CRUSHERS VETERAN Robert Visca gets a hop on the play in Orangeville's 7-3 win over Brampton in OPJHL pre-season action at Alder Street Community Centre on Tuesday night. Photo/MIKE MALONEY As Labour Day weekend looms, about to mark the passage of another summer into the history books, the Orangeville Crushers are well on their way to begin writing some new history for themselves.

Next Friday night September 5th, the Crushers will take to the ice of the Alder Street Community Centre, opening their 2008-09 OPJHL Junior A season against Seguin.

It is a date Orangeville coach Dale Hawerchuk is looking forward to with anticipation.

"We got a good hockey club, you know we have got a lot of skill, we have size, we've got veterans and some good young rookies, our goaltending is solid here - we have a good team".

Coming out of 2007-08 where they were swept from the playoff picture by Aurora, he is encouraged by what he sees happening out on the ice; noting how well the team has done to date so far where they now 4-0 in pre-season play.

Offensively this year's team looks much more formidable. "I really want to have two strong lines and I think we have the talent to do that. Which two lines those are going to be might be different every night - they (the players) are going to pushing each other every night".

Defensively a compliment of rookies and veterans will be holding down the blueline. He says "I like our D. There's some veterans on there and a couple of young kids playing really well".

The goaltending picture is still undetermined however. With three goalies still in camp, Hawerchuk says they are all playing really well which makes his job of picking the final two a tough proposition.

This year some new teams have been added to the league and with it, some realignment of the divisions.

Orangeville had played in what was called the Northern Division but instead this year, they spend the bulk of their season competing against nine other teams in the newly

formed Phillips Division.

Hawerchuk acknowledges the ultimate goal is to still be playing in April but is guarded on where he expects to finish up in the standings. Still, he is quite optimistic about their chances. "You never know until you go through everybody once but its kinda nice you get a change. We have more teams coming in, play different teams - its going to be exciting here".

Two of the guys the team will be looking for good things from this season are Nicholas Vassos and Kevin Van Dyk.

Vassos, now in his third year with the team has a positive expectations for 2008-09. "I feel good with the team this year. Our core is back from last year and we have a lot of good young talent here".

This will be his final year with the team as he will be heading stateside next season after accepting a Division 1 NCAA scholarship at the University of Alabama-Huntsville. "I want to go out with a bang for sure" says Vassos admitting a playoff run and championship would be a great way to end things.

Van Dyk will be joining Vassos and his fellow team mates, donning the orange and black for the first time this season.

Hailing from Grand Valley, he steps up to the Junior A ranks to take his place on the Orangeville blueline after completing last year with the AAA Major Midget Highlanders.

He is grateful for the support of everyone with the team this year. Van Dyk notes that the transition from Midget to Junior is a bit of a change. "There is a big difference in the level of play. Its a lot quicker pace but I am getting use to it". He is looking forward to be playing closer to home and helping out the team however he can.

The pre-season action continues with four more games on tap for the Crushers before opening night.

They will be playing against Georgetown in a pair of back to back games Thursday and Friday, the first one there then back to Alder for a 7:30 start on Friday night.

Tuesday night will see Bramalea in town before wrapping up the pre-season schedule in Whitby next Thursday.