Saturday November 1st games cancelled.

The regularly scheduled November 1st AUS hockey games for the St. Thomas men's and women's teams are cancelled due to the horrific tragedy that occurred to Professor John McKendy. We would like to offer our deepest condolences to Mr. McKendy's friends and family. CBC Story

Tommies crush Mounties

The Lady Tommies had a productive game this evening out shooting the visiting Mount Allison Mounties 44 to 21 and on the score sheet 8 to 2. This was the first meeting of 2008-09 between the two Universities.

Lyse Rossignol led the Tommies attack with 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) while Ashley Duguay, Charity Walls, and Sarah Belmore each had 3 points. The win evens STU's record at 2-2-1 while Mt A falls to 1-4-0.

The Tommies outscored their opponents 3 to 0 in the first with Charity Walls, Dominique Bernier on the PP, and Sarah Belmore collecting goals. In the second frame the Tommies surged ahead 7 to 1 with Sarah Belmore picking up her second of the evening shorthanded and Lyse Rossignol's first, sandwiched between the Mounties only goal of the period. Jessica Holt and Ashley Duguay on the PP rounded out the scoring in the second. STU dominated the shot clock 37 to 11 after two.

Mt Allison would get their last goal of the night at 5:11 before Kayla Blackmore rounded out the scoring at 8:12. Julia Sharun picked up the win in net facing 21 shots in total. STU responded with 44 shots the other way. The next action for the Ladies is Saturday afternoon at home versus UPEI. Game time is 2 PM at the LBR. DG: End result all that matters for STU

$quirrels trump Tommies in first battle of 08

Those pesky little Squirrels, the more you chase them, the more you would like to catch them and choke the living crap right out of them. Unfortunately we never seem to be able to catch them, particularly at the Drey. The final score tonight was 7 to 4 for UNB and if it weren't for some big saves from Matt Davis, it may have been worse.

UNB jumped out to a 2 goal lead by the 6 minute mark of the first but the Tommies were able to reply when Jeremy Turgeon banged home the puck on a goal mouth scramble and some hard work by line mate Ryan Murphy. Matt Foster picked up the other helper on the goal. The Squirrels would capitalize on a power play at 13:50 and would take the 2 goal cushion to the locker room at the end of the first.

Json Rinzler would start the Tommies off on the right foot in the second scoring at 2:51 from Gallant and Chamberland but UNB responded only 19 seconds later to regain the edge. After two successive UNB penalties, Erick Tremblay blasted one home on the two man advantage from Lehr and Gallant but it was tit for tat on this night and UNB came back just over 3 minutes later on their own PP. Jason Cassidy would score on a 2 on 1 when Corey Banfield sled him the puck under the UNB defenceman with under 5 minutes to play in the period. Devan Praught had the second assist on the goal.

The Tommies started the third period down by a goal but were not able to get any closer as the Squirrels literally closed the door, scoring 2 more goals and not allowing a shot on net in the period. Play got a little chippy towards the end of the period as tempers started to rise. It looks like their may be a little fire left in the rivalry as several Tommies seemed to take exception with one little tree rat on defense. We'll see how that plays out in the future. Matt Davis was stung with the loss facing 42 shots while Guillaume Miszczak was in net for less than a minute and allowed a goal. Next game for the Tommies is Saturday night versus Dalhousie. DG: Uphill battle for Tommies against UNB

Battle of the Hill renewed at AUC

Daily Gleaner Article

Speaking of industrious forwards, Jason Cassidy is off to a strong start with STU, with two goals and four assists in four games.
Cassidy only joined the Tommies at the Christmas break, but he's already developed a strong dislike for the V-Reds.
"There's no team I hate more than them," Cassidy said.
"They're a really good hockey program and obviously very skilled, but I think we match up well against them because we're the type of team they don't want to play.
"We're a bunch of rats out there and we give it everything we've got every shift."

Tonight's game is also available on 95.7 FM CKTP, and online at www.cktpradio.com

Tommies follow the bouncing puck to an overtime loss.

