There's No Place Like Home

[CowboyinAmerica 2,891]

 

Booberry's Headed Back to Houston

 

Going into the VHLM Draft, goaltender Xavier Booberry was curious which city he’d be headed off would he be headed to the frozen north of the Yukon? Or maybe he’d be headed all the way south, to Mexico City? Either way, his ultimate destination seemed to be up in the air, seeing as how only one VHLM team actually reached out before the draft to get to know him. Uncertainty reigned in the Booberry home.

 

In the end, though, he didn’t have to move anywhere at all. Booberry’s VHLM home for Season 79 will be the exact same as his VHLM home for Season 78: Houston. Despite only playing one game for the franchise last season, Houston’s team management clearly liked what they saw in practice.

 

“They felt comfortable with me, and I felt comfortable with them. The Bulls know what they’re getting with me in net,” Booberry said. “I know what it’s going to take to replace van Giersbergen better than maybe anybody else, I know what the fans expect. It’s starting to feel like home here.”

 

Booberry was selected sixth overall in the VHLM Draft, the first goaltender taken. That may surprise some, given that Em Em Flex came into the draft with more practice hours. Flex would be taken 10th to Miami (and S80 goaltender David Davis went right after him to Halifax), setting up a potential rivalry between the players this season.

 

But to hear him tell it, Booberry isn’t super concerned. A big part of the reason is the natural practice caps that the VHLM forces on its players, a cap that both Booberry and Flex are approaching quickly.

 

“The VHLM says I can only have 250 hour in the gym, something about amateurism and all that. That’s their prerogative, but I’m already pretty close as it is? As more and more of us in the draft class get close, it’s going to be an even field anyway.”

 

For Houston, it’s a bit of a gamble to take a goalie that early, especially given some of the offensive talent still on the board. But given returning players like center Cody Lachance and defenseman Drakon Zabastovka, alongside draftees like second round center Omi Aberg, and Houston looks to be gearing up for another long playoff run.

 

Booberry had a front row seat for last year’s run, where the Bulls scored the first round upset of Halifax before falling in round two to Minnesota. But when asked whether he felt Houston could mirror last season’s output, he scoffed at the notion that the second round was the ceiling.

 

“I plan to have one season in the VHLM, and I plan to make it a good one. To me, that means championship or bust,” Booberry said. “Everybody on this team should have the same mentality, in my eyes. I feel good about what I’m seeing out in front of me there on the ice, let’s see if we keep the same intensity into the games.”

 

Indeed, one could call Booberry a Goalie of the Year candidate, or the Houston Bulls a contender. But we won’t know until the games are played. So stay tuned for this Friday, and we’ll see quickly just how well these new-look Houston Bulls avail themselves on the ice.

[Retuperkele 21]

A solid one, well laid out and no grammar errors to be seen.

I really enjoy the short sentences, makes it more clear to read when theres not much text on top of eachother

+1 for the pic

 

7/10