Monday, April 23, 2012

SAIT Trojans Playoff Update

Curtis Taylor
Polytechnic Press

The SAIT Trojans made quick work of the Grant MacEwan Griffins in the first round of the ACAC playoffs, but will now have their hands full with the explosive Augustana Vikings in the semi finals.

The Trojans split their four regular season matchups with the Vikings, with each team winning twice on home ice.

With MRU facing NAIT in the other semi final, hockey fans around Calgary are hoping for a rematch of last year’s final between SAIT and MRU.

But the Trojans know that they will have their hands full with Augustana, and are focused on the task at hand.

“We are going to have our hands full with them, they are a highly offensive team and they have home ice advantage,” said Trojans head coach Ken Babey.

The team played very well defensively in the MacEwan series, and took only three minor penalties in the two games.

They will need to maintain that type of discipline against Augustana, who had the league’s highest scoring offence in the regular season.

“We can’t be taking penalties against them, we need to play them hard between the whistles and stay out of the crap with them,” said Trojans defenseman Mitch McColm

In the final week of the regular season, Ken Babey named Andy Williams as his starter for the playoffs.

But in the first game of the Mount Royal series, Williams was injured when he was run over by Cougars forward Jeremy Roberts.  Roberts received a five-minute major and a game misconduct on the play, but there was no supplemental discipline from the league.

“Andy was in a vulnerable position, I thought it was a dirty hit,” said Babey.

Williams remains out indefinitely with nerve damage in his left leg.  He still has no feeling in the leg, which has left the Trojans medical staff searching for other options of treatment.

Adam Bartko has done a fine job filling in for Williams between the pipes, and will remain the team’s starter for the Augustana series.

“You always have to be ready, I go into every game with the mentality that anything can happen and I am mentally prepared to come off the bench,” said Bartko, who hails from North Battleford, Saskatchewan. 
Adam Bartko scrambles to make a great save on Vinny Muchalla. Curtis Taylor photo.

The Trojans have established an identity this season with their physical play, always sticking up for each other on the ice.

McColm responded to the Roberts hit in the dying minutes of the final game of the regular season, as he dropped the gloves with him and landed about 10 solid uppercuts before the officials broke it up.

“There has to be a price to pay for stuff like that, whether it was an accident or not I thought something should be done,” said McColm

In two seasons with the Tri City Americans of the WHL, McColm racked up 215 penalty minutes in 115 games played.

McColm enjoyed playing the role of enforcer in the WHL, but acknowledges that the ACAC is a different league and there is not as much place for fighting.

“I feel like some guys in this league try to hide behind that, but I like to keep guys honest, and I like teams to know that when I am on the ice they will be held accountable,” said McColm.

The series will get start Thursday March 1, at Augustana’s home rink in Camrose.  Game two will be played on Saturday at SAIT, with a 6 PM puck drop.

Come out and support your Trojans!

SAIT Trojans Playoff Preview


Curtis Taylor
Polytechnic Press

The ACAC playoffs are right around the corner, and the SAIT Trojans men’s hockey team is gearing up for what they hope will be a long and successful playoff run.

The Trojans have four games remaining on the schedule, all of which are against teams they are looking up at in the standings.

They will play a home and home series with Augustana this weekend, and wrap up the regular season next weekend against their cross-town rival the Mount Royal Cougars.

The Trojans currently sit third in the ACAC standings, one point behind second place Augustana and seven points behind first place Mount Royal.

The Mount Royal Cougars have only one regulation loss this season in 24 games played, a 7-1 loss at home to the Trojans. 

“It gets us into the playoff atmosphere right away here, these are two big tests and we know that down the road we are going to see at least one of them in the playoffs,” said assistant captain Travis Bradshaw.

Sam Mitchell and Vinny Muchalla battle for the face-off. Curtis Taylor photo
The Trojans have done well to keep pace in the standings, as they have battled injuries all season. 

After missing two months with a shoulder injury, Garret Watson has suffered another setback with a knee injury and will miss the remainder of the season, joining forwards Robert Nocera and Craig Eisenhut on the long term injury list.

“Even with the injuries, we still have a great team.  A lot of teams are counting us out already and I think that is a mistake,” said first year forward and Wolseley, Saskatchewan native Nolan Souchotte.

The team has missed a total of 44 man games to injury so far, which is the most during Ken Babey’s 25 years at SAIT.

“We’ve been having to patch some holes, I’m not using it as an excuse but it’s a reality, and I think it has led to some of our inconsistent play,” said Babey.

The Trojans currently lead the league in penalty minutes with 881, and while Babey admits his team needs to be more disciplined, the physical edge they bring every night will be key to their success in the playoffs.

“We like to play a physical style, and we can do that without taking lazy stick penalties like hooking and tripping,” said Babey.

The Trojans did not look very sharp in their past two games, going winless against Concordia.  Babey thinks his team may have taken their previous opponent too lightly, but with the playoffs right around the corner the team should have no trouble getting motivated for their remaining games.

“We are kind of seen as an underdog now, which we are totally fine with,” said Bradshaw. “We feel confident playing against any team, and we are going to give it everything we have in the playoffs.”

Curtis Billsten Feature


Curtis Taylor
Polytechnic Press

SAIT Trojans fans will notice a few new faces on the team this semester.  Wearing number 15 for the team, Curtis Billsten, was sought after by Ken Babey in previous years and the Trojans coach is excited to throw him into the mix.

“He’s a proven player who’s experienced, and he gives us some much needed depth,” said head coach Ken Babey.

Billsten grew up in Saint Albert, just ten minutes northwest of the city of Edmonton. 

He was introduced to hockey at the young age of four, and has been hooked ever since.

In cold Saint Albert winters Billsten was out on the pond, playing hockey every day with his older brother.  When summer came along and the city thawed out, the hockey games shifted from the pond to the street.

“Like every other typical Canadian hockey players, me and my brother played basically every day,” said Billsten. “From that and through my parents I grew a love for the game.”

Fast forward to today, at 25 years old Billsten has already built up quite the resume.

After excelling in junior hockey, Billsten was drafted into the WHL by the Red Deer Rebels. 

Going into his first WHL training camp, Billsten surprised a lot of people including current Calgary Flames coach Brent Sutter, who was then the bench boss for the Rebels.

“He was a very physically demanding coach who throws a lot on your shoulders,” he said. “But it was definitely a huge learning step in my career.”

Billsten and the Trojans celebrate a late season victory over the Mount Royal Cougars.   Curtis Taylor Photo
Billsten made the team as a 16 year old, playing alongside current NHL stars Dion Phaneuf and goaltender Cam Ward.

The WHL took it’s toll on Billsten, and after playing half a season he decided to go play Junior A for the Calgary Royals to work on both the physical and mental aspects of his game.

“It’s a grind, you get into that pro hockey style of life and you realize that life changes pretty quick when it becomes a job and somewhat of a career at that age.”

The following summer Billsten got picked up in the expansion draft by the Everett Silvertips, where he would play for another former NHL coach in Kevin Constantine.
Though Billsten enjoyed playing for a class organization in Red Deer, he felt he had an overall better experience playing for the Silvertips.

“Playing for a first year team in a brand new building, the fans were absolutely nuts.  We sold out even the majority of our season games,” he said.

That year Everett made it to the WHL finals, a rare feat for an expansion team.  The people of Everett embraced Billsten and his teammates and they became instant stars in the town just 45 minutes north of Seattle.

“The way (the fans) treated us, hockey was so new and fresh to them they thought of us as their pro team, and the city really built up behind us.”

After his WHL career was over, Billsten attended training camp for the Ottawa Senators.  Though he felt he did well at camp, Billsten wanted more security in his career and decided to accept a hockey scholarship to the University of British Columbia.

Billsten surprised himself with his dominant play in the CIS, and his dream of playing professional hockey had not yet faded.

“I couldn’t see myself getting an arts degree at UBC and throwing my hockey career away at such a young age.”

Billsten left UBC and bounced around playing for professional teams in Victoria, B.C,, Laredo, Texas, and even Germany before deciding to attend SAIT to enroll in the carpentry program and play for the Trojans.

Billsten has made an instant impact for the Trojans with two goals and an assist in his first two games, and his hockey experience provides instant leadership off the ice with this young Trojans squad.

“When a guy like that comes in, if he has something to say you listen to him,” said first year Trojan and Wolseley, Saskatchewan native Nolan Souchotte

“He’s great in the dressing room, and he’s a hard worker.  He brings a lot of experience to the lineup.”

Heading into the second half of the season, the Trojans are looking up at NAIT and Mount Royal in the standings. 

With Garret Watson back from injury, he and Billsten will bring a physical presence to a team in search of their fifth ACAC championship in six seasons.