Cottonmouths ready for season opener

COLUMBUS, GA – Columbus Cottonmouths’ head coach Jerome Bechard is the type of person who likes to see things in front of him. He doesn’t have time to take detours because he is also the team’s general manager. So as training camp began and ended in anticipation of the upcoming SPHL season, he took a look at the roster that came from the preseason and sees a

team ready for any situation on the ice, isn’t afraid to drop its gloves and fight when necessary and has a President’s Cup championship awaiting it in April. “The players have been working very hard this week to improve some areas that needed strengthening. The offense is moving the puck very well and the defense is strong,” Bechard said. “The chemistry between the players is excellent.” After a hard late season charge a year ago to get into the playoffs and a first round loss to Fayetteville, Bechard was forced to face something that he hasn’t had to in his five years as the Snakes coach: roster upheaval. The core group of players that had been in Columbus from the start and had won the very first SPHL championship had all exceeded the number of pro games (224) before becoming classified as “veterans”. The SPHL only allows teams to carry three veterans so choices had to be made. Captain Craig Stahl, Tim Green and Orrin Hergott were chosen to stay while Ryan Rutz and Lorne Misita were let go. Misita is now a member of the Pensacola Ice Flyers. Green is an offensive dynamo. Only once in his career in Columbus has he been below 60 points. Last season he led the team in scoring with 35 goals and 40 assists. Hergott (9-8-17) is one of the fastest players to have donned the Snakes’ jersey but an injury limited him to just 17 games a year ago. Stahl is the heart and soul of the team, doing whatever it takes to win as well as being the acknowledged leader in the locker room and in the community. Also returning to Columbus’ lineup at forward is Ryan McCarthy, who combines scoring ability with toughness. Last year he tallied 20 goals and 13 assists while amassing 188 penalty minutes. Late in camp, Bechard was pleasantly surprised when hard-hitting Dan Leslie, who many consider to be the team’s enforcer, came back after being in an ECHL camp in California. Bechard said Leslie “returned with a new attitude and a willingness to work hard for the team”. The rest of the forwards are rookies. The most talked about is Nicolas Boucher, who came to the Cottonmouths by way of former Columbus goaltending legend and CHL Hall of Fame member Frankie Ouellette who had seen Boucher play in Ouellette’s hometown of Victoriaville, Quebec. Bechard was so impressed with Boucher’s play that he has penciled him in to play with Hergott. “Boucher is a pit bull on the ice,” Bechard said of Boucher. “He has exceptional skills and is quick enough to keep up with Orrin.” Jesse Cole, Levi Lind, Jeff Martens and Joey Martini will all be expected to pull their weight while learning the ropes of the pro game and blending in with the veterans. On defense, Columbus fans will recognize every member of the blue line corps. Will Barlow (2-5-7), Andrew Dwyer (1-0-1 in 20 games), Tyler Johnson (4-24-28), Kyle Lundale (7-20-27) and Jason Slusher (0-7-7) have all returned to play for Bechard. The lone new face is just as familiar to Snakes fans. Breaking from his normal recruitment mindset, Bechard signed former Huntsville defenseman Tim Hockley. Hockley had been a mainstay on the Havoc blue line for three years, earning a reputation for being a bruising defender who can chip in with some offense. “He has a big body and a tough attitude,” Bechard said when describing Hockley. “Most forwards don’t like to play against him because he is so physical.” The biggest question fans of the team have had was about the goaltending situation. Ian Vigier, who had spent the previous two seasons in Columbus, left to go to the IHL Dayton Gems but after a week in their camp, he decided to return. That left Bechard in a bit of a situation as he had long-time net minder Chad Rycroft and newcomer Steve Bounds in camp. Bounds had been a bit of a surprise as well as he had come very close to being signed by the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL but was pushed out when the AHL Hershey Bears assigned an extra goalie to the ‘Rays. All three goalies were good enough to make Bechard’s decision a difficult one. In the end, the coach chose to put Vigier and Bounds on the opening weekend roster but kept Rycroft in town, buying himself some extra time to choose. Bechard then announced that Bounds would get the start against Fayetteville Saturday night. “I know what both Vigier and Rycroft bring to the team but I need to see more of Bounds in action,” Bechard said. “Just because Chad is not on this weekend’s roster by no means implies a final decision.” Columbus opens its season Friday night at the Columbus Civic Center against the Fayetteville FireAntz. Contact the author at cindy.williamson@prohockeynews.com