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ectation

Berkley's Bears have turned into
the polar kind on the ice.

.1141.

MIKE ROSENBAUM
Special to the jewish News

•,•:. •

.

•

Berkley], because I haven't played
outs. We're trying
a high school sport yet and I was
to make it like
really excited to do that."
being in a family."
Berkley is having a respectable
As captain, Fenster
season, posting an 8-12-1 record
shares the responsibili-
against a highly competitive
ty for molding the
schedule. They've played several
players into a cohe-
of the state's top 10 teams. The
sive unit. But
Bears also lead Division II of the
Fenster enjoys the
Oakland Activities Association, at
challenge of team
4-2.
leadership.
The biggest challenge for a
"Even when I wasn't
first-year program, Fenster says, is
captain on past teams, I
building team chemistry. "A lot of tried to be a leader any-
us haven't played together before.
way, on and off the ice, in
We have a couple kids on the
school and in hockey. So it
team that've played travel
came naturally to me
hockey, along with
... I like to teach
Berkley c aptain
myself, and a lot of kids
the younger
Brian F e aster
who came out of the
kids, show
heads up ice.
house program in
them what it's
Berkley. It just takes time,
all about."
getting to play with each other,
Fenster has generally
been a goal-scorer, but he's adjust-
knowing where everyone is on the
ice."
ed his style a bit on the defensive-
To help build team chemistry,
minded Bears. "Lately, I've been
Berkley's players skated together
just trying to give 110 percent, go
in a summer program last year.
in the corners, work hard, try to
pass the puck a lot," he says.
Also, the players regularly get
together off the ice.
Coach Fox wishes he "could
"We've been doing a lot of
have 23 guys like Brian Fenster. I
team functions," Fenster explains.
would be the happiest coach ever.
'Like going to the Detroit Vipers'
Brian is a role-model hockey play-
games. We have team meetings all
er and he's a role-model student.
the time, and off-ice team work-
He's a leader in a lot of different

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2/25
2000

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