There were a handful of positives for the Selkirk College Men's Hockey program on their first-ever trip across the Rockies to face Alberta College Athletics Conference (ACAC) competition last weekend, including a win over Concordia University and a narrow overtime loss to the defending league champions from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.
There were also some ugly moments, which were mostly concentrated during a lacklustre 6-4 loss to Grant MacEwan University on Sunday afternoon.
The Saints opened the NAIT Blue-Gold Tournament on Friday with a 3-2 victory over Concordia that saw the visitors start slow but finish strong. Down 2-1 after 20 minutes, Thomas Hardy and Cody Fidgett combined to score a pair of second period goals and Selkirk went on to badly outshoot their opponents over the final two periods.
On Saturday, the Saints battled NAIT in a match-up of last season's B.C. and Alberta league champions. Logan Proulx opened the scoring in the first period and Hardy put Selkirk ahead on a breakaway in the middle frame, but the Ooks battled back on their home ice and netted the victory after WHL products Josh Lazowski and Mike Piluso combined for the winner on a 2-on-1 in overtime.
"For most of our guys I think the NAIT game was one they'd had circled since we made plans to come to Edmonton," says Saints head coach Jeff Dubois.
"They are a very strong, very fast team and there were stretches where they dictated the play, but I was very happy with the overall performance. Ultimately we held our own against probably the top college hockey team in Canada in their rink, and that experience will make us stronger and also give us a clear idea of some areas where we need to be better."
But on Sunday, with the opportunity to go 4-0-0-1 against ACAC competition with a win, the Saints put forth their poorest effort of the preseason in a loss to MacEwan that saw the team allow five second period goals and countless scoring opportunities overall.
"We were awful from front to back and in all facets of the game on Sunday," says Dubois. "We knew that playing our third game in three days would be a challenge, but you don't give yourself a chance to be successful when your whole group doesn't show up at the rink mentally prepared to work hard and compete."
"That's something that hasn't been an issue for us previously and shouldn't be in the future, because we saw firsthand how quickly the game can get out of hand. We set a high standard for ourselves, and I don't think we have the type of leaders in our room that will allow that to happen again."
The Saints finished their five-game slate of games against ACAC opponents with a record of three wins, one regulation loss and an overtime defeat.
They'll look to get back on a winning footing this weekend as they close out their preseason schedule against Trinity Western University in a two-game home set.
The teams face off on Friday, September 27th (7:30 PM in Nelson) and Saturday, September 28th (7:30 PM in Castlegar). General admission tickets for both games will be available at the door for $5.
SAINTS NOTES: 2013/14 Saints Men’s Hockey season passes are now on sale at Selkirk's Castlegar campus (at the Recreation Counter in the gymnasium) and at upcoming home games. Until October 11th, the team is offering a $10 discount off regular pass pricing. For more information on purchasing a Saints season pass, visit www.GoSaints.ca.
VICTORIA
SIMON FRASER
OKANAGAN
LOGAN LAKE
VANCOUVER ISLAN.