The Tommies early season woes continued tonight at the LBR. Penalty troubles and bad bounces proved to be STU's ultimate undoing in a 6 to 5 overtime loss at the hands of the Saint Mary's Huskies. St Thomas was first on the board tonight just 2:34 into the first period, striking shorthanded. Tommies' leading scorer Max Chamberland did a fine job breaking up a Huskies drive at his own blueline, then driving to the SMU net where his initial shot was stopped by Cory Chipman. Fellow penalty killer Ryan Murphy found the puck on the doorstep and registered his first goal of the season. The Huskies would reply with a Garret Peters goal at 3:30. STU showed no quit despite the Huskies repeated comebacks in the first as Corey Banfield scored on a top-of-crease scrum to make it 2-1 at 4:41. Bouncing pucks would be the Tommies' Achilles heel on this night, as Ryan Lehr's attempt to block an Andrew Hotham point shot at 11:34 would see the puck bounce off his stick behind a helpless Guillaume Miszczak, getting the start in goal to break a 37 consecutive start stretch for Matt Davis. But once again the Tommies bounced back with Lehr redeeming himself at 13:46 wth a point shot that beat Chipman over the shoulder.

In the second period, the Tommies began to extend their lead thanks to a pair of goals from Jason Cassidy. At 7:18 Cassidy redirected a Corey Banfield feed past Chipman, then at 8:55, with the Tommies on the powerplay, Cassidy would score his second of the season to make it 5-2 Tommies. The Tommies continued to skate well with the dangerous Huskies until running into penalty trouble late in the second period. With defenders Bryan Main and Erick Tremblay both in the penalty box, Cody Thornton found the back of the net at 19:42. The second period would end with the Tommies holding onto a 2-goal lead, but Tremblay remained in the sin bin, and the Huskies power play would take advantage.

Brandon Verge would replace Chipman between the pipes to start the final period of regulation, and just 33 seconds into the third frame, Cam Fergus would bring SMU to within a goal while continuing their man advantage. Suddenly, the lead once thought safe was safe no more. With momentum having swung toward Saint Mary's, Kyle Doucet scored at 3:52 to even up the score at 5 goals apiece. The Tommies were outshot 14-4 in the third as they hung on to force overtime and gain the point.

Just 1:22 into overtime, the bouncing puck would once again sting STU, as Marc Rancourt carried the puck down the right wing side. A poor centering attempt by Rancourt nonetheless found the inside of the far post as a defending Keith Wynn redirected the puck behind Miszczak for the Huskies' winner. The Tommies fall to 0-3-1 on the season while the Huskies even their season record at 2-2-0. St. Thomas head coach Mike Eagles was quoted as saying he "is sick of his team's undisciplined play so far this season." Up next for the Tommies are the rival UNB $quirrels on Wednesday night, a 7pm start. Daily Gleaner: Tommies continue to self destruct

In Lady's AUS action from Sunday afternoon the Lady Tommies fell 1 to 0 in a shootout to Dalhousie. Julia Sharun was strong in the Tommies net facing 30 pucks. The Tommies lone goal in the shoot-out was scored by Dominique Bernier while the Tigers got two past Sharun. DG Article: Double dipper for Tommies in women's hockey.

3 minutes does in Ladies

The men weren't the only Tommies busy fighting Huskies. The Ladies were in Halifax this evening and were on the wrong end of a 6 to 2 score. St Mary's scored the only goal of the first before the Ladies tied it in the second period off the stick of Jessica Holt on the PP. SMU scored one more in the second and an early third period tally to take a 3 to 1 lead. Kayla Blackmore from Hammerheim and Laird trimmed the lead to one but 10 seconds later the flood gates opened and the Huskies scored 3 goals in 3 minutes to take control. Mia Leander took the loss facing 31 shots while STU fired 35 the other way. The Ladies will be back in action tomorrow afternoon at 3 PM against Dalhousie. Hockeyscene.com Article

X-Men power past Tommies

Defensive miscues and the Tommies inability to keep X off the board on the penalty kill led to a 7 to 5 win for St FX tonight at the LBR. The X-Men converted on 50% of their power play opportunities(3 of 6) while STU went 1 for 4. X scored the first 2 goals in the first but the Tommies roared back with two of their own from Devan Praught and Andrew Estey just 15 seconds apart. St FX took the lead back on a defensive zone mistake by STU at 19:24. Shots after one period were 12 apiece.

The X-men wouldn't let up in the second and scored the next 3 to take a 6 to 2 lead shortly after the half way mark of the period. You have to give STU credit for not quitting as they would cut the lead at 19:02 on the PP when Jason Rinzler scored one from Bryan Main and Max Chamberland. Shots after two periods favoured X 24 - 23.

In the third STU scored at 3:41 to trim the lead with the goal going to Brad Gallant but X responded on the PP 4 minutes later. Erick Tremblay scored his first regular season goal for the Tommies at 10:20 to give fans hope but the team with the fancy new duds could get no closer. Final score 7 to 5. Max Chamberland led the way tonight offensively with 3 assists while Corey Banfield and Jason Rinzler both had 2 points. Matt Davis faced 35 shots and took the loss, while Danny Battochio faced 35 shots for X. The Tommies will regroup overnight and welcome an irritated Huskies team who lost in Moncton this evening.

