The Bruins have won five straight games entering the final stretch of the regular season. With the team’s success also comes individual recognition as a pair of Bruins were named with weekly honours from the SJHL for the week of February 9th – 16th.
Keenan Rancier (Victoria, BC) has been named as the SJHL ‘Goalie of the Week’ while forward Erik Boers (St. Albert, AB) has been named as the SJHL ‘Rookie of the Week’. As well, for the second straight week, Devan Harrison was named as the runner-up for SJHL Defenceman of the Week.
It’s the first weekly honour for Rancier despite being named a runner-up twice earlier this season, while also being named the SJHL ‘Goalie of the Month’ for September/October. Rancier (’00) posted his second shutout of the season on Feb. 12th making 27 saves in an 8-0 victory over the La Ronge Ice Wolves, then followed up allowing just a single goal while making 30/31 saves in a 5-1 victory over the Millionaires in Melville on Feb. 14th.
For the season, Rancier leads all SJHL netminders with 23 wins, 44 games played and 2543 minutes played. Rancier also sports some of the best stats in the league with a 2.71 G.A.A. (6th) and a .918 SV% (7th), and both of those numbers would be significantly higher if not for a pair of tough team games by the Bruins in Flin Flon and La Ronge in late-January. Rancier has played significantly more games than all but one of the goaltenders above him statistically (Shawn Parkinson – Melfort – 37 GP), and with his team nearing clinched a playoff spot there is no doubt he is as deserving as anyone to be named as the SJHL’s Top Goaltender when the regular season concludes in two weeks.
It’s also the first weekly honour for Boers (’01) as the hulking 6’4, 235lbs forward as appeared in only 16 games with the Bruins this season after being acquired in a trade on December 1st. Boers scored the opening goal and assisted on two others in Estevan’s 8-0 win over La Ronge on Feb. 12th, then assisted on the opening goal and assisted on another in the Bruins’ 5-1 win over Melville on Feb. 14th. Boers has a personal 3-game point streak going into the upcoming road trip (2G, 4A), and was actually as-deserving to win Player-of-the-Week honours as he finished with the same amount of points as Yorkton’s Keenan Taphorn (5PTS) with Boers playing in two less games than Taphorn.
For the season, Boers has 10 points (3G, 7A) and has been just another rookie making a significant impact on the Bruins in his first year with the club. 2 of his 3 goals have been game-winners and Boers also provides a physical presence for himself and his teammates on the ice using his massive frame to his full advantage.
Lastly, for the second straight week, Devan Harrison was curiously named runner-up for the SJHL ‘Defenceman of the Week’ honours. Harrison tallied 5 points (1G, 4A) in 2GP last week for the Bruins, but Battlefords’ Seth Summers took home the award after also posting 5 points (2G, 3A) however in 4GP. The previous week, Harrison (4PTS in 2GP) was named runner-up to Flin Flon’s Dane Hirst (4PTS in 4GP).
The Bruins will keep their focus on securing a playoff spot as the enter the last two weeks of the regular season, starting with a 4-game in 5-night road trip against the Sherwood Division beginning on Tuesday night against the Melfort Mustangs. The Bruins (56PTS in 51GP) occupy the 8th and final playoff spot entering the road trip, 7 points ahead of the Kindersley Klippers (49PTS in 53GP).
Ahead of the Bruins are the Humboldt Broncos (7th place: 57PTS in 54 GP), Nipawin Hawks (6th place: 60PTS in 53GP), Melfort Mustangs (5th place: 61PTS in 51GP) and the La Ronge Ice Wolves (4th place: 63PTS in 53GP).