Dogs’ second shot at glory
By Darren Zary of The StarPhoenix
The Hockey Dogs are going back for seconds.
A second helping. A second chance.
Denied a Telus University Cup national championship last year with only 23 seconds left in regulation against the host University of Alberta Golden Bears, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies are going back to Edmonton for another try at a Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) title.
Simply put, they’re due.
After losing by a mere 23 seconds, it also happens to be 23 years since Saskatchewan last won the national men’s hockey title — the only time the Dogs have done so.
So, what’s up with this number 23? A strange coincidence or what?
“It’s a great coincidence,” U of S head coach Dave Adolph replied Monday as the Dogs practised for the last time in Saskatoon before heading to Edmonton on the bus today.
“Maybe it’s simply time to break that streak. My password on my computer has something to do with ’82-83 and it’s been there for 23 years, so maybe it’s time for my password to change, too.”
There will be no secret password, or free pass, to this year’s University Cup final. Saskatchewan has been placed in a tough pool with two conference champions: the Acadia Axemen (Atlantic conference) and Lakehead Thunderwolves (Ontario/ Quebec). They’ll open against Acadia on Thursday afternoon (2 p.m. CST) at Clare Drake Arena.
“I don’t think it will be too hard to get up,” said Huskies assistant captain Keegan McAvoy. “All the guys that were there last year, we’ve been waiting to get back here all year. All we’ve been thinking about is what slipped out our hands, what we lost.”
It’s been a long wait to get back to the University Cup for a good chunk of Hockey Dogs who returned to the squad from last season. Captain Brent Twordik says his team isn’t looking too far ahead to a rematch against Alberta and rightly so.
“In a tournament like this, you’ve got to take it game by game; if you don’t win your first game, there’s a slim chance of getting to the final,” Twordik said. “We’re really going to focus our attention on that first game.
“With the team we have now, I don’t see why we can’t play as well as we did last year.”
Last year, the Huskies beat out the Atlantic champion Moncton Blue Eagles and Ontario/Quebec champion Western Ontario Mustangs to get to the final against Alberta.
“It’s no different than it was last year,” added Huskies assistant captain Bryce Thoma. “We play two teams that won their conferences. We’ve just got to concentrate and hopefully win our first game.
“The guys are ready to go.”
The six-team tournament features two pools of three teams with each team playing two games in a round-robin among its pool. The first-place team from each pool advances to the University Cup fi nal.
Host Alberta will be joined by the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks and McGill Redmen in Pool A.
dzary@sp.canwest.com
2006 CIS TELUS UNIVERSITY CUP
(Edmonton, Alta.)
Thursday at Clare Drake Arena
Game 1: Acadia Axemen vs Saskatchewan Huskies, 2 p.m. (CST) Game 2: McGill Redmen vs Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, 8 p.m.
Friday at Clare Drake Arena
Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs Lakehead Thunderwolves, 2 p.m. Game 4: Loser Game 2 vs Alberta Golden Bears, 8 p.m.
Saturday at Clare Drake Arena
Game 5: Winner Game 1 vs Lakehead Thunderwolves 12 noon Game 6: Winner Game 2 vs Alberta Golden Bears 5 p.m. (TSN)
Sunday at Rexall Place
CIS Final:Winner Pool A vs Winner Pool B, 8 p.m. (TSN)
