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Clippers goalie had quit hockey, now he’s the BCHL Player of the Week

Oct 18, 2016 | 11:55 AM

NANAIMO — He wasn’t even supposed to be playing junior hockey this year, and now Evan DeBrouwer is the BCHL Player of the Week.

The Clippers goalie had a pair of wins last weekend against Trail and Penticton, but what really turned heads around the league was his shutout performance in Penticton on Saturday night.

Debrouwer made 46 saves to blank the best team in the BCHL.

The Vees had only one other regulation home loss since the beginning of the 15-16 season, and DeBrouwer and the Clippers handed Penticton it’s first setback at the South Okanagan Events Centre in the current campaign.

Clippers coach Mike Vandekamp says there were a couple of critical stretches of that game when DeBrouwer rose to the occasion for the team.

“When they had the four straight power plays that was certainly a busy time for him. And then in the latter stages of the game when they had their goalie out he was busy again and he was really solid and confident,” said Vandekamp.

For his part Debrouwer was quick to praise his teammates for the Penticton win.

“I thought the guys really made it easy for me, easier than it sounds,” said DeBrouwer. 

“I got 46 shots but the high quality scoring chances that they had, I thought that we seemed to shut them down before they could really turn into a goal.”

DeBrouwer is on a personal three game winning streak, and the Clippers have won four straight heading into a home date Wednesday with Cowichan Valley.

After originally deciding to sit out the season DeBrouwer has come a long way.

He says he felt burned out after a busy season for Smiths Falls in the CCHL last season so he was going to take some time to go to school and study civil engineering.

The season had already started when DeBrouwer got the urge to play again.  

He knew the Clippers were interested in him, so he reached out to coach Vandekamp and arrived in Nanaimo in mid September.

Debrouwer says it took him about a week before he felt ready to start a game, and another three games before he really got up to speed.

But now the 19 year old has hit his stride and it’s no coincidence that his hot play has Nanaimo knocking at the door for first place in the Island Division.