NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Andrew Basha celebrates with his linemates after scoring in the Tigers 9-1 win against the Lethbridge Hurricanes at Co-op Place on Sept. 24.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Medicine Hat Tigers forwards Andrew Basha and Oasiz Wiesblatt spent a majority of their summer working out and skating together. After three games the duo leads the Tigers in points and goals respectively.
Both say it’s a gain of confidence and comfort with one another that has also played a role in their success.
“I just feel more confident out there, I feel good,” the 18-year-old Wiesblatt said. Just keeping my body prepared every game and just bringing my A-game.”
“We’ve been working really hard at practice and just communicating on the bench, knowing what our plan is before we get out on the ice,” Basha said. “Then once we get out there just letting our play do the talking.”
Heading into the Tigers’ contest Friday in Everett against the Silvertips, Basha leads the Tigers with seven points (two goals, five assists) which also has him tied for fourth in league scoring. Wiesblatt has four goals through the Tabbies first three games, tying him for third in the league.
Tigers associate coach Joe Frazer said the compete level and skill of Basha, Wiesblatt and their lineman Owen MacNeil, has been a big part of their early success.
“They’re just playing tenacious. A lot of times skilled guys want to stay on the outside and not get in the dirty areas but both those guys are competitors and they love to out compete people and then let their skill take over,” Frazer said. “MacNeil has been outstanding on the line too, he’s working hard and is a great complementary guy for those two because he competes. He gets in there on the forecheck, gets those guys the puck and then goes to the net, it’s a really good line for us.”
Basha said he would never say he expected the early offensive success but says he has high expectations for himself.
“I said at the end of last year I wanted to be able to come back here and be able to dominate in a way and I think my summer paid off,” the 16-year-old said. “But I wasn’t really thinking too much of a hot start and it’s nice but it’s only been three games so I have to keep it going.”
When it comes to practice Basha and Wiesblatt generally pair themselves on a drill and are quick to talk about what went right or wrong with each rep. Before a game, Basha and MacNeil can be seen sending one another passes as the warmup clock ticks down, using every opportunity they can to build a little bit more chemistry.
MacNeil said his line mates make his job easy and that the trio read each other well on the ice.
“The main thing is communication before and after shifts,” MacNeil said. “But on the ice, we’re always talking to each other, so it’s pretty easy to read off one another and we can all play every position.”
All three joined the Tigers as centremen, with Wiesblatt and MacNeil taking the majority of the draws this season. MacNeil, the elder statesmen on the line as a 19-year-old, said they all understand each others positions having played that role before.
“Playing centre is pretty diverse, you know how to be all over the ice,” MacNeil said. “We’re just reading off each other, whether it’s coming back in the zone or on the forecheck, it’s pretty easy. We all know where we are around the ice.”
