By Jeff D'Andrea

Bears to have a little of everything this season

Aug 22, 2011 | 7:19 AM

The Prince Albert A&W Bears new head coach Jeff Willoughby has high hopes for his top line to be among the most dangerous lines in the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League.

The line of Carlee Hrenkiw, Kelly Regnier and Kaitlin Willoughby could score 100 points combined, he said.

But the Bears are hardly going to be a one-line, one-dimensional team. After the Bears’ fall camp this weekend at the Art Hauser Centre, Willoughby said he expects his team to be well rounded in all aspects, not just top-end scoring.

“I think our team’s going to be strong defensively, strong in net and we’ll have scoring from at least two lines and our third line will be helping out the best they can, so it’s looking really good,” Willoughby said.

Some of the secondary scoring could come from two youngsters that had very impressive camps in Kiana Durocher and Crystal Berube.

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“I think Durocher, she’s going to step in there as a young 14-year-old, Crystal Berube, first-year midget looked really good in camp and there’s at least two or three more,” Willoughby said.

“I think there’s going to be a threat on the ice all the time for us.”

Willoughby expects to sport a stout defence as well, led by Eleesha Cooper and Jolene Zakaluzny, who will eat up a lot of ice, especially in special team situations.

The goaltending is expected to be strong once again between Jessica Vance and Kris Cromartie, who shared games last year and Karlee Fetch, who was listed as an affiliate last season. Vance, who just turned 14 on Saturday, took another step forward on the weekend, looking sharp in goal.

“Very solid,” said Willoughby of Vance, who was 6-10 last season with a team best 3.99 goals against average.

“It’s going to be her year to blossom like she did last year and grow as much.”

The exhibition season starts on Sept. 17 against the Saskatoon Stars on the road. The other two exhibition games for the Bears will be at the Art Hauser Centre Sept. 21 against the Stars and Sept. 23 against the Battlefords Sharks.

The season starts with a two-game homestand Oct. 1-2 against the Stars.

jdandrea@panow.com