Columbus rookies take SPHL by storm

COLUMBUS, GA – For the first time in a number of years, Columbus Cottonmouths’ coach Jerome Bechard faced a big roster overhaul as his “Fab Five” from the team’s SPHL championship season all hit the league’s veteran ceiling. The core group was split up, meaning that the Snakes would have some fresh faces in the program book. What could have been an issue has become a blessing as Bechard found not one, not two but three rookies who have taken the city by storm. Jesse Cole, Levi Lind and Jeff Martens showed up a little green behind the ears but have proven they belong even though their names have that capital “R” (for rookie) next to them. “Not since the first year in our league (with Tylor Keller, Tim Green and Ryan Rutz) have we had three rookies playing together. They’re all three really smart players. They read the play well and that’s why they play together,” Bechard said. “They really complimented each other from right off the bat. I didn’t expect it but it has been a nice surprise for everybody. It really kept us going early on in the season until we got some other guys going too.” Lind, who hails from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is the youngest of the three at age 21. His path to the pros was the one taken by many Canadian players – the junior ranks. He started in the WHL with the Regina Pats,

playing in parts of four seasons. In 2007, he headed off to the SJHL where he signed on with the Melville Millionaires. Playing in Melville certainly agreed with Lind as he tallied 30 points in 36 games in 2007-2008 and then broke out with 24 goals and 36 assists and 149 penalty minutes in 2008-2009. So far through 29 games in Columbus, he has scored 11 goals and added 16 assists. He said Bechard’s move to team the three has been a huge boost to them while they adjust to the pro game. “It gives us so much confidence as a player that he (Bechard) can have confidence in us to make the right plays and be good defensively,” Lind said. “Usually when you come in as a young guy to a new team, you’re usually not that great defensively. He trusts us in the defensive zone and we’ve been trying to make things happen in the offensive zone and its been working out.” When asked, Bechard said that what he likes about Lind is his multitude of skills and puck sense. “Levi has a little bit of everything. He has a mean streak if he wants. When he plays physical, the puck kind of follows him around,” Bechard said. “He knows where everybody is at all times. He’s definitely a playmaker as opposed to a shooter but he’s got a great shot.” Lind said that despite the fact that all three of the members of the line are still learning the game, they are learning quite a bit about and from each other. “The teams that I played with in junior, it was usually four lines so it was like three or four extra guys than what we have here,” he said. “We’re (the rookies) all big guys that can work down low pretty well. We can learn from each other, read off each other, because we all think alike.” Rookies have a lot to learn as they transition into the pro ranks. Lind said that the older guys, including captain Craig Stahl, have been instrumental in the learning process. “Stahlzie’s a great leader and mentor. He’s been around the game a long time – I think I was like 11 years old when he first broke into the pro ranks. He’s been around awhile and knows his stuff,” Lind said. “Even (Tim) Green and (Orrin) Hergott, they keep on you every day to make sure you stick with the plan. Its been great learning from the older guys who have been around awhile.” Naturally, Lind would love to continue his career. He is smart enough to know that he has plenty more to work on and learn if he is to accomplish that goal. “I’ve got to keep learning. It’s only my first year in the pro ranks. You learn something new every day. I know people say that a lot but you do,” he said. “It’s about trying to get to the level that the older guys are at, trying to work on every aspect of your game every day.” Cole, a 25-year old from Stratford, Ontario, took the U.S. collegiate route to his playing career. He chose NCAA Division III Neumann College in Aston, Pennsylvania. His career stats show 42 goals and38 assists including 29 points in 30 games as a senior. To this point with the Cottonmouths, he has 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points in 28 games. Cole echoed Lind’s sentiments about how Bechard’s willingness to play the trio together and on a regular basis has contributed to their success. “Us three have gotten some good chances to play I think. One of the reasons we’ve been successful here is because we’ve gotten the opportunity to play right away,” Cole said. “Jerome has given us the opportunity to play in every situation which has helped us adapt and get the confidence we need to be able to play here.” Cole thinks that a major key to the three fitting together so well is the fact that the styles they play are somewhat alike. “Jeff and I both come from college hockey so it’s a similar style so we kind of play the same way. Levi is an easy guy to play with. He’s really good with positioning and we kind of just read off of him,” he said. “I think all three of