The University of Calgary men’s hockeysaurs headed to Saskatchewan for the Huskie Hockey Classic, a six team, two day tournament held at Saskatoon’s Jemini Arenas Sep. 21-22.
The Dinos, Manitoba Bisons, Regina Cougars, Saskatchewan Huskies, Alberta Golden Bears and SAIT Trojans all competed in the tournament. The match-up was yet another indication of the improvement this team has achieved over the summer, with the hockeysaurs shutting out the University of Regina Cougars 2-0 on opening night. Net-minder Scott Talbot showed no signs of off-season rust with his first shutout of the pre-season. Center Barry Horman, who had two goals during the Dinos’ previous pre-season game against the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, added another point to his pre-season tally with a goal in Friday’s game.
“It’s nice to be able to start the season healthy,” explained Horman. “Last year I was recovering from my shoulder surgery and I wasn’t able to start until November, so this season I’ll hopefully have more opportunities to produce on the offensive end.”
The Dinos continued their strong play on Saturday night, wolloping the University of Manitoba Bisons with a final score of 8-3. Forward Ryan Annesley, who has returned for his fifth season with the team and his first as captain, poured in three goals en route to a five-point tournament appearance. Annesley led the team in scoring last season with 38 points and will be counted on to find the back of the net on a consistent basis. Right-wing Torrie Wheat also made his return to the ice a memorable one, scoring his first goal since Jan. 20 against the Cougs. Drew Campbell, Trevor Galan and Brett O’Malley also scored for the Dinos.
“Ryan is one of the premier players in our league,” said Horman. “[He is] one of the most skilled offensive guys on the team and we look to him to set an example, he’s a great leader and he, along with other former captains, is providing great leadership for all the guys on this year’s team.”