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Hawks coach, player honoured by MML

Tom Spencer, Matt Bradley of Valley West team recipients of postseason awards
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Matt Bradley of the Valley West Hawks was one of six all-stars announced by the BC Hockey Major Midget League.

After helping their team complete its most successful season ever, two members of the Valley West Hawks have been honoured with postseason awards.

Head coach Tom Spencer was named the BC Hockey Major Midget League (MML) Coach of the Year, while centre Matt Bradley was named a first-team all-star.

Spencer has been behind the bench of the Hawks for the past three seasons, after serving as assistant coach for the Fraser Valley Bruins. He has also been involved with the Langley Minor Hockey Association and the BC Hockey Male High Performance program.

He led the Hawks to a third place finish in the MML regular season. Their 27-11-2 (won-lost-tied) record set a team record for most wins in a season and matched the previous best for total points.

Valley West went on to defeat the Cariboo Cougars in the quarterfinal round of the MML playoffs before losing in the semifinal to the Okanagan Rockets. It was only the second time in MML history the Hawks advanced to the final four.

Bradley, from the Surrey Minor Hockey Association, led the Hawks in scoring with 39 goals and 32 assists during the regular season to finish fourth overall in the MML. He added 13 points in five playoff games.

Drafted by the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft, Bradley played eight games this past season as an affiliate player of the B.C. Hockey League’s Surrey Eagles.

The Hawks have been comprised of players from the Langley, Semiahmoo, Surrey and Cloverdale Minor Hockey Associations (MHA) since the league was launched 10 years ago, but that will change.

Effective the 2014-15 season, players in the Langley MHA must try out for the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds. The North Delta Minor Hockey, formerly in the boundaries of the Vancouver Canadians, is now part of the Valley West draw zone.

The MML gives15-17 year-old players an opportunity to play within their own age group at a high level before moving on to the next level of hockey.