Defending NCRHA champs focused on improvement T
By Phillip Brents
here’d been nothing like it before in the history of the Cal State University-Long Beach inline hockey program: a Division I national champi- onship.
Current coach Paul Anderson Sr. called the 49ers’ breakthrough feat at the National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association’s (NCRHA) 2011 nationals
“a dream come true.”
It also served as a fitting retire- ment present for former coach Bill Burrows.
“Bill and I were very proud of the boys; the hard work and dedication paid off,” Anderson said in recalling last April’s chilling all-Golden State fi- nale against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in Madison, Wis.
“For the last three years, Coach Bill set a goal of winning the national title and always believed we would. When we did, it was very surreal feeling and perfect way to end a dream sea- son.”
It was also a perfect ending for the Burrows family: Bill and son Ryan, last season’s team captain and scoring leader.
Long Beach State goaltender Corey Jones and the rest of the 49ers have high hopes heading into the second half of the WCRHL season. Photo/ WCRHL
22
While both Burrows are now gone, most of the cast from last year’s champion- ship team is back, provid- ing much fodder for dreams of a championship repeat. “We’re very fortunate that all of our players are returning this season, seeing our team last year was mainly juniors,” said Anderson, whose son, Paul Jr., is among the team’s key returners.
“It’ll be very tough, especially at nationals, when you’re trying to defend your title (because) every team you play will give everything they have to beat you,” the CSULB coach said. “(But our) boys handle the pressure very well and know that, if we stay with our sys- tem, we give ourselves the best chance to win.”
This year’s NCRHA nationals are scheduled for April 11-16 at the Utah Olympic Oval in Salt Lake City, site of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. Selections for the four-division, 58- team championship tournament will be announced on March 5.
The Long Beach State coach said the club’s game plan is to “not peak too early.”
“Our team goal is to improve our system and style of hockey - that’ll give us the best chance to take another shot at the title,” Anderson said. “Our key to success is our unity as a team. I’ve never seen anything like the chemis- try these young men share with each other.”
Top returners include forwards Ryan Doyle, Paul Anderson Jr. and Kevin Tanaka; defensemen Skyler Hoar, Travis Benson, Ken Yama- moto and Oscar Huezo; and goalten- der Corey Jones. Impact newcomers include forward Taylor Abramson and defenseman Tanner Privia. Doyle paced the team in scoring through the first half of the season
with 16 goals and 28 points, followed by Anderson with 13 goals and 21 points and Abramson with eight goals and 18 points.
Jones boasted a division-best .836 save percentage and a 4.29 goals- against average, second only to UC Santa Barbara’s Tyler Barrier (3.75). Long Beach State takes a 5-2-1 re- cord into the second half of the season that starts with a Division I tourna- ment on Jan. 21-22 at UCSB. The host Gauchos enter the second semester sitting atop the Western Collegiate Roller Hockey League’s (WCRHL) cozy six-team Division I circuit with a 7-1 record. The 49ers are tied for second place with Cal Poly. Anderson called the competition within the WCRHL “fierce” and noted it’ll be difficult to defeat the top teams. Long Beach State’s two losses thus far have been to UNLV (6-4) and UCSB (8-7).
“The great West Coast competi- tion last year and this (season) will be huge in preparing us for nationals,” Anderson said. “Playing some of the best teams in the nation right here in the WCRHL all year long undoubtedly makes us a better team.
“We have the target (on our backs), but we only want to work on improv- ing.”
For more information on the WCRHL, visit
WCRHL.com.
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