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8 NEW YORK HOCKEY JOURNAL April 2020 Subscribe today at NYHockeyJournal.com/subscribe JUNIORS JUNIORS By Leo Scaglione Jr. ATTHEW CRASA had never heard of anyone hav- ing an unpleasant experi- ence in the British Colum- bia Hockey League. On the contrary, the center from Stony Brook, Long Island, kept hearing about the beautiful Pacific Coast scenery and the excellent treatment the players received from the league's teams. So, going with his gut, Crasa headed to the BCHL for the 2019-20 campaign, suit- ing up with the Cowichan Valley Capitals. The 19-year-old couldn't be happier with his decision. Crasa finished the regular season first on the Capitals in goals with 25 and third in points with 44, playing in 51 games. He recorded four goals and an assist in five playoff matches. The primary reason Crasa chose to skate for the Capitals stems from the relationship between Mike Vandekamp, the club's head coach and general man- ager, and Doug Holewa, the former hock- ey director at South Kent School Selects Academy, where Crasa played for three years from 2016-19. "I told Holewa that I was looking at the BCHL, and he was able to make the con- nection with Vandekamp," Crasa said. "Vandekamp came out and watched us play in last year's national tournament, and we stayed in touch over the summer. It worked out in the end." While Crasa credits both men for guiding him to Cowichan Valley, he also praises South Kent as a whole for prepar- M MATTHEW CRASA'S COWICHAN ADVENTURE Mijen Multimedia (top, insets); Laura Landry (inset second from right) n Long Islander Matthew Crasa's hard work last summer paid off with a BCHL season packed with goals, friendships and evolution of body and mind