Sports

All-star Bentham ponders options

by Girard Hengen
The Review

University hockey appears to be
in the cards for Peninsula Minor
Hockey product John Bentham.

But there’s always pro circuits in
Europe and the United States to
consider as well.

For Bentham, the big question
to be answered is where he'll
unpack his belongings next year.

Bentham, 20, is in his final year
with the Junior A Victoria Warri-
ors of the B.C. Junior Hockey
League.

Because he played over half a
season with the Victoria Cougars
of the Westem Hockey League a
few years back, Bentham is not
eligible for a scholarship to one of
the big-name American Hockey
universities.

However, the BCJHL all-star
plans to attend university or col-
lege in Canada, possibly at Red
Deer Community College, which
offered to pay his tuition this year,
or bigger centres like the Universi-
ty of British Columbia. —

“1d like to continue my hockey
and I’d like to go to school too,”
said the Sidney resident.

“Tf I can use hockey to pay for
it, even at the Canadian university
level, that’s what P'll do.”

He adds he knows people in
Europe who are involved in the
many pro leagues there, and he’d
consider heading across the pond
“Sf the dollars are right and if I got
a good offer.”

Otherwise, another option is the
professional East Coast Hockey
League, which is based along the
eastern seaboard of the US.

With so many options and scen-
arios being juggled in his mind,
it’s a wonder he can concentrate

on the task at hand — helping the
Warriors earn a playoff berth in the
BCJAL.

However, Bentham has sparkled
for the Warriors on defence this
season, and tomorrow he will be
making his first appearance in the
league all-star game, which will be
played at Memonial Arena.

The best of the Coastal Divi-
sion, which includes four Warriors,
will play all-stars from the Interior
Division.

JOHN BENTHAM

Bentham, the Warriors’ top-
scoring defenceman and alternate
captain, is an impressive leader on
a rookie-laden team, said assistant
general manager Jack Hagen.

Prior to last weekend’s action,
the six-foot one-inch, 200-Ib. Ben-
tham had amassed 11 goals and 23
assists for 34 points in 36 games
for the fourth-place Warriors.

“He’s played both (forward and
defence), and he’s effective at
both,” said Hagen. “He’s one of
the top defencemen in the league.

“He’s sort of a quarterback-type
defenceman and he’s really good
at head-manning the puck....He’s
good all-around, not just a defen-
sive defenceman. He’s got offen-
sive capabilities too.”

Like the other all-stars, Bentham
hopes to shine in front of a cabal
of university and pro scouts who
will take in the game.

“Tt will also be a lot of fun to
play with the best guys in the
league and see how good they
are,” he said.

Last year he spent a lot of time
on a high-scoring forward line, but
this year the club needed experi-
ence on defence, and Bentham was
shifted back to the blue line.

He’s been in junior hockey for
five years. He played in the Penin-
sula system until his second year
of bantam, when at 15 he moved to
the Victoria Racquet Club. After a
year there, he began playing Tier II
as a 16-year-old.

At 18, he joined the Cougars for
about 40 games after beng traded
by the Kamloops Blazers, who had
his rights.

“Tt was a good experience, but
the team was not doing that well,”
he said. “Things weren*t going
good and I wasn’t playing a lot.
Guys were coming in and out. It
was tough to get motivated.”

He decided to return to Junior
A, where he has found the all-star
form in his final year. Next year it
will likely be a new season, a new
town, new teammates, and perhaps
back to the books as he struggles
to adjust to the college circuit.

Panther hoopsters rebound from big loss

After playing six games in six
days, one might think the Parkland
Panthers senior boys’ basketball
team would begin to show signs
that their on-court antics are
improving.

Indeed, the team is getting bet-
ter, just as coach Joe Milligan
predicted at the start of the season
when the Panthers were getting
routed fairly routinely.

A good yardstick for the team’s
progress was a game Saturday at
the Totem Tournament in Port
Alberni against South Delta. The
Lower Mainland team beat Park-
land by about 40 points in an
exhibition match last fall.

However, the Panthers won the
return game by a 64-55 score.

“We were really on top of our
game in all four quarters,” said
Milligan. “We just played well.
That’s all there was to it.”

He said after the final buzzer
sounded, the South Delta coach
could scarcely believe the Park-
land crew was the same unit they
had faced earlier. :

Jeremy Morrow led Parkland
with 23 points, while Dale Hauser
added 17.

Parkland was missing Jamie
Campbell, who is being groomed
for a guard position, due to illness.

However, Peter Carmichael _
stepped in and played well, allow- —

ing Hauser a chance-to move to his
more-favored forward spot, said
Milligan.

The win put Parkland in the

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tournament’s consolation final,
where they were crushed 103-59
by a strong West Vancouver team,
which is rated in the top-20 in the
province.

Morrow netted 37 in a losing
cause.

Parkland opened the tournament
with an 82-63 loss to Cowichan.
Morrow led all scorers with 41,
while Hauser had 11. :

“Tt was not a strong game in a
team sense. We were ragged. We
threw the ball away too much,”
said the coach.

Prior to the three tournament
games, the Panthers lost 86-54 to a
touring Australian team Monday
night, were defeated 71-53 by
Claremont Tuesday and dropped a
close 78-70 game at home to
SMUS Thursday in AAA high
school league action.

With their top players ill or
resting, SMU, the top-ranked team
among B.C. high schools, managed
a close win.

Morrow scored 32 and Natha-
niel Stoffelsma chipped in 10.

At Claremont, the Panthers held
a 34-33 lead at the half. “We were
playing well in the first half, but in
the end they just wore us down a
bit,” said Milligan.

Morrow’s 26 and Hauser’s 10
led the Panther attack.

Meanwhile, the Panther girls
continue to roll along in their AA
league, beating Pacific Christian
79-14 last Tuesday and Stelly’s
65-30 Thursday.

Joleen Hook scored 32 and 22
points respectively, while Erin
Barber led Stelly’s with 10.

Barber also potted 16 in a closer
46-37 loss to Claremont Tuesday.

The Stinger boys defeated Pacif-
ic Christian 71-64 in AA action
Thursday. Joe Box scored 20, and
Dave Caleb added 17.

At the Reynolds Invitational
senior boys’ tournament last week-
end, Stelly’s was defeated 75-42
by Mt. Doug and 83-56 by High-
lands from Comox.

Matt Strome netted 11 against
Mt. Doug, while Caleb had 11 in
the Highlands game.

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