The men’s hockey season is underway with a near-flawless record at home. On Jan. 28, goaltender Tyler Bilton received Goalie of the Week for the third time this season, and defensemen John Burns was also named Player of the Week. The team's hopes for going to the NE-10 championships are high as they progress towards the end of their 2008 season.
Home ice advantage
As of Feb. 13, the men’s overall record is 9-10-1, while their home record is almost perfect, at 7-1-1.
“I think it’s just the guys feel more comfortable at home, you get proper rest, sleep in your own bed, everyone is more relaxed and can kind of do their own thing,” Burns says.
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The men's ice hockey team warms up during practice at Cairns Arena in South Burlington. |
The men also have more time to warm-up and prepare themselves when they’re at home, he says.
“We try to create an atmosphere at home that nobody comes into our house and tries to take something away from us,” says Chris Davidson, head coach of the men’s hockey team.
As for the away games, the team has been working hard to do as well as they can off their home ice. It hasn’t quite translated to wins on the road yet, Davidson says.
“A couple times we’ve actually been cutting it close for games in terms of not really having necessary time to prepare,” Burns says. “I think sometimes the guys have felt rushed to prepare and it’s hindered their performance.”
Bilton backs strong team
The team has been joined this year by junior goaltender Tyler Bilton. Bilton is the team’s starter goalie and has been an asset to the team, Burns says.
“Tyler has been our most valuable player by far. He gives us a chance to win every night, every game,” he says. “In the past we’ve had guys that have done good jobs, but it seems that they’re sometimes inconsistent. He’s consistent. We’re more confident with him on our team.”
Bilton is key to their success and means a considerable amount to the team, Davidson says.
“He’s the backboard of our team when it comes down to it,” he says.
Bilton transferred to St. Michael’s this year from St. Clair College in Ontario after he was offered a position on the team by Davidson.
Bilton was injured during his last hockey season at St. Clair due to a concussion, but he’s playing again and loves St. Michael’s and the team, he says.
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Goaltender Tyler Bilton saves a shot during practice. |
“There’s a great camaraderie on the team, the chemistry is amazing,” he says. “It’s probably the best coaching staff I’ve ever had.”
Bilton has saved 629 out of 695 shots this season, which translates to a 90.5 save percentage.
“We’ve got a lot of guys that contribute in a lot of different ways,” Davidson says. “I can’t say enough about Ryan Mero, John Burns and Erik Caron."
On attack, Mero and Caron have been doing extremely well this season, Burns says.
“Mero’s been great; he’s our leading scorer right now and is one of the better players in the league," he says. “He’s a fast player and he scores goals. Our captain, Erik Caron has been a great leader for us. He’s played really well, and has been consistently good for us every night.”
Andrick Deppmeyer and Dave Vorozilchak, in particular, have showed great leadership on defense, Burns says.
Cheer em’ on!
“Everyone’s more focused as whole,” Burns says. “Last year we tended to not be as focused. Some people didn’t take it as seriously as others. This year everyone’s on the same page. Everyone’s focused on winning, focused on hockey; everyone’s focused on the team.”
The attendance at the games has been higher this year as well, and with the abundance of cheers, the team has been playing much better, he says.
“Fans have been great,” Burns says. “It seems like each weekend more and more people have been coming out. They’re very entertaining and very supportive.”
Having more fans at the games really helps pump up the team and motivate them for their game, he says.
“We’d love to give a special thanks to the people who have supported us, we appreciate that and hope more people come to our next games,” Burns says.
Another big difference in this year’s season is players have had more time with their coaches, and have taken control of their team. The men have made sure this season to show that the team is theirs, not just the St. Michael’s hockey team, Davidson says. The players are playing better this season with a tighter team and closer bonds, he adds.
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Coaches Chris Davidson and Brian Bova talk to the team during practice. |
“We’ve pretty much just tried to add to the experience Coach Lou DiMasi created for the last 25 years,” Davidson says.
The men’s team hopes to do well in its next few games to ensure home advantage for the playoffs. If they win against Stonehill on Feb. 26, they will be home for the semi-finals and the championship.
“We want to bring home the NE-10 title, that is definitely our primary goal for the year,” Burns says.
The team knows they need to play hard in order to go into the playoffs in a strong standing, but they also want a good record to go with their season, Burns says.
The team’s next home game is Feb. 15 at 7 p.m., where the team will take on Castleton State.
“We’re in first place; we’re 4-0 in the league,” Davidson says. “Our biggest goal would be winning the NE-10 championships. If we’re playing in that game we’ve accomplished one goal, and if we win we’ve accomplished another.”