Daily Glearner: "New look Tommies but same results"

"We're making little mistakes," [Erick] Tremblay said. "We've got to eliminate
those mistakes, those giveaways. If we do, I think we're going to be fine
because we're working hard. With five goals you're supposed to win. Seven goals against can't happen. Those are just mental mistakes. We're a young team and it's going to happen, but it can't happen too often. A winning team finds ways to win."

I don't know about you but we love the retro look of St. Thomas' new home whites. It is our understanding that this look goes back to the 1960's. If anyone remembers the last time STU's jersey had the Big T on front we would love to hear from you. Let us know your memories.

The Weekend Ahead

The Tommies Men continue their homestand with a pair of games this weekend. Tonight at 7pm the 0-and-2 Tommies will play host to the X-Men of St. Francis Xavier University who are also seeking their first victory (0-1-1). On Saturday night the St. Mary's Huskies (1-1-0) will swing into town for a 7pm start at the LBR.

Not only will we get our first look at "X" and SMU this weekend, but we should get our first look at the Tommies new home threads. The new jerseys should be ready and they look sharp. We can't tell you any more about them, you'll have to head to the rink to get a gander at the fresh duds, but we've had a sneak preview and we think you'll enjoy the new "classic" look. We'll post pictures after they debut on-ice.

Both games can be heard on 95.7 FM CKTP and online at www.cktpradio.com

The Lady Tommies (1-1-0) head on the road for the first time in their young campaign, visiting St. Mary's (0-2-0) tomorrow at 6 pm. The Ladies picked up their first win of the season last Sunday against the Huskies with a 2-1 victory. On Sunday, STU travels across town to take on Dalhousie (2-0-0). The Tigers are off to a good start to their season, having shown plenty of offensive punch in dropping UPEI 10-1 last Saturday.

Check back here for post-game recaps.

Tommies look to Rinzler to help fill offensive void

Daily Gleaner Article

Some Ontario schools tried to recruit Rinzler, but he was sold on St. Thomas from the start.

"This is a better league," he said, "so it wasn't a very hard decision for me. This is a big step up from junior A, especially with the size and strength, so you've got to be strong on your stick and skate your hardest all the time."

Bourbeau movin' on up to Bridgeport.

Jean Bourbeau (pictured right, credit: Ian MacAlpine) had a great weekend for Odessa, now the former Tommies stalwart is heading to the AHL to play for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. This guy gave 100% every shift and has worked his way up the hard way.

(Odessa, TX) – The Odessa Jackalopes announced today that forward Jean Bourbeau has been called up to the team’s AHL affiliate, Bridgeport Sound Tigers.... Odessa received the call Monday morning for Bourbeau to head to Bridgeport, and head coach Paul Gillis notified the Jacks’ forward after the team’s morning practice.

“It’s great,” said Bourbeau, “(Team Captain Kory Karlander) told me to just enjoy it, keep it simple, work hard, and do all the little things and I’ll be fine.”

Bourbeau scored two goals and added an assist in the Jacks first two games of the season against Arizona over the past weekend.

“We’re very excited for him,” said Gillis. “He played well in Arizona over the weekend, and it’s great that Bridgeport wants to call him up this early in the season.”

Odessa Jackalopes Story

WAY TO GO BOURBS!!!

Tommies tame Huskies

On the strength of a two goal performace by Dominique Bernier and the strong goaltending of Julie Sharun the Lady Tommies outlasted the SMU Huskies 2 to 1. With the win STU evens their record at 1 and 1.

This afternoon at the LBR, Bernier scored at the 5:14 mark of the first from Coughlin and Boyle and got the eventual game winner less than 3 minutes later on the PP at 7:57. Jillian Coughlin got her second assist on the winning goal and Lyse Rossignol added the other helper.

While there was no scoring in the second frame the Huskies made a game of it in the third scoring at 6:23 but they would get no closer as Sharun shut the door. Final shots on goal favoured STU 33 to 25. The next game for the Ladies is in Halifax against the same Huskies on Saturday the 25th.

Daily Gleaner Article

Panthers pound punchless Tommies

The UPEI Panthers took full advantage of their powerplay opportunities tonight at the LBR and skated to an easy 6 to 2 decision. UPEI scored on 3 of their first 4 powerplays chances, potted 4 goals, and chased Matt Davis from the net...all of this in the first period on STU's home opener.

