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New coach headed in new direction
U of O men’s hockey off to a great start
Although their season has already begun, the men’s hockey team is constantly thinking about the future. With 11 new faces wearing a Gee-Gees jersey and a new head coach, there is no telling where this team could end up.
Réal Paiement was handed over control of the Garnet and Grey on June 16 after head coach Dave Leger resigned after eight years in April. While it sometimes takes a team a while to mesh, these Gees have adjusted to the new coaching style, already winning two of their first three games of the 2011 season.
“Because I am new in this position and in the league, and because I still don’t know the players as well as I would like, I’m just looking for us to improve game after game,” said Paiement in an interview with the Fulcrum. “As far as results, I am looking at how we play—if we play well, regardless of the score.”
Matthieu Methot, fourth-year left wing and team captain, said Paiement has inspired high expectations for the team this year, and he is confident the Gees will make it far in the playoffs.
“This year there are high hopes for our team, as this is the most talent we have had in over four years,” he said. “There is a fresh face behind the bench in Paiement, which brings a lot of experience and new systems to pack a solid punch.”
“I’m not bringing in anything drastic, but just a lot of little changes,” added Paiement. “The guys are open and it is helping speed up the process of adaptation.”
After leaving the playoffs with an 11-3-14 record and one of the lowest goals against averages in the country, the Gees are ready to start fresh with a new year.
“Our biggest challenge will be increasing our goal average—committing to defence without sacrificing our offence,” explained Paiement.
In addition to working on their quick transitions, the squad has been focusing on jelling as a team. With 11 new players, the squad is quite literally starting with raw talent. First-year goaltender Russel Abbot from Saskatchewan played his first Canadian Interuniversity Sports win in net on Oct. 7, while first-year Jon Carnevale, who transferred after playing for the Ottawa ‘67s, has proven to have added extra speed to the team’s offence.
Returning forwards Kyle Ireland, Luc Blaine, and Methot are expected to continue as one of the top offensive lines in the league for the second year running.
While the majority of athletes are in their first or second year of study, Methot believes this novelty will make it easier for the team to jell because they will grow as a team rather than as individuals.
“We lacked a little experience to start at the first game of the season; however, we have improved every day since the beginning of camp. Guys are starting to believe in each other and in the systems we have, and this can be seen in our results over the weekend,” he said.
The Gees (2-1) will be playing their home openers on Oct. 14 and 15 against the Lakehead Thunderwolves at 7 p.m. at the Sports Complex.
—Katherine DeClerq
