Goal outpouring gives the Bruins something to smile about

Steve Ewen - The Province

Monday, August 27, 2007

CHILLIWACK -- Chilliwack Bruins general manager Darrell May is hoping that Matt Meropoulis's intrasquad game fits into the good omen category.

The 18-year-old had a pair of goals in a 7-4 Team Gold loss to Team Black Sunday at Prospera Centre.

And with the sophomore Bruins needing secondary scoring after stars Oscar Moller and Mark Santorelli to rise in the standings, improvement from the likes of Meropoulis, who had three goals in 70 regular season contests a campaign ago, will be key.

"We need some of those guys to take that next step," said May.

"And you do see that in this league with 17-, 18-year-old guys. They come back bigger and stronger. They come back trying things offensively, because they've got a little more confidence.

"We know what we're going to get [from Moller and Santorelli]. It's about who else chips in. And Matt is one of those guys we're looking at."

The primary scoring appears well looked after, as Moller and Santorelli continued their recurring impression of Daniel and Henrik Sedin Sunday. They dominated every shift they were out for Team Black and with a little puck luck could have had double the two goals and two assists put forth by Moller and the one goal and two assists Santorelli was credited with.

"There's a certain chemistry there," said May.

Moller, 18, and Santorelli, 19, teamed with since-graduated Josh Aspenlind on the first line last year and they scored 83 of the team's 169 goals. Brayden Metz, a 17-year-old picked up midway through last year in a trade with the Regina Pats, had Aspenlind's spot earlier this week. And while May said he produced, the Bruins went with Kevin Sundher, 15, their first-round pick in last spring's bantam draft, on the top trio Sunday.

Sunder can only play five regular season games this season, so he won't get the gig long term. But May said the team wanted to see how he could manage with high-end talent.

"He's been really good," said May.

Part of the high score Sunday can be attributed to the Bruins making returning defencemen Nick Holden, Matthew McCue, Kevin Boutilier and Dylan Chapman healthy scratches. Second-line winger Ken Petkau also sat out.

Czech rookie defenceman David Hoda (illness) should back this week. Returning defenceman Cam Stevens (broken leg), who was hurt in training, is out for at least eight weeks.

The Bruins return to exhibition action at Prospera Centre Sept. 5 against the Vancouver Giants.