The Tommies got two third period goals from Erick Tremblay (Chamberland, Gallant)on a 2 man PP and Corey Banfield (Cassidy, Praught) with under a minute left in the game. The Tommies tempted fate all night by giving the Panthers powerplay opportunities that they capitalized on 4 of 7 times. Matt Davis was graciously pulled after the first period allowing 4 goals on 10 shots. Ben MacFarlane came into the game and faced 23 shots over two periods. Final shot count was STU 24 - PEI 33. The Tommies will have to regroup and get ready for next Friday's game versus St. F-X.

Daily Gleaner Article

Tough loss in Moncton.

Despite the best efforts of Tommies goaltender Matt Davis, STU couldn't pull out the win against a talented U de M squad.

The Tommies started well. Jason Cassidy, after some good work down low, fed the puck to Max Chamberland, whose weak shot trickled past Aigles Bleu keeper Kevin Lachance and bounced off the post. With nary a Moncton defender nearby, Wes Welcher scored what may be the easiest goal he'll tally as a Tommie, tapping in the loose puck to put the Tommies ahead 1-0 at 3:20 of the opening frame. Moncton outshot St. Thomas 18-11 in the first.

That's all the scoring there would be over the first 40 minutes. The Tommies ran into penalty trouble, taking the first four penalties of the hockey game, but the penalty killing unit did some fine work shutting down Les Aigles Bleu. Then the penalties started to pile up on the Moncton side, but the Tommies seemed unable to mount any kind of pressure with the man advantage. Shots on goal were 12-10 in Moncton's favour in the second, for a two period total of 30-21 for Moncton.

If you were listening to the game on 95.7 FM CKTP or online at www.cktpradio.com as we were, you likely heard Randy Corey and Harold DeCourcey lauding the Tommies systems play in the first two periods, while providing the cautionary warning... this Moncton group is a talented bunch, so the Tommies needed to stay out of the penalty box and stay tight defensively. Talk about your bad omens! STU took the first three penalties of the third period, including a lengthy 5 on 3 disadvantage. Just as Erick Tremblay stepped out of the sin bin, Nicolas Laplante got Moncton on the board, evening things up at 5:29. At 12:58 with the teams at even strength, a bouncing puck found its way past Davis off the stick of Marc-Andre Cote, giving Moncton the 2-1 lead. Suddenly the Tommies needed to fight their way back after leading for most of the contest. And fight back they did, but at what cost? Wes Welcher accepted a pass at his own blueline and was promptly rocked by a check from Jules Melanson. According to the broadcast, the legality of the hit was unclear simply due to the suddenness of the collision and the angle of the viewer. However, referee Jean Hebert chose to punish Melanson with a 5-and-a-game checking to the head penalty. Jason Cassidy also got tagged with a 2 minute roughing minor in coming to the defense of his teammate. Good for you, Jason! Welcher was slow to get up, appeared woozy according to the radio relay and eventually left the ice and headed to the dressing room. Wes was taken to the hospital with a separated shoulder. It's unknown how long he'll be out of the lineup. The Tommies and Aigles Bleu played 2 minutes of 4-on-4 hockey, which developed into a 3-minute STU powerplay. It was with this man advantage that Max Chamberland found Jason Rinzler with a centering pass. Rinzler redirected the pass behind Kevin Lachance and the hockey game was tied at 14:56. As the game clock ticked down to its final minutes, a breakdown at the Tommies blueline allowed a 2-on-1 to develop for Moncton. Francis Marchand brought the puck in the right side wound up and fired a shot at Matt Davis, who made the initial save. The rebound however found the stick of Mathieu Labrie on the left wing side, who beat Davis with a wrist shot, making it 3-2. The Tommies pulled Davis for the extra attacker for the remainder of the third period, but to no avail. Final score, Moncton 3, Tommies 2. Moncton outshot STU 18-7 in the third for a game total of 48-28. Matt Davis made 45 saves in the loss.

The Tommies host UPEI in their home opener tonight at 7pm at the LBR. If you can't make it to the rink, the game will be broadcast on CKTP, with links at the top of the page to listen online.

10/18 Update - Daily Gleaner Article: UdeM strikes late to sink Tommies

Lady Tommies Fall to Moncton in Season Opener

From HockeyScene.com:

Captain Kristine Labrie scored a hat trick Thursday night to help the Université de Moncton Aigles Bleues beat the Saint Thomas University Tommies 5-2 in the opening game of the Atlantic University Sport Women’s Hockey 2008-09 season here at the Lady Beaverbrook Arena

St. Thomas scored the first goal of the game off the stick of Jillian Coughlin with helpers going to Laird and Rossignol but Moncton would score the next four. Michelle Goguen, with assists to Lyse Rossignol and Sarah Belmore, would inch the Tommies closer at the 12 minute mark of the third but Moncton would seal it just over 3 minutes later with their fifth goal. Mia Leander took the loss in net facing 29 shots. The Ladies return to action Sunday afternoon at 2PM versus St Mary's at the LBR.

