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18 Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR:JONKUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2012 Young gun providing sting in Hornet attack Just 15 years old, Victoria Bach is one of PWHL's top snipers By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Run down the list of the Provincial Women's Hockey League's leading goal scorers and you might as well be looking at an NCAA commitment list -- Emily Janiga, Mercyhurst; Molly Contini, Princeton; Rebecca Kohler, North Dakota; Laura Stacey, Dartmouth. And then comes the Oakville Hornets' Victoria Bach. She's committed to Grade 11 at Holy Trinity next year. Playing in a league where opponents are as much as four years older, Bach's age has not been a factor. Sunday, she scored twice in the first nine minutes against Ottawa, helping the Hornets earn a 2-2 tie. That boosted her goal total to 16 in 25 games this season, good for sixth in the league. "She's creative, she can generate offence and she's got good speed," says Oakville coach Bradi Cochrane. Bach actually debuted in the PWHL as a 14-yearold, splitting last season between the Hornets and the Oakville AA bantam team. The plan was for her to be an affiliate player, filling in when needed because of injuries, but that was soon shelved "We saw so much potential, we got her into as many games as we could," said Cochrane. Bach played half "The kids with the the season, 19 games, scoring three times potential to get where and setting up five she aspires to go, she more. Had she mainhas those same attritained those numbers butes. She's very eager over a full season, she to learn." would have finished fifth on the team in Coach Bradi Cochrane, on scoring. Oakville Hornets leading "It's a faster game," scorer Victoria Bach Bach said. "The competition is better." As expected, Bach has improved in her second season. But since late November, she has taken her game to another level. Thirteen of her goals have come in the last 15 games. Bach still sees room for further development, though. "I could still improve my defensive game," she said. Her coach said she's already taken great strides in that area. "She's getting points but she's also playing critical minutes," Cochrane said. "She's picked up the defensive side of the game. She uses her speed down low and she's realized she can create offence (starting) in BACH OF THE NET: Victoria Bach of the Oakville Hornets, pictured in a game earlier this season against Stoney Creek, is among the Provincial Women's Hockey League's top goal scorers, despite being one of the youngest players in the league. The Grade 10 Holy Trinity student has 16 goals in 25 games, including 13 in the Hornets' last 15 games. the defensive zone." As hard as Bach works on the ice, she's as equally dedicated off it. Not the biggest player at 5-foot-4 and 120 pounds, Cochrane said part of Bach's success this season can be attributed to improved strength. Bach also logs countless hours honing her skills on the family's backyard rink, Like the league's top snipers, Bach hopes to join the NCAA ranks after high school. She also hopes to play for Canada one day. Cochrane, for one, wouldn't be surprised to see her don the maple leaf. "The kids with the potential to get where she aspires to go, she has those same attributes," she said. "She's very eager to learn." Bach will play a critical role in her team's success when the playoffs start at the beginning of March. So too will the netminding duo of Camille Leonard and Laura Corcoran. Leonard turned aside 54 shots -- including eight in the five-minute overtime -- in Sunday's tie. It was the second straight game in which she stopped 40-plus shots, having made 44 saves in a 5-0 loss to the undefeated Toronto Aeros the previous week. Currently sitting 12th in the PWHL standings with a record of 8-15-2, Oakville is assured of drawing a tough first-round opponent. The Hornets have proven capable of competing with the front-runners, though. Since the turn of the new year, they blanked Mississauga 3-0 -- a 32-save shutout by Corcoran -- and rallied from a 2-0 deficit to tie Burlington 2-2. Both are among the league's top four teams. "It was a little stressful but we fought back," Bach said of the Jan. 13 game against second-place Burlington. "It was good for our confidence." And with Bach in the lineup for the next two years, the Hornets have every reason to be confident going forward. --For Halton sports news, follow Herb Garbutt on Twitter at @herbgarbutt