Local ice hockey team has its sights set on state playoffs
Squad practices at Easy Street Arena in Simi
By Steve Ames Special the Simi Valley Acorn

BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers ON ICE- Simi Valley resident Andy Monesi, a forward for the Southern California Midget 18AAA team, works out at the Easy Street Arena in Simi Valley. In its first season together, the team is hoping to qualify for the upcoming state playoffs.

With two local games this weekend, a tournament in Texas and hopes of making the state playoffs, the Southern California Midget 18AAA ice hockey team has come together and learned how to win in its inaugural season.

The team's immediate opponent will be the SoCal Titans Midget 16AAA squad. Today, the teams will play at the Valencia Ice Station at 7:30 p.m. Tomorrow they will meet at the Easy Street Arena in Simi Valley at 7:30 p.m.

The 18AAA team will head to the Dallas Cup next Wednesday to play at the Dr Pepper Star Center in Dallas.

Locals on the Titans Midget 18AAA team, a squad comprised of 18 players, are defenseman Tim Bowman of Moorpark, forward Andy Monesi of Simi Valley, forwards Austin Block and Zach Cabrera of Thousand Oaks, defenseman Zach Bartholomay and forward Chris Moser from Agoura Hills and defenseman Daniel Sulitzer of Calabasas.

Co-head coaches Scott Yorkison and Luc Beausoleil, both Simi Valley residents, took the team through an intense practice last week at the Easy Street Arena in Simi Valley and spoke enthusiastically.

Yorkison, who grew up in Pittsburgh, has more than 10 years of coaching experience, including for the Ventura Mariners Junior B Western States League teams during 1998 through 2001.

The 1999-2000 team won the national championship. The other two were national championship semifinalists. He also coached the Mariners Midget AAA team in 1997-98.

Beausoleil, from Montréal, Canada, originally played 14 years of professional ice hockey at the minor league level as a right winger- eight seasons for the Tulsa Oilers of the Central Hockey League and six years for teams in Europe. He is the director of ice hockey at Easy Street Arena.

The Titans, with a record of 15 wins, 24 losses and five ties, are ranked 39th in the nation among teams in the Midget AAA Major USA under 18 years old division.

"The type of kids we are looking for," Yorkison said, "obviously are kids who have a strong commitment to the game, and they all have a desire to play at the next level. We ended up having 110 kids at our tryouts this year.

"We've got kids on this team who are not only local boys, we have some kids from Canada who are here on student exchange programs learning English."

Beausoleil said the coaches have been working hard to help the players support each other all the time.

"The game is so fast that at this time of the year," he said, "and we want to support each other to play together. That's all we've been concentrating on. Without a doubt our kids are improving since the beginning of the season. They respect the plan. They respect that we teach them, and that's why they look real good at practice."

Bowman, a senior at Moorpark High, said his role as a defenseman is "to make big hits and make big plays behind the net, and keep the puck out of the net."

It's his job, he said, to take the opponent player and make sure his teammates are pumped up and ready to go.

"I'm playing against guys who are 6-foot-4 and 6-foot-3, and I'm 5-foot-10," he said.

Yorkison said Bowman is a hard worker.

"He's one of those kids who's really quiet," the coach said. "He kind of comes to work every day and really gives you 100 percent day in and day out."

Monesi, who graduated from Bishop Alemany High in Mission Hills and is a freshman at Cal State Northridge, said his biggest challenge as a forward is dealing with the puck movement and the speed of the game.

Yorkison said the keys to Monesi are his great work ethic and good feet.

"He's got three or four opportunities to go to (NCAA) Division III colleges next year and play hockey in the Northeast," Yorkison said. "He's one of our assistant captains. He kills penalties. He does all the little stuff."

The players all have the work ethic needed to be successful, Yorkison said.

"It was more about getting them to understand how to play as a team, getting comfortable with each other, getting the right combinations," he said.

Beausoleil echoed Yorkison's thoughts.

"We went through a lot of it together during training camp," he said. "Our main goal was to create a family. On the team we have 18 brothers, and that's all it is.

"For us, it's game by game. All we want to do, Scott and I, is to make sure we promote our kids game after game. Every tournament we go to we spend hours outside the rink with scouts and coaches talking about our players."

Beausoleil said the coaches made a commitment at the beginning of the season that when attending tournaments, in addition to coaching the players during the games, they would spend time talking to scouts representing Junior A teams and to recruiters from colleges.

"So far, we have done it and it's paid off," he said. "We have a couple of kids signed up with Junior A already. We've been working really hard, and we're looking forward and are really excited."

Working with Yorkison and Beausoleil is Alan England, a strength and conditioning coach who's been actively involved in hockey for the past 18 years as a player and coach.

England has coached for the Ventura Mariners and the Thunder youth hockey program. Janice Bowman is the team manager.

Also part of the Titans program are the Bantam AA and Midget 16AAA teams. More information on the Titans is available on the team's website at www.sctitanhockey.com.