Daily Gleaner: UdeM spoils STU debut

Finally! Season opens tonight in Moncton

No more recruiting talk (at least until Christmas). No more exhibition games. Finally, the season begins. The march to the playoffs gets underway. The Tommies Men visit Moncton tonight to kick off the 2008 - 2009 campaign. New captain Justin Roy and last year's MVP Matt Davis will lead the Green and Gold into the J. Louis Levesque Arena against Les Aigles Bleu. Randy Corey, along with Harold DeCourcey, will bring the call of the game on 95.7 FM CKTP, who are now streaming online. You can listen live online at http://www.cktpradio.com/. Check back after the game for a full recap.

Roy brings workmanlike approach to Tommies

From the Daily Gleaner:

"In some ways, I'm going to have to be more disciplined than in past years," said Roy. "Sometimes my mouth can get the best of me out there. It has in past years. That's going to have to stop for sure. Other than that, it's not going to change anything."

.................................................................

"We're underdogs...that's what everybody's saying around the league and I guess that comes with the age of our team and how young we are," [Roy] said. "But we're going to thrive on that and show up at the rink every night and outwork other teams."

Roy named Captain

From today's Daily Gleaner:

Meanwhile, the St. Thomas Tommies under head coach Mike Eagles, also begin their regular schedule on the road Friday against the Universite de Moncton Aigles Bleus at 7 o'clock. The game can be heard on CKTP 95.7....

....The Tommies return home Saturday night to face UPEI beginning at 7 o'clock at the Lady Beaverbrook Rink. Dalhousie plays at Saint Mary's and Acadia takes on St. FX in Saturday's other league games.

Eagles said yesterday that fifth year centre Justin Roy of Harvey will wear the captain's 'C' with the Tommies this season.

Roy certainly has the seniority to wear the "C" this season. But is he the best choice to lead the Tommies? What do you think? Post your thoughts in the comments.

The Daily Gleaner's Bruce Hallihan's AUS Preview Online

A very special thanks to columnist Bruce Hallihan, who was kind enough to provide us with electronic versions of his 18th annual AUS Preview from last Friday's Daily Gleaner. Whether or not you agree with Bruce's assessments, there's no debate that this feature is always a great read, and we thank Bruce for his hours of dedication and effort in covering the AUS and providing us with this highly anticipated article.

You can access the preview below. We have hosted the PDF files on a 3rd party hosting site, so any issues you may encounter - which we hope are none - are our error and not of the Daily Gleaner.

Also, the text of the overview article which accompanied the preview piece is below, which again Bruce was kind enough to pass along...

By BRUCE HALLIHAN

hallihan.bruce@dailygleaner.com

Gardiner MacDougall is an optimist and a realist.

As much as he’d like to see his University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds get another crack at the University Cup men’s hockey championship next March — and there’s a good chance they will — he knows UNB will never have another season like last one.

“Last year was an anomaly,” MacDougall said. “To have one team go 26-1-1 in the regular season ... that happens, what, once every eight or 10 years?”

It was a dream season with a nightmarish ending.

Heading into the Nationals final in Moncton, the V-Reds were riding a 21-game winning streak and had lost just four of 47 games overall. They were the number one ranked team all season. But a red-hot Aaron Sorochan backstopped the University of Alberta Golden Bears to a 3-2 victory over the favoured V-Reds, who outshot their western rivals 42-25.

Now the Reds, still good and hungry, want to earn one of two Atlantic University Sport Men’s Hockey Conference tickets to Thunder Bay, Ont.

The Lakehead University Thunderwolves are hosting Nationals the next two years.

MacDougall knows it won’t be easy to get there. The coaches’ consensus is the AUS recruiting crop is the best in three years and six of the eight teams feel they’re better than last year.

“I thought last year, from one to eight, was the weakest the talent has been,” Acadia Axemen coach Darren Burns said, “but I think that’s been turned completely upside down. It looks like as talented a league as it’s been in years.”

The V-Reds expect the Saint Mary’s Huskies to be right on their tail.

Again.

The Huskies lost all six games to UNB last season — including 3-2 in overtime twice in a thrilling AUS final — but were 23-1-4 against everybody else.