us, once we got adapted to the speed here and the position, it has helped us and we’ve just rolled off of each other.” The thing that stands out in Bechard’s mind about Cole is his work ethic and willingness to do whatever it takes to win. “Jesse Cole works hard and has really good hands. I’d like him to be a little bit more physical but I mean he is pretty physical out there,” he said. “He’s good on the wall. He does all of the little things right.” One of the pleasures of playing in the SPHL is the relationships the players make with the fans. Cole said that the fans in Columbus have made him and his fellow rookies feel right at home, allowing them to focus on the game. “It’s been great. They take care of us real well here. They treat us well everywhere you go. Obviously we’ve got great boosters,” he said. “If you need something for your apartment, they’re there for you. If you need a place to go or someone to hang out with, they’re there for you. Whatever you need, it’s taken care of.” Like Lind, Cole is looking forward to continuing his “education” on  the ice as Columbus heads toward the home stretch of the regular season. He is well aware that as the regular season winds down, the battles will be tougher. “I think there’s still a lot to learn. We’re getting to the second half of the season where maybe the older guys are kind of hitting their stride now and they’re ready to go. It’s going to be tougher hockey, more competitive,” Cole said. “We can’t be satisfied. We have to get better as we go too. There’s still a lot to learn, a long way to go so hopefully we can only go uphill from here.” Martens, the old man of the group at age 26, grew up in Maple Ridge, British Columbia. Early on, he toiled in the BCHL with the Prince George Spruce Kingsand the Coquitlam Express. His season in Coquitlam was his best as he netted 13 goals and added 20 assists to go along with 138 penalty minutes in 49 games. The next five seasons were spent on the collegiate trail, first from 2004-2006 at Augustana University (ACAC) then from 2006-2009 at the University of Western Ontario (CIS). Over the span, he collected 45 goals and 48 assists. That led him to Columbus where he was put on the line with Lind and Cole. In 22 games, he clicked for 8 goals and 11 assists while collecting 45 penalty minutes. His work was clearly noticed as he received a call to head up to the ECHL and the Johnstown Chiefs. So far with Johnstown, he has one goal in six games. Coach Bechard was complimentary about Martens’ work habits as well as his attention to physical play. “Jeff Martens works hard and is a great fore checker,” Bechard said. “He finishes his checks and bangs some goals in too. One of the first things that Martens marveled at was how right from the start, every player who puts on a Columbus jersey is put in a position to succeed. “They make it pretty easy to play well here. They treat us well and give us lots of confidence and support,” he said. “When you come into a place that treats you well, it feels like home and you just play, you don’t even think.” Asked what he thought was the reason for the early success of the trio, Martens explained that it is a combination of their similarities and differences that make the whole line work well. “I think everyone brings something different to the line. We all work hard. We’re all big guys. We like to work down low,” he said. “We can all kind of play every role but we also work off of each other’s strengths as well.” As the season rolls along, it is only natural to expect that the other SPHL teams would make adjustments to try to combat the trio. Martens said that he has noticed that starting to happen but that they are making adjustments of their own. “I have noticed that other teams have been matching lines against us – a lot of times their other top line or their most physical line – to try to shut us down or overpower us. We started to notice that a lot more lately compared to the start of the year,” Martens said. “We’ve kind of had to make a bit of an adjustment because we kind of slowed down once that happened. We’ve kind of adapted to that and we’re starting to figure it out and get back on track.” Martens agreed with his teammates that the learning and maturing process is a long way from being over but that with each day they are getting closer. “There’s a lot more to getting used to in the pro game. So many games in a row, the grind of it and learning the new systems that (Coach) Bechard has put out.  We’ve only been through half a season and we’re starting to figure out all the systems and stuff. We’re not going to master it by the end of this year but we’re starting to come into our own and understand how to play out there on a nightly basis.” Coach Bechard is not one who is prone to overstating the importance of one player over another. Still, you can see a father’s pride in his eye when he talks about how much of an upside the trio have for the rest of the season and years to come. “I think those guys can be candidates for Rookie of the Year, all three of them. They’ve put up numbers and they read the game well,” he said. “As long as they keep working hard, good things will happen for them.” Contact the author at don.money@prohockeynews.com