(left) Tyler Bozak shoots during the playoffs last seasonby Scott Brown, Daily News
The Victoria Grizzles forward was the best skater on the ice in Victoria's 4-1 upset series win.
Bozak offered the Clippers further proof of his skill on Nov. 7 when he rallied the Grizzlies and turned a 4-1 deficit into a 5-4 overtime win at Bear Mountain Arena.
The Victoria center scored two goals, including the winner in that game, which was the first match-up this season between the Coastal Conference's top two teams.
Nanaimo coach Bill Bestwick says his team will go into tonight sequel with eyes wide open and nothing Bozak does on the ice will surprise his troops.
"He has taken his game to another level . . . Bozak is dangerous. He was the difference maker last time we played them down there," said Bestwick.
Bozak leads the BCHL in scoring with 27 goals and 58 assists for 85 points in 29 games.
He's 15 points clear of Merritt's Casey Pierro-Zabotel, who is second in league scoring, and is a staggering 37 points ahead of teammate Kevin Petovello, second among Victoria's scoring leaders.
In one season, Bozak has transformed himself from a dependable skilled player (69 points in 2005/06) to a BCHL superstar.
How'd he do it? Don't ask him.
"I'm not exactly sure how it happened," said Bozak, a 20-year-old native of Regina, Sask.. "I did gain a lot of confidence in the playoffs last year. More confidence allowed me to try things that I probably wouldn't have tried before."
Bozak, along with star goaltender Keyvan Hunt, carried Victoria past both Nanaimo and Alberni, the league's top two teams last season, before falling to the eventual national champion Burnaby Express in the Coastal Conference final.
Despite decent numbers last season, Bozak received zero interest from university recruiters.
The NCAA didn't come knocking on his door until he started tearing the league up this season.
"After we went a little deeper into the playoffs last season (NCAA recruiters) started to take a glance," he said. "More came to check (me) out this year when I started the season off pretty well."
Bozak eventually accepted a scholarship offer from the University of Denver, the two-time U.S. national champions.
Nanaimo Clippers forward Kyle Ostrow and goaltender Marc Cheverie have also committed to play at the NCAA powerhouse next season.
"Denver doesn't make too many mistakes on players," said Victoria coach Rylan Ferster.
What the NCAA champs will get from Bozak, is the most-competitive player that Ferster has ever coached.
"It doesn't matter if it's just a three-on-three drill at practice or if we are in the middle of the playoffs, Tyler plays the same way," said Ferster. "He just loves to compete."
Against the Clippers, Bozak is going to have to find an extra notch on his competitive dial because Nanaimo plans to make things tough on the slick centre.
"Players like him you have to be aware of when they are on the ice," said Clippers forward Brendan Mason, himself a league all-star.
We can't give him a lot of room -- because you give him any room and he's going to burn you."
Although Bozak won't have a Steve Kasper-type shadow to contend with tonight he is in for a rough ride at Frank Crane.
"We will try match up the right people on the ice. We like to make things difficult for the opposition's best players," said Bestwick. "We hope to make his life as miserable as we can."
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