“I think you’re back to every weekend there are no gimmes,” MacDougall said of a more parity filled conference. “A game on October 17 will be just as important as a game on February 14. Every night’s a four-point game because everyone’s in the same division.

“Saint Mary’s is certainly going to be a worthy opponent and Acadia’s got a lot of big names in there,” MacDougall said. “UNB-Moncton is one of the top rivalries in CIS sport. St. FX had a huge recruiting season, UPEI’s improved...”

The St. Thomas Tommies, who’ve lost six of their top seven pointgetters, and the Dalhousie Tigers, who won five of 28 games last season, will have to overachieve to get in.

But no one’s discounting them entirely.

“I see tremendous parity in the league,” UPEI coach Dylan Taylor said. “Every night in this league everybody’s got a chance. You’ve got to bring your focus, your work ethic and your A game.”

Taylor doesn’t consider anyone a frontrunner.

“I really think that the league’s wide open,” he said. “I give everybody as much chance as everyone else.”

“I thought the conference had a great recruiting year,” STU bench boss Mike Eagles said. “There are teams that have made significant improvements on paper, but at the same time that doesn’t get you any points.

“But you have to look at the two frontrunners from last year, UNB and Saint Mary’s, as being the two frontrunners again this year,” Eagles said. “Other than that, it’s going to be who plays the best.”

“UNB and Saint Mary’s are going to be the top two teams,” Burns said. “The only reason a hockey person would give UNB the edge is because they’re defending champs. When you’re the champs, obviously you’ve had that experience. But Saint Mary’s is a high-character group and they’re extremely well-coached.

“After that, I think you’re going to see a flip of the coin,” Burns said. “There’s no question, those are the two lead horses but at the same time I think the other teams have more of a realistic ability to knock those teams off.”

Paddy Flynn and Doug Doull are running the SMU bench until Trevor Stienburg returns from a lengthy illness, hopefully in January.

“After last season’s 20 wins — the most in our history — and a final berth, this program has a very achievable goal of getting back to the final,’’ Flynn said. “Many of the programs in the conference have improved such as UPEI, Acadia and St. FX with UNB basically just retooling an already impressive program to finish off where they left off.

“The V-Reds are deep and their goals and eyes are firmly fixed on the big prize,” Flynn said. “All roads to the CIS Nationals will have to be paved through them.”

Universite de Moncton coach Bob Mongrain isn’t so sure.

“I think every team’s got quality players,” Mongrain said. “It is a tough conference, like everyone says, so your recruiting had better be good. But sometimes you’ve got to wait and see where you fit in.

“Looking at teams on paper is one thing. Until I see the other seven teams once, I’m only concerned about how our team looks,” Mongrain said.

“I know a lot of coaches are happy with their recruits, so that’s a good sign,” St. FX head coach Brad Peddle said. “It’s going to be a dogfight, like it always is. UNB has a very strong team — and everybody knows that — but I think some teams are going to use their returning group and a good recruiting class to claw away to get up towards the top.”

New Dal Tigers coach Pete Belliveau, who has 16 years of CIS experience on his resumé, isn’t afraid to handicap the conference.

“I definitely think you’re going to see UNB, then Moncton, Saint Mary’s, Acadia,” Belliveau said. “X is not far behind, then St. Thomas, UPEI and us fighting for the last playoff spot.”

We’ll have a better idea before long.

The regular season opens a week from today, followed by best-of-three quarter-final and semifinal series and a best-of-five final.

Here are the links to the Daily Gleaner's AUS Preview (Adobe Reader may be required, click here to download):

Front Proof (Page 1)
Spread Proof (Pages 2&3)
Back Proof (Page 4)

Please note, files may take a few moments to load.

High Expectations at STU

Daily Gleaner Article

The St. Francis Xavier X-Women, as host team, are guaranteed one of two Atlantic University Sport spots at the CIS women's hockey nationals next March.

Peter Murphy wants his St. Thomas Tommies to grab the other AUS berth.

Tired of finishing middle-of-the-pack in the Atlantic conference - now down to seven teams with the off-season clubbing of the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds - Murphy feels the Tommies are ready to take a step or two up.

"We don't play to lose," he said. "We think we can get into that top three and move on. Getting to nationals is our goal. The girls have it in their mind that that's where they want to be (March 19-22)."

Happy Thanksgiving from STUTOMMIES.com

Thanks to you for your support of the site, shown by your return visits, referrals to friends, comments and e-mails. We're thankful for you, our readers.

