Beaver Valley forward Mason Spear stays local, commits to Selkirk College

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The Selkirk College Saints Men’s Hockey program is pleased to announce a commitment from forward Mason Spear (Medicine Hat, AB) to attend Selkirk College and compete for the Saints beginning in the 2012/13 B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League season.

Spear is already familiar to local hockey fans following three seasons in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League with the Beaver Valley Nitehawks, Kimberley Dynamiters and Fernie Ghostriders.

He spent the majority of his junior career with the Nitehawks, who he helped to a KIJHL Championship this spring. He scored 21 goals and totalled 49 points in 42 regular season games during the 2011/12 campaign and added another 16 points in 17 playoff contests.

The 21-year old’s career KIJHL totals include 37 goals, 65 assists and 551 penalty minutes in 129 games.

"Mason’s work ethic, grit and skill level make him a tremendous addition to our roster," says Saints head coach Jeff Dubois. "He plays a high-energy, physical game that I expect to be very effective in our league and he’s also shown the ability to put up some good offensive numbers, particularly over the past year in Beaver Valley. He’ll have the opportunity to step up and be a solid contributor in his first BCIHL season."

Spear is one of a number of Saints recruits with ties to the West Kootenays, as Trail native and former Smoke Eaters captain Logan Proulx and Nelson Leafs alumnus Connor McLaughlin both committed to Selkirk College earlier this offseason. His addition also brings the total number of KIJHL graduates on the Saints roster to 10.

"I can’t express how happy I am to come back to the Kootenays for the chance to further my education and to continue to play hockey," says Spear. "I’ve been playing in this area for the last two seasons and it’s like my home now. I just love the area and the people here and to have the opportunity to go to school and to play hockey at the next level is a bonus."

Also committed to Selkirk College for the fall are forwards Thomas Hardy (Aldergrove, PIJHL), Jackson Garrett (Comox Valley, VIJHL), Stephen Saretsky (Wellington, OJHL), Scott Swiston (Creston, KIJHL), Cody Fidgett (Delta, PIJHL), Cole Thomson (Kerry Park, VIJHL), John Proctor (Delta, PIJHL), Matthew Luongo (Aldergrove, PIJHL), Connor Stephens (Victoria, VIJHL), Brodie Gibbon (Oceanside, VIJHL) and Jared Seutter (Chase, KIJHL), defencemen Brett Kipling (Melville, MJHL), Dylan Smith (Richmond, PIJHL), Lucas Hildebrand (Revelstoke, KIJHL) and Mark Strachan (Kimberley, KIJHL) and goaltenders Alex Sirard (Pilot Butte, PJHL) and Stephen Wolff (Oceanside, VIJHL).