by Duncan Forbes
It was another year of progression for the Tigers men’s hockey team. After posting just three wins the year before, the team managed to double last year’s total as they continued to move in the right direction.
The Tigers were forced to deal with numerous injuries this season, including captain Pierre Vandall, who was limited to just 15 games all year.
“At this time our program lacks the offensive depth to lose such players,” says Donnelly. “On the positive side of things, it provided some younger players the opportunity to play expanded roles and gain valuable experience. The adversity should make us a better team in the future.”
After opening the season with five straight losses, the Tigers got their first win with a huge 6-4 comeback win on the road against the St. Thomas Tommies. After getting down 4-1 early in the second period, the Tigers scored five unanswered goals, including two from Mitch O’Neill, to stun the Tommies.
After grabbing another victory against the University of Moncton six days later, the Tigers found themselves mired in another three-game losing streak. The streak came to an end when the Tigers again took on the Tommies, but this time the Tigers led the whole way, winning 3-0 as Corbin Boes got his first shutout of his AUS career.
After a 4-3 OT win against the UPEI Panthers, the Tigers got in a slump and found themselves in a four-game losing streak to end the first half of the season with a 4-12 record.
It was a tough second half of the season for the Tigers, as they saw themselves fall out of playoff contention. Despite the rocky half, the Tigers finished the season with an emphatic win over the CIS number three ranked Acadia Axemen, who they hadn’t beaten since October 16, 2011. JP Harvey had two goals and Wendell Vye made 48 saves as they got their seventh win of the season.
Fabian Walsh had a team-leading 10 goals for the Tigers, and he was tied with JP Harvey and Andrew Wigginton for the team lead in points, with 18.
Boes, a rookie goaltender who spent five years in the WHL, was named to the AUS all-rookie team as he emerged as the Tigers starting net minder. He was second in the AUS in saves with .622, and he helped the Tigers stay in games despite not having the shot differential in their favour.
Despite not making the playoffs, head coach Chris Donnelly is very impressed with how the team handled themselves this season.
“Making the playoffs is only significant if you have a chance of accomplishing something positive. We are not there yet, as a program,” explains Donnelly. “However, our team atmosphere is outstanding and we are looking forward to taking our program to the next level next season.”
He says the positivity will be key for the team going forward.
“We are having lots of positive conversations during our recruiting drive, as a result of the efforts of our team. Having a great dressing room is a key building block for us in the continued development of our program.”