Polytechnic Press
The SAIT Trojans made quick work of the Grant MacEwan
Griffins in the first round of the ACAC playoffs, but will now have their hands
full with the explosive Augustana Vikings in the semi finals.
The Trojans split their four regular season matchups with
the Vikings, with each team winning twice on home ice.
With MRU facing NAIT in the other semi final, hockey fans
around Calgary are hoping for a rematch of last year’s final between SAIT and
MRU.
But the Trojans know that they will have their hands full
with Augustana, and are focused on the task at hand.
“We are going to have our hands full with them, they are a
highly offensive team and they have home ice advantage,” said Trojans head
coach Ken Babey.
The team played very well defensively in the MacEwan series,
and took only three minor penalties in the two games.
They will need to maintain that type of discipline against
Augustana, who had the league’s highest scoring offence in the regular season.
“We can’t be taking penalties against them, we need to play
them hard between the whistles and stay out of the crap with them,” said
Trojans defenseman Mitch McColm
In the final week of the regular season, Ken Babey named
Andy Williams as his starter for the playoffs.
But in the first game of the Mount Royal series, Williams
was injured when he was run over by Cougars forward Jeremy Roberts. Roberts received a five-minute major
and a game misconduct on the play, but there was no supplemental discipline
from the league.
“Andy was in a vulnerable position, I thought it was a dirty
hit,” said Babey.
Williams remains out indefinitely with nerve damage in his
left leg. He still has no feeling
in the leg, which has left the Trojans medical staff searching for other
options of treatment.
Adam Bartko has done a fine job filling in for Williams
between the pipes, and will remain the team’s starter for the Augustana series.
“You always have to be ready, I go into every game with the
mentality that anything can happen and I am mentally prepared to come off the
bench,” said Bartko, who hails from North Battleford, Saskatchewan.
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| Adam Bartko scrambles to make a great save on Vinny Muchalla. Curtis Taylor photo. |
The Trojans have established an identity this season with
their physical play, always sticking up for each other on the ice.
McColm responded to the Roberts hit in the dying minutes of
the final game of the regular season, as he dropped the gloves with him and
landed about 10 solid uppercuts before the officials broke it up.
“There has to be a price to pay for stuff like that, whether
it was an accident or not I thought something should be done,” said McColm
In two seasons with the Tri City Americans of the WHL,
McColm racked up 215 penalty minutes in 115 games played.
McColm enjoyed playing the role of enforcer in the WHL, but
acknowledges that the ACAC is a different league and there is not as much place
for fighting.
“I feel like some guys in this league try to hide behind
that, but I like to keep guys honest, and I like teams to know that when I am
on the ice they will be held accountable,” said McColm.
The series will get start Thursday March 1, at Augustana’s
home rink in Camrose. Game two
will be played on Saturday at SAIT, with a 6 PM puck drop.
Come out and support your Trojans!
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