California Rubber

California’s and Nevada’s Authoritative Voice of Hockey

Quakes rattle, roll into 19th season

 

The puck had yet to drop, but Silicon Valley Quakes program director Dave Inouye already was enthusiastic about the 2014-15 season.

“All our teams look good this year,” he said. “We have a good mixture of returning Quakes and players new to our club. There were quite a few new kids trying out for travel teams, with 10U to 16U our big group of returning players. The 8U and 18U were a little thin this year but those divisions usually take some extra time to fill up.

“We also have kids interested in Cubs (6U), so we’ll be looking for tournaments for those little guys to get in. We’re still finalizing our rosters, and it should be a good season in Northern California.”

The Quakes are entering their 19th season. The club’s mission statement, Inouye said, is to bring families and friends together to teach young players hockey and life lessons in a positive environment.

“Our kids have made lifelong friendships and have experienced things through hockey that they will carry with them throughout their adult lives,” he said.

Tryouts for the 2014-15 season took place on Sept. 7 at Silver Creek Sportsplex in San Jose. The travel tournament season starts in November, and the Quakes will compete in local and national tournaments.

The Bay Area club had a successful 2013-14 season. The Quakes captured two division championships at the AAU West Coast Nationals in May at Corona, and they collected five medals, including one gold medal and one silver medal, in July’s AAU Junior Olympic Games in Las Vegas.

Two Quakes helped set the standard for excellence at the AAU West Coast Nationals; Donovan Bradford finished as the 8U-AA top scorer and Evan Tompkins was the division’s top goaltender.

– Phillip Brents

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