The Dinos return to Thunder Bay with a 9-5-0-2 Canada West record and are 11-9-0-2 overall. The Dinos are in second place in Mountain Division of Canada West behind the Alberta Golden Bears. The Dinos are tied for 7th in CIS goals for with 4.0 per game and 10th in goals allowed at 3.5 per game.
The Dinos play a fast-skating and hard-hitting style of play under Head Coach Scott Atkinson. This years squad features a big recruiting class of 12 players. Coach Atkinson said his team has been playing well and is looking forward to the chance to defend its Varsity Cup title. Our 2006-2007 pre-season expectations were for further progress, development and success of Dinos hockey from last season. A series of three pre-season exhibition games in Denver, Colorado against quality NCAA competition left us with an encouraging 4-2 victory over the Colorado College Tigers. After an opening season weekend split at home versus the University of Manitoba, we began an impressive run of seven wins and one loss, including one win at the University of Alberta (snapping a seven year winless streak), and a weekend sweep at the University of Saskatchewan. Some of our success has come in our adjustment to the new rules in the CIS; we currently hold the best power play rating in Canada West. We are 2 victories and 4 points ahead of our mid-season position one year ago, setting up an exciting and encouraging second half to the season. We look forward to the Varsity Cup tournament as an opportunity to challenge ourselves against some quality teams from the east as well as defend our title from last year.
Head to Head:
Calgary has not played any of the three Varsity Cup opponents this season. Calgary is 4-2 lifetime against the Thunderwolves and is 1-0 against Laurier coming off a 9-4 win in 1989. They are 2-1 against Toronto with their last game a 6-3 win at the Lakehead Varsity Cup in 2002.
The Dinos are led by their trigger man Ryan Annesley who has 11 goals and 16 assists which is 4th in Canada West scoring and 5th the CIS.
Good news for Calgary is that they have added talented forward Torrie Wheat to their line-up and Wheat is expected to supply some offensive punch. Wheat played for the Everett Silvertips of the WHL and is the teams all-time leading scorer and was team captain in his third and final season there. The addition of Wheat brings the number of former WHL captains now playing for the Dinos to seven, while an additional nine were alternate captains at some point in their major junior careers.
Calgary also has other players who can score such as Aaron Richards (11 goals, 5 assists) and Tyrell Lucas (4 goals, 6 assists). Colin McRae is a very solid all-around player as well.
A lot of the the Dinos scoring comes from the defense and they have a very mobile and offensive minded corps who can put the puck in the net and direct the attack; led by Travis Friedley (4 goals, 14 assists), Wade Davis (5 goals, 9 assists), Conlan Seder (3 goals, 10 assists), Brett Thurston (2 goals, 11assists), and Brett OMalley (3 goals, 8 assists).
The Dinos have a strong goaltender in Scott Talbot (5-6, GAA 3.57, SV% .902) and he should see most of the action at the Varsity Cup. J. F. Martel is Calgarys backup netminder with newcomer Ryan Quinn the third man behind the mask for the Dinos.
Calgary 06-07 Results:
Sat Dec 2 Alberta 5 Calgary 3
Fri Dec 1 Alberta 2 Calgary 1
Sat Nov 25 Calgary 6 Lethbridge 2
Fri Nov 24 Lethbridge 4 Calgary 3 OL SO
Sat Nov 11 Manitoba 5 Calgary 2
Fri Nov 10 Manitoba 5 Calgary 4 OL
Sat Nov 4 Calgary 5 Regina 4 OL
Fri Nov 3 Calgary 3 Regina 0
Sat Oct 28 Calgary 4 Saskatchewan 1
Fri Oct 27 Calgary 5 Saskatchewan 3
Sat Oct 21 Calgary 5 Lethbridge 4
Fri Oct 20 Calgary 7 Lethbridge 6
Sat Oct 14 Calgary 5 Alberta 3
Fri Oct 13 Alberta 5 Calgary 3
Sat Oct