Carlos Verde, Communications Manager
With seven weeks of the CCHL season in the books, it’s safe to call 2017-18 the year of the goalie.
Straight from opening puckdrop at the September showcase, where Rockland’s Sean Storr stood on his head, through Carleton Place netminder Jeremie Forget’s ridiculous 190-minute shutout streak, goaltending has been a major storyline through the first ~18 games of the CCHL’s 57th season.
First, the numbers: Forget’s league-low 1.61 goals-against; Brockville’s Justin Evenson and his eye-popping .941 save-%; Cornwall’s Liam Lascelle holding down a solid .918 mark while on pace to break the league’s all-time minutes played record.
All three are uncommitted, and all three are undoubtedly Division-I talent. Elsewhere, the likes of Hawkesbury’s Matthew Petizian and the Ottawa duo of Gab Carriere and Francis Boisvert have elevated their game as the season has ticked into its second quarter.
In Carleton Place, goaltender Jeremie Forget finds himself in familiar territory: At the top of his class.
The 20-year-old Mascouche, Que. native leads the league in goals-against and shutouts (2), and has helped the powerhouse Canadians to a 15-2-1 record.
“Academics are very important to me, (so) I’d like to play at an Ivy League school,” says Forget. “That would be a dream come true, combining hockey and academics.”
The wiry, 6-foot-1 puckstopper plays an understated game that reflects his personality and acts as a calming presence behind his defence.
“I’m very technically sound, and athletic when I have to be,” describes Forget, whose 190-minute shutout streak was snapped on Oct. 9. “I’m focusing on one puck at a time, not focusing too much on stats, and working as hard as I can.”
Down Highway 15, Minnesota-native Justin Evenson has been a revelation in Brockville.
The Minnehaha Academy product is yet to allow more than three goals in a game this season, and has held opponents to a goal or less in five of his last nine starts.
“It’s about staying focused and ready,” says Evenson. “You go into a game and always want to play to the best of your ability — being really aggressive has been good for me in key situations.”
The 19 year-old was put in touch with former Braves goaltender Henry Johnson this summer via goaltending coach Dave Rogalski. From there, an introduction to Brockville GM Dustin Traylen was all he needed to be sold on the CCHL.
“Of course, like most other guys I want to commit NCAA Division-I,” says the 6-foot-1 netminder. “The eastern part of the U.S. would be my first choice, (but) back home in Minnesota there’s also a number of Division-1 schools.”
The influx of goaltending talent into the CCHL this season has been remarkable: Seven of the league’s top-10 goaltenders (by save-%) are in their first year in the league.
According to Carleton Place goaltending coach and former CHLer Matt Dopud, the success of a goaltender making the jump to the next level can depend heavily on their summer.
“It’s about how you prepare yourself,” says Dopud. “In the summer, when you arrive for training camp, and when you’re on and off the ice.”
Elite goaltenders like his current charge — Forget — and others in the league simply put in more time.
“It’s making sure you prepare yourself — how much time you put into it, how hard do you want it,” explains Dopud. “Do you battle, do you work your ass off?”
In Hawkesbury, Matt Petizian knows two things: He is playing good hockey, but also needs to be better.
“When you play goalies like Lascelle, Evenson or Forget, you know you have to be at the top of your game to win,” explains Petizian. “Those (guys) are one of my biggest motivations to elevate my game.”
A few early-season tweaks with goalie coach Adam Russo have set him on a path for success in his first year of junior hockey.
“He’s made a couple changes that have gone a long way,” explains the Mississauga, Ont. native. “Being on the ice and in the gym every day of the week, that structure has helped me stay really focused on my game.”
Elsewhere in the league, veterans like Jake Smith (Pembroke) and the aforementioned Lascelle in Cornwall have set a precedent.
While their numbers may not be those of Forget or Evenson — Lascelle currently sits at .918, Smith at .908 — they give their teams a chance to win on any given night.
Most are in the their last (Lascelle, Forget) or second-to-last (Petizian, Evenson) season of junior hockey. All have received at least cursory interest from multiple NCAA schools.
It’s easy to believe that all will continue to post eye-catching numbers in their pursuit of both a coveted NCAA Division-I scholarship and a Bogart Cup championship.
