CALGARY – Inconsistency has plagued the University of Calgary Dinos men's hockey team – and they have two weeks to rebound before heading into the Christmas break.
The Dinos (6-6-0) sit clinging to the final playoff spot in Canada West through 12 games in the 28-game schedule, and they wrap up play in 2012 with a pair of home-and-home series against the two teams that trail them in the standings: Mount Royal and Lethbridge. And it begins with a two-game set against the newcomers Thursday and Friday.
The first game goes Thursday night at Flames Community Arenas in south Calgary, with the rematch Friday night at Father David Bauer Arena. Both games face off at 7 p.m. It's the first-ever regular season meeting between the two new crosstown rivals, and it's part of the Crowchild Classic series – with six games in basketball and hockey taking place between the two schools over a two-day period. Heading into the weekend, the Dinos hold a 3-2-2 record in the series, with eight wins needed to capture The Medal.
It hasn't been an easy road of late for the Dinos, winners of just one of their last four games against two of the top teams in the nation, Saskatchewan and Alberta. But last week's two-game set with the Huskies, a rematch of last year's epic three-game conference championship series won in triple overtime by Saskatchewan, was a microcosm for Calgary's season as a whole: an impressive 8-0 win over the then-No. 3 Huskies on the first night, followed by a 5-4 loss Saturday – a night they outshot the visitors 36-23.
With a .500 record putting them on the playoff bubble, the Dinos are in need of some two-win weekends and would like nothing better than to head into the December exam break on a four-game win streak.
Of course, the Cougars will have something to say about that. Heading into the weekend after splitting a home-and-home series with Lethbridge – with both teams winning at home – Mount Royal will be ready to go against their newest crosstown rivals.
In their first season of CIS competition, the Cougars have posted a 3-11-0 mark at the halfway point of their inaugural campaign. The wins came last week in overtime, 3-2 over Lethbridge; 6-3 at Regina Oct. 27; and the upset of the season, a 2-1 win over No. 1 Alberta back on Oct. 13. Last week's OT winner courtesy Jessie Tresierra snapped a five-game losing skid for the Cougars, a span in which they were outscored 27-9.
Mike Brown and Eric Galbraith are the Cougars' top two scorers with 13 and 12 points, respectively. They're the only two MRU players in the top 15 in scoring. Justin Cote and Dalyn Flette have split the goaltending duties so far this season, with Flette emerging as the starter recently, taking the decision in the past five MRU games.
The Dinos have been led by a 14-point season from
Tyler Fiddler, who sits third in the conference with eight goals. But the supporting cast provided plenty of, well, support last week – eight different players scored in the Dinos' 8-0 win over Saskatchewan. Joining Fiddler in double-digit scoring on the season are
Brock Nixon (12 points),
Walker Wintoneak and
Cory Pritz (11), and
Kevin King (10).
Jacob DeSerres improved his record to 3-1 with a 19-save shutout against the Huskies last week. His 2.40 goals-against average is good enough for fifth best in the conference.
The two teams split their two non-conference games this year, with the Dinos winning 4-3 on Sept. 12 at MRU while the Cougars returned the favour with a 6-5 win a week later at Father David Bauer Arena. They will meet twice more in conference competition to close the season Feb. 7-8 with another home-and-home series.
The Dinos wrap up play in 2012 next weekend with a home-and-home series against Lethbridge. It opens Thursday, Nov. 29 at Father David Bauer Arena, with the rematch Dec. 1 in Lethbridge.
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