Another cold front moves in, and another season gets underway for Men’s Hockey (2-0). While 17 players were new to the team last season, coach Darren Lowe said the experience gained last year was invaluable. The Blues won their sixth straight Mid-East Divisional with an 8-13-2-1 record, finishing the last 12 games on an 8-2-1-1 tear.
“This year’s squad is not as inexperienced as last year,” Lowe said. “We are comprised of mostly second-and-third year guys, and one in the fifth year. We were in every game last year and played with heart. We want to start this season exactly as we ended the last.”
To do so, the squad will rely on the leadership of fourth-year captain Simon Barg, who led the Blues with 20 goals last season. He will have the support of last year’s Blues rookie scoring leader Anthony Pallotta, and the strength of Joe Rand at centre. On defence, blue line stalwart Brendan Sherrard will support the Blues.
Away for the next two games against York Thursday and Brock Saturday, the Blues return for back-to-back home games against McGill and Ottawa.
“This year’s schedule is a bit tougher that last year’s,” Lowe said. “It is longer, and there are more divisional games.”
As a result, the Blues will have to step up against divisional teams Ryerson, Queen’s, and Royal Military College. U of T will play these teams in 13 out of 28 games, and Lowe believes they will be a competitive bunch. Ryerson is under new management, and immediate dividends are expected from a team that had one win last season. Queen’s, under manager Kirk Muller, fields a team similar to the Blues of yesteryear. Lowe believes they will be one of the tougher squads, as they will play desperate hockey.
“Our opposition will be much stronger this year,” he said. “I’m afraid of them all.”
U of T will also have to adapt to new rule changes brought into effect this year. More lenience will be provided towards offensive-minded players, which will lead to more penalties against interference, hooking and slashing. Special team plays will be imperative for the Blues’ success, but if Friday’s season opener was any indicator, it shouldn’t be a problem. U of T killed off ten Laurier power plays en route to a 4-2 victory over the Golden Hawks. One issue with the Blues was their own power play, as they converted one out of seven opportunities.
“So far the power play is still up in the air,” Lowe said. “There will be difficulty if our second unit can’t produce as solidly as our first.”
The goaltending was superb, however, as Ryan Grinnell kept the pipes relatively clean with 47 saves, several of which were outstanding, to preserve the victory. Starting slow in the first period, the Blues were down 1-0 early, but the team persevered. A short-handed goal by Mark Heatley tied it at one in the second period. Coming on strong by the end of the match, the Blues put up three in the final period, leading after a power play goal by Andrew Jakubaitis. After Laurier tied it again, Rand spun an assist to Alex Nagribianko to put the Blues up with four minutes left. Nagribianko later iced it with an empty netter with 18 seconds to play.
Saturday, the Blues put up a crooked one against Guelph, as they dispatched the Gryphons here 7-2. Down 2-1 after the first, U of T scored six unanswered goals to win it in a convincing fashion. Barg led the Blues with two power play goals.