As you celebrate Thanksgiving with friends and family, if you're all turkeyed out, may we suggest some alternative fare for your holiday meal?

Pre-Season: Tommies lose in Sussex

Coach Eagles was probably hoping for a better home coming than a 4 to 1 loss to the Acadia Axemen but that is what he had to settle for tonight in his hometown. In front of approximately 700 people in Sussex the new and improved 08-09 Axemen used 3 powerplay markers and face-off dominance to power past STU.

Acadia scored the only goal of the first period before the Tommies tied it in the second on the PP. Brad Gallant, who has been having a fabulous pre-season, scored from Chamberland and Rinzler. Acadia would score the winner later in the same period and salt the game away in the third with two more tallies. Matt Davis was busy in the STU net facing 45 pucks while his counterpart only saw 18 shots.

This was the Tommies final pre-season warm up as the real season gets under way next Friday night in Moncton. You can catch all the game action live with Randy Corey on 95.7 FM CKTP.

AUS Preview in today's Daily Gleaner

Yes, the 18th annual AUS preview from Bruce Hallihan is available in today's Daily Gleaner. However, you'll have to pick up a copy as the feature is not currently available on the Gleaner website. We're hoping it does become available soon, and we will post the link at that time. In a nutshell, Mr. Hallihan has reprised his forecast from last season, envisioning a 7th place finish for the Tommies.

We'll have excerpts and comments over the weekend, sooner than later if an online version becomes available.

Tommies' Hockey Night in Sussex Saturday

The Tommies take on the Acadia Axemen on Saturday night at 7:30 pm at the 8th Hussars Sports Centre in Sussex in their final pre-season tuneup before the regular season kicks off next Friday night. Advance tickets in Sussex are available by contacting Jason Thorne at 432-4573

STU Tommies Press Release

Some other Tommies' notes...

• Interesting column from Bruce Hallihan in today's Daily Gleaner on the state of university hockey in the region.
• Speaking of Bruce Hallihan and the Gleaner, Bruce's annual AUS preview is eagerly anticipated each year, and we'll be treated to the 18th annual edition in tomorrow's sports section. We'll have the link for you - and likely some thoughts of our own - tomorrow.
• As mentioned, the Tommies' regular season kicks off next Friday, October 17th in Moncton, followed by the home opener at the LBR on Saturday the 18th versus PEI. Randy Corey returns to the airwaves for his second season behind the mic as the voice of the Tommies on our new carrier, 95.7 CKTP FM. The station also plans to be streaming online at www.cktpradio.com by then as well.
  

Pre-Season: Tommies finish with win and 3rd place.

With a heart breaking loss last night against Dalhousie, the Tommies bounced back today and posted a 2 - 0 win over College Lafleche out of Quebec. Julia Sharun of Edmonton, AB picked up the shut out win to clinch third place in the U de M tournment for St. Thomas.

Catherine Boudreau and Kathleen Boyle scored the Tommies goals, both in the third period. STU outshot their opposition 29 to 25. This runs the teams record to 4 and 1 in exhibition play. This was the Tommies final pre-season game as the Ladies will not see action again until their regular season home opener on Thursday October 16th versus U de M. STU Article

Photo Credit: Official Tommies site.

Pre-season: Tigers claw past Tommies.

The Dalhousie Tigers got a late third period goal to earn a tight 5 to 4 win over the Lady Tommies in the semi-final round of the U de M tournament in Moncton. Lyse Rossignol scored a natural hat trick to lead the Tommies attack and Ashley Duguay scored the singleton. The Tigers scored with less than 2 minutes to go in the third to eke out the victory. STU plays College Lafleche of Quebec at 1 PM this afternoon in the consolation final.
STU Article.

Photo Credit: Official Tommies site.

Pre-Season: Sweet home LBR.

It was home sweet home for the Tommies tonight at the LBR as they cruised past the UPEI Panthers 5 to 4. This was STU's first win against AUS competition this pre-season as the Tommies improved to 3 wins and 4 losses so far. In this evening's game the Tommies were first on the board at 12:14 of the first as senior Justin Roy got it rolling from rookies Estey and Price. PEI tied it over a minute later on a Tomas Stryncl goal but Jason Rinzler regained the lead for STU at 14:37 from Mitch Price. With 14 seconds left in the period and 2 seconds after a penalty to Keith Wynn had expired, Justin Donati tied it with a laser beam past Matt Davis.

