Pod Toasts New Year With Three Points

‘Honey Badger’ scores shorthanded

In the Dec. 30 contest against Mission, Pod captain Chris Fortems notched his twelfth of the season for a 2-0 lead.

Rookie Max Woodward took advantage of a heads-up pass from Zach Johns and a broken play at centre ice for a shorthanded breakaway. He ripped the puck past Outlaw goalie Max Fowle’s shoulder.

The puck was “right there for me on the breakaway…it was a gift, really,” Woodward said with a chuckle. The five-foot-six rookie is an on-ice dynamo.

White Rock head coach Jason Rogers called Woodward a “honey badger. He’s on the puck all the time.”

With Sherwin out, veteran Jacob Dorohoy centred the top line between Fortems and “Big Goal” Cole Svendson. Dorohoy picked up his eighth of the season when he pounced on a rebound from defenceman Bryce Margetson’s shot on the man advantage.

Derrheim goes roof daddy

Meanwhile, Whaler defenceman Charlie Derrheim looked like a seasoned veteran. He scored twice. His second goal was a powerplay marker – a cannonading drive from the point – halfway through the third period.

Derrheim joined the Pod on a full-time basis two months ago. He attributed his strong play to hard work in practice.

White Rock head coach Jason Rogers agreed with Derrheim, as the Whalers had specifically worked on one-timers. With Derrheim’s “skill set, he should be creating more offence,” Rogers said.

Shaky special teams

While the Whalers did score twice on the powerplay, they also allowed the Outlaws to skate in on three shorthanded breakaways. Pod goalie Evan Paul steered aside all three attempts.

Paul barely missed a shutout – 20 saves on 21 shots – as Outlaw Cayden Karcioglu spoiled the party with a powerplay goal with 1:41 left on the clock.

Wolf Pack strike back

During the Dec. 31 game versus North Vancouver, the Whalers were in deep early when elite defensive forward Travis Smythe took a five-minute major and game misconduct for a check to the head.

The Pack’s Tanner Terness converted on the powerplay. But Whaler Kaz Yamazaki tied the game off a feed from “Honey Badger” Max Woodward.

Yamazaki’s hockey resolution was to be more consistent in his scoring in 2023.

Later, during a five-minute, 3-on-3 overtime, Whaler defenceman Bryce Margetson took two separate penalties for cross-checking and a minor for holding and a ten-minute misconduct.

Paton’s ‘beast’ mode

Whaler goalie Mark Paton was one cool cucumber. Calm and composed, he delivered a superb display of crease acrobatics with eight saves during the sudden death session.

Paton faced a total of 51 shots. Unfortunately, the Pack’s Trevor Baron picked the top corner during the shootout for the game-winner.

White Rock assistant coach Matt Rogers praised Paton: a “beast ever since we got him.”

Since being picked up from the Aldergrove Kodiaks in November, Paton has improved his overall record to 10 wins, nine losses and a goals-against-average of 2.71.