While thousands of Albertans are seeking refuge from the frigid winter in the sunshine south of the border, a 19-year-old goaltender is reversing the trend by leaving behind the balmy shores of a storied California university for a chance to play Junior hockey in Okotoks.
Alex Caravaggio is the newest member of the Okotoks Bisons after deciding to take a leave of absence from his Division II University of Southern California (USC) Trojans hockey team.
The Valencia, Calif. native said the brief respite from the American Hockey Collegiate Hockey (ACHA) season in mid-December offered him some time to weigh his options in the sport he loves.
“It was in that two and three-week span that I decided that I wanted to play Junior hockey for a little bit and this is the perfect place to come,” he said. “We’re hosting provincials so obviously I want to win and I think this team’s committed (to do so).”
The chemical engineering student at USC said balancing the grueling academic schedule and hockey duties was starting to wear on him. As a result, he decided to join the Heritage Junior B Hockey League’s Bisons.
“I needed a break, I was there for a year and a half and I needed a breather a little bit,” Caravaggio said. “I took a leave of absence so depending on how this season ends I don’t know if I will go back, but I do have a year or two more of Junior (eligibility) left.”
When the Bisons let it be known they were interested in upgrading their goaltending, Caravaggio’s father responded which set the stage for an atypical tryout. Just hours prior to the roster cut down deadline on the weekend of Jan. 8, Okotoks head coach Mike Hannigan flew to California to see Caravaggio’s skills in between the pipes first hand.
“There was one day left so either I flew down there or he comes up here,” Hannigan said. “There’s only five rinks in Anaheim in a city of 1.5 million and we arranged a special on-ice session with him.”
Once Hannigan gave his seal of approval, the Bisons set forth to move backup goalie Weston Joseph to the Strathmore Wheatland Kings. Joseph posted a 10-3 mark in his stint with the Bisons prior to the 20-year-old’s move to the third place Strathmore club.
Bisons general manager Jay McFarlane said it was a difficult deal to make, but upgrading the goaltending position was necessary for their pursuit of a provincial title.
“Weston Joseph was a great goalie and still is and is a great kid. We moved him to Strathmore and they’re happy to have him and we wish him all the best,” McFarlane said.
Caravaggio has won all three of his starts since joining the Bisons, while posting a shutout and a .905 save percentage. He joins Okotoks netminder Tyler Hughes, who’s the league leader with 13 wins and sits second in the league with a .924 save percentage and 2.53 goals against average.
“Moving forward I think we’ve done what’s best for the team. We’re going for it all this year and goaltending is the key to success,” McFarlane said. “We feel that he’s a great complement to Tyler Hughes and we’re excited to see what happens.”
Caravaggio is no stranger to Calgary, as the California-born netminder spent his adolescent years in Cow Town where he gradually ascended up the minor ranks all the way until his days with the Midget AAA Calgary Flames organization. McFarlane said Caravaggio’s elite background in the sport is immediately evident.
“Technically he’s sound, he’s got that AAA training, he has very good angles and lateral movement,” he said.
Bisons sweep weekend set
The Bisons used the battle of the foothills to put on a clinic in execution at both ends of the ice, trouncing the Flyers 9-0 in High River on Jan. 20. The Bisons received contributions throughout the lineup, highlighted by a Dillon Loomer hat-trick while blueliner Michael Savage chipped in with two goals and an assist.
On the other end of the ice Caravaggio made 26 saves for his first shutout with Okotoks. The California-born netminder said the four goal cushion the Bisons built in the first nine minutes helped him get his feet underneath him.
“Getting the goals early helped a ton so it settled me in and let me play little more comfortably,” Caravaggio said. “I couldn’t have done it without them clearing rebounds and everything, my rebounds weren’t exactly on tonight.”
“We had a lot of jump in practice and we challenged players to try to carry that into the game,” McFarlane added. “We had a complete game, which was a long time coming.”
The Bisons parlayed the momentum from the 9-0 rout into a solid opening 40 minutes against the Red Deer Vipers, Jan. 22 at Murray Arena, in which Okotoks built a 4-1 lead in the early moments of the second period, with singles from Loomer, Phil Dillon, Brock Boswell and Todd Callaghan.
The Vipers showcased why they’re the top team in the North Division by mounting a terrific comeback, tying the game up 4-4 with 1:38 left in the contest and sending it to overtime. Okotoks flicked on the switch in the extra frame and were rewarded for their efforts when captain Chase Fallis broke free on the left wing and beat Red Deer goalie Jason Pohl on a wrist shot to win the game in dramatic fashion.
Hannigan said it was a difficult game for Okotoks who was without the services of seven players due to injuries and suspensions, leaving just 10 forwards at the coach’s disposal versus their division leading counterparts from the north.
McFarlane said the organization is highly motivated to not only win provincials, but close out the season with the best record in the HJHL.
“We want to finish first and the destiny is in our hands. If we win all the games no one is going to catch us,” he said.
Okotoks sits first in the HJHL with a 27-6-1 record holding a seven-point advantage over the Cochrane Generals atop the South Division and a five-point lead on the Vipers for first in the league. The Bisons return to the ice Jan. 27, for an 8 p.m. tilt with the Coaldale Copperheads at Murray Arena before a rematch with the Flyers at home on Jan. 29 at 1:15 p.m. For more information on the Bisons visit www.okotoksbisons.com
