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COURIER photo/Gabriel Fenoy
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| Claremont hockey sensation Brian Williams recently led the LA Selects team to a USA Hockey 12 and Under Tier I national title. |
The boy wonder on ice
It’s overtime in a youth hockey national championship game and the goalie of the Detriot Honeybaked squad sees a pair of skates moving closer and closer. Yet the speed of the skates has nothing on the speed of the puck that is swiftly traveling towards the goal.
The backhanded shot goes through the net and 13-year-old Claremonter Brian Williams raises his hands in celebration as his breakaway goal has lifted his AAA LA Selects team to a 2-1 victory, securing his team the 2008 USA Hockey 12 & Under Tier I national title at the Ice House in Hackensack, New Jersey on April 6.
“It’s hard to explain but it’s the enjoyment of sharing it with everyone that made it fun,” Brian said. “It was fun to know that we gave it everything we had and the winning goal could have been scored by anyone else, but just to know that I did it was an awesome feeling.”
Brian’s winning shot wasn’t the only time that he found the net. The LA Selects center also scored the team’s first goal in the contest on a breakaway, making him responsible for both his team’s scores.
The road to the national title game saw the LA Selects defeat Team Maryland, the New Jersey Rockets, the Westchester Express, Alaska All-Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins. In the 6 outings, Brian tallied 9 goals and was the second top scorer in the tournament.
Yet Brian’s accomplishments come as no surprise to his coaches as the first impression they had of the 13-year-old was a very good one.
“I saw Brian play 5 years ago as a mite and you could tell right away he was a special player,” said LA Selects Coach Sandy Gasseau. “He’s a quiet kid but people like to watch him play because he works hard and you can tell he loves playing. Brian is really passionate about hockey and the rest of the team follows his lead. He’s got the total package.”
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COURIER photo/Gabriel Fenoy
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| Hockey player and El Roble 7th grader Brian Williams holds up one of the many trophies he has collected since first taking to the ice at the age of 7. |
“He is a phenomenal kid,” Coach Kelly said. “He’s got all the skills and I believe that it is truly his toughness as a competitor that puts him above the rest. The kid is legit and he’s a special kid who decided to play hockey and we’re glad that he did. You can’t ask for a better player.”
While Brian has also played youth soccer, the El Roble Intermediate School 7th grader’s true passion lies in the game of hockey. He has played since he was 7 years old and competed on other youth squads such as the California Wave and the Ontario Stars.
Another highlight for Brian came earlier this year when his team competed in the World Championship tournament in Quebec back in February. After besting Halifax, Rimouski, Montreal Rive Sud East, Moscow Red Army, Suroit and Barrie (Toronto), the LA squad fell to the same Detroit Honeybaked team in the finals that they would go on to beat earlier this month for the national title.
While the tournament gave Brian the opportunity to compete against other young players from across the globe, the LA Selects center also enjoyed the chance to embrace an area that shared a similar enthusiasm about hockey like he does.
“I felt very comfortable there and you can talk to anybody about hockey and they’ll know what they’re talking about,” Brian pointed out.
Quebec isn’t the only place that Brian’s hockey travels have taken him. He has also been to Toronto, Minnesota, Colorado, Nevada, Michigan and Illinois. One of the aspects that Brian enjoys about playing traveling hockey is the development of camaraderie with his teammates.
“The bond that you have with your teammates when you’re traveling together and playing hockey is close,” he said. “You’re in another state or country and you’re seeing the sites together, eating together and even doing homework together. And when it gets closer to crunch time, everyone draws closer together. It’s like an extension of family.”
Though Claremont High School does not field hockey teams, Brian will continue to play for clubs and organizations as he draws nearer to his ultimate goal—to play for the National Hockey League (NHL). According to Coach Kelly, Brian’s dream is one that has a high possibility of coming true.
“At the world championships in Quebec, there were teams that were coached by Mark Messier and Mario Lemieux and then I remember at one point that I looked over and saw TSN interviewing Brian,” Coach Kelly said. “Brian can easily be playing for the NHL in 5 years. He is everything that he is cracked up to be.”
—Landus Rigsby
