March 16th 2008

Evander Kane scored two goals and Casey Pierro-Zabotel added a goal and three assists as the Vancouver Giants defeated the Chilliwack Bruins 5-3 Sunday in the final Western Hockey League regular-season game for both clubs. Mark Santorelli scored twice for the Bruins to clinch the Bobby Clarke trophy as the WHL's leading scorer. Santorelli finished the season with 101 points.

Mike Piluso and Jon Blum also scored for the Giants (49-15-2-6) before a crowd of 12,357 at the Pacific Coliseum. Mark Santorelli led Chilliwack with two goals while Ryan Howse also tallied for the Bruins, who finished the regular season with a 28-35-4-5 mark.

The game served as a Western Conference playoff preview. The second-ranked Giants face the seventh-ranked Bruins in the opening round of the post-season, starting Friday in Vancouver..

Vancouver outshot Chilliwack 36-14. The Giants went two-for-four on the power play while the Bruins were one-for-four.

Kane's second goal of the game, a power-play goal at 9:32 of the third period, proved to be the winner before Blum added an insurance marker at 12:03.

Howse opened the scoring at 6:13 as he beat Giants rookie goaltender Kraymer Barnstable with a high wrist shot from right wing. Kane tied the score about five minutes later as he fired in a cross-ice pass from Pierro-Zabotel during a power play.

Santorelli's power-play goal at 16:48 gave Chilliwack a 2-1 lead which stood up until the first 20 seconds of the third period.

Matt Esposito went the distance in goal for Chilliwack.

Ice Chips: Not in the lineup tonight for the Bruins were Oscar Moller, Nick Holden, Mike Proudley and Kevin Sundher.

Chilliwack Bruins Forward Mark Santorelli Captures Bob Clarke Trophy

Calgary, AB -- The Western Hockey League today announced that Chilliwack Bruins forward Mark Santorelli has captured the Bob Clarke Trophy as the WHL's Top Scorer.

Santorelli, a 19-year-old from Burnaby, B.C., scored 27 goals and 74 assists for 101 points in 72 games played this season. He edged out Kelowna’s Colin Long by one point after scoring two goals in the Bruins’ final regular-season game.

The 6’ 1”, 185-lb left wing led all WHL players in assists and power play assists this season, and recorded at least one point in 54 of the 72 games he played this season. He also enjoyed a 14-game point scoring streak from October 17th – November 17th.

Santorelli has played two seasons for the Bruins, and has recorded 56 goals and 127 assists for 183 points in 144 career regular-season games played. He is the Bruins’ franchise leader in assists, points and games played.

Santorelli was drafted in the 4th round (119th overall) by the Nashville Predators at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

Bob Clarke captured the League Scoring title in both years he played in the Western Hockey League with the Flin Flon Bombers. In 1967-68, he recorded 51 goals and 168 points in 59 games, and in 1968-69, he scored 51 goals and 137 points in 58 games. In 1968-69, Clarke led the Bombers to victory in the WHL Championship.

Clarke went on to play 15 seasons with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. He won two Stanley Cups, three Hart Memorial Trophies as the NHL’s MVP, the Bill Masterton Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey and the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s top defensive forward.

New Individual and Team Records set this season: