CALGARY - It was their best season in 30 years.
A record of 18-4, including 12-0 at home, propelled the Dinos to the Central Division crown, the No. 2 ranking in the nation and, following a two-game whitewash of the Alberta Golden Bears in the division final, the right to host the Canada West Final Four.
In front of standing-room-only crowds, the biggest the Jack had seen in more than a decade, the Dinos fell short in their quest to return to the CIS Final 8 for the first time since 2004 following a heartbreaking eight-point defeat to the UBC Thunderbirds. And to add insult to injury, the Bears – whom Calgary had so dominated just a week before – received one of the coveted berths to the national championship in Ottawa.
It has often been the case, however, that a team with enormous potential needs to lose before it can learn how to win – and the Dinos' potential is as significant as ever. And the bitter taste of defeat is still there.
Calgary returns three of five starters from the 2007-08 team after the graduation of two-man Cody Darrah and the unexpected mid-summer departure of point guard Jeff Price. Up front the Dinos will be as strong as ever with the trio of Robbie Sihota alongside Ross Bekkering and Henry Bekkering, and reigning Canada West rookie of the year Tyler Fidler will see a significant increase in playing time.
Henry Bekkering, who led the conference in scoring with 463 points last season, returns for his final year of eligibility – the only fifth year player on the squad this season.
Topping the recruiting class is 6'6” power forward Dominyc Coward out of Bert Church High School in Airdrie. The consensus top player out of the Alberta high school system in 2008, Coward was one of the most sought-after recruits in Western Canada and will have an immediate impact on the court for the Dinos.
“He's an outstanding player,” said Dinos coach Dan Vanhooren. “We really feel he's the best recruit coming out of high school not only in Alberta but in Western Canada. He's a top-five guy and we fell that he's going to be able to jump into our lineup right away.”
Vanhooren also brought in the veteran presence of former SAIT athlete of the year Jamie McLeod at the point guard spot. McLeod was a two-time CCAA Academic All-Canadian and landed on the ACAC first all-star team twice during his time with the Trojans.
“Bringing in Jamie is huge for us,” Vanhooren said. “He's heady, he's a mentally tough player that's going to get the job done. It's always tough to lose a player like Jeff (Price), but I think we've done a good job filling that hole and Jamie's going to be a big part of that.”
Tony Dhaliwal returns after a one-year absence and import rookie Andy Rochon also adds depth at the point guard spot.
The pieces are certainly in place for Henry Bekkering's final year, as the dynamic forward and his teammates search for that elusive national title.
The Dinos open with a trip to Winnipeg, taking on the Manitoba Bisons Friday and the Winnipeg Wesmen Saturday night. The home opener weekend is still two weeks away, with Brandon and Regina headed to the Jack Nov. 7-8.
-UC-