St. Thomas scored the only goal of the second period off the stick of Brad Gallant with assists to Max Chamberland and Wes Welcher. At 4:33 of the third the Panthers replied when former Florida Panther draft pick Bret Nasby potted one. Eight minutes later the Tommies took the lead again when Jeremy Turgeon roofed one past a stunned Wayne Savage with the helpers going to Bryan Main and Brian Soso. Brad Gallant, with his second of the game, from Rinzler and Welcher scored an important insurance goal on the PP at 15:47. It proved to be the winner as Rick Steadman got a lucky bounce off Matt Davis to score 33 seconds later and make it close once again. That would be it on this night as Matt Davis got the complete game win facing 32 pucks while the duo of Wayne Savage and Tim MacPhee faced 29.
DG: Gallant effort leads Tommies to win

In Ladies' action, the Tommies defeated U de M 4 to 3 in a shootout. They advance to the next round tomorrow. Scoring for STU was Caroline Hammerheim with 2 including the shoot out winner, Catherine Boudreau, and Dominique Bernier. The Tommies will play in the semi-final versus the Dalhousie Tigers at 3:00pm on Saturday.
STU write up / Times Transcript article.

"Key Contest" tonight vs. UPEI

The Tommies Men, 2-4 thus far in exhibition play, will host UPEI tonight at the Lady Beaverbrook Rink. Game time is 7:00 pm. The Tommies opened the pre-season with a 5-3 loss to the Panthers.

Daily Gleaner: Tommies treating AUS exhibition as key contest

"We want to make the LBR a very difficult place for teams to come and play," said [Tommies' head coach Mike] Eagles. "It's going to be a big challenge for us, but it's something we've really got to establish, that we can win our home games. We have to have a team that plays very aggressive and at a high tempo. And when you do that in small rinks, I think you become very tough to play against."

UdeM Pre-Season Tourney begins today

From hockeyscene.com:

In addition to the Aigles Bleues, the participating teams are Saint Francis Xavier X-Women, University of Prince Edward Island Panthers, Saint Mary’s University Huskies, St. Thomas Tommies, Dalhousie University Tigers and Mount Allison Mounties, as well as the Collège Laflèche of Trois-Rivières, QC.

The Lady Tommies play the host Aigles Bleu tonight at 7pm.

Too many exhibition games?

The Gleaner's Mike Power thinks so. Article

I can understand the STU Tommies need to play eight exhibition games, Coach Mike Eagles is doing his best mad-scientist routine mixing and matching trying out this and that as he attempts to build a team out of a bunch of first and second year players.

Also noted:

Why UNB, which had their team picked a long time ago, needs to play so much is beyond me.

I would hope it's because Gardiner MacDougall has some things he needs to know about his players and that it isn't all about the money fans pay when they come out to these meaningless games.

Mr. Power suggests that the local teams are risking "overexposure" by taking part in so many exhibition games. It's worth noting, from a Tommies fan's perspective, there has, to date, been only one "true" home game - that being last Friday night's win over Queen's, whereas $quirrel fans have already witnessed their beloved rodents a total of 5 times at the "Drey".

We're also reminded of the absence of a womens' varsity hockey program at $quirrel U.

And of course UNB is into the new school year without women's hockey. We haven't forgotten about that.

Neither have we. But we do appreciate the new additions to the Green and Gold.

Abby thanks you

Oct. 1st Daily Gleaner Letters

Re: Hockey game fundraiser

We have been blessed with caring and supportive friends - in our Woodstock, Hartland, Fredericton and Maine communities.

The Abby Taylor Fund Committee and the Taylor family would like to thank the many volunteers who helped make the benefit hockey game and silent auction a success Sept. 17.

The numerous sponsors, business people and individuals who supported the game and donated auction items also contributed to the success of the evening. John and Evelyn Clendenning and family - you make the world a better place.

A sincere thank you is extended to the UNB Reds and St. Thomas Tommies and their coaches, Gardiner MacDougall and Mike Eagles, for travelling to Woodstock for the pre-season exhibition hockey game.

Kelly Foster, director of recreation and community services, and the staff at the Carleton Civic Centre offered outstanding support and were an integral part of the success of this evening.

Sam's men's hockey team prepared an awesome post-game meal for both teams. Their efforts were truly appreciated by the Fredericton squads.

To everyone who came to the game, the coaches and players, those who gave from their hearts, and the incredible media coverage that helped make the arena swell to capacity, we offer our deepest appreciation and heartfelt thanks.

The Taylor family and the organizing committee were overwhelmed by the support and generosity of all those able to attend the evening.

The people of western New Brunswick have once again displayed compassion and care for one of their own.

The Abby Taylor Fund Committee and Richard, Rayma, BJ and Abby Taylor

Woodstock, N.B.