Talent

Okay, so the ladies didn't have anyone in the top 15 for points. Sure, both of their goaltenders had goals against averages above 4.00--the two worst averages in the ACAC for goalies that played in more than 30 per cent of games. But who said scoring points and stopping goals defined talent? No? Tough crowd?

Effort

Talent

The talent was there despite being one of the youngest teams in Canadian Interuniversity Sport. Three players--Travis Friedley, Andre Blanchette and Jarret Lukin--were selected for the Canada West All-Freshman Team, giving the Dinos the most representation out of all universities. Friedley and Lukin were also named to the CIS All-Freshman Team and will play a vital role for years to come.

Effort

Despite not winning a title during their time on the Dinos men's hockey team, this year's graduating players have all enjoyed their stay. Travis George, Mike Lencucha, Wes Reid and Lonny Tetley will take their experience with them while they start their post-Dinos life.

"I had a lot of fun here and made some real good friends," said George, a fifth-year social sciences student. "I managed to accumulate some pretty good stories in my time."

When Canadian Interuniversity Sport released their men's hockey all-star team rosters Wed., Mar. 22, it was disappointing to see a lack of Dinos names gracing the first- and second-team lists. However, Jarret Lukin and Travis Friedley were both named to the all-rookie team.

In the Canada West mountain division finals Mar. 3-4, the Dinos men's hockey team clashed with the hockey powerhouse up in Edmonton, the University of Alberta Golden Bears. The Bears finished their season with a 21-5-2 record, clearly separating themselves from the rest of the pack. While the Dinos went the distance with the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in the semi-finals, the Bears had the week off, advancing directly to the finals.

The Dinos men's hockey team took on the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in the first round of Canada West playoffs Feb. 24-26 for the third time in as many seasons. The series record between the two teams prior to this year was 5-1, with the Dinos winning all five series played in Calgary. In this regular season, the T-Birds finished only two points behind the Dinos, with each team winning two of the four contests played.

The Dinos women's hockey team went into the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference quarter-finals as the underdog Feb. 16-17. With a 2-18 record they were up against the SAIT Trojans, who went 13-5-1-1 in the season. With some last-minute changes, head coach Dean Holden was trying to shake things up a little, hoping to find some new team dynamic. But what the Dinos really needed were the talents and size of Robyn Chapman and injured player Jen Cabana who were both unable to play.

Yes, another battle of Alberta--a term used precisely 302,291,204 times a year. It probably contains more action and generates more discussions than a Paris Hilton sex tape.

Okay, maybe not. But the Dinos men's hockey team clinching home-ice advantage for the first round of Canada West playoffs in their last home game of the regular season isn't bad entertainment either. The Dinos completed the mission in front of more than 400 fans against the top-ranked University of Alberta Golden Bears.

The weekend the Dinos women's hockey team has been preparing for all season has finally arrived. The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference quarter-finals begun Thu., Feb. 16, with the Dinos up against the third ranked SAIT Trojans. After playing some of their best games in record weeks, the Dinos have the potential to peak at just the right time and have a surprising playoff run.

As the XX Winter Olympic Games kicked off, CBC drew more than 2.85 million viewers for their broadcasts. Still, close to 400 fans managed to show up at Father David Bauer Arena for the Dinos men's hockey games Feb. 10-11. These fans were treated to two overtime thrillers that ended quite differently.

At the end of the day, not only did the Dinos fail to gain any ground in the standings against the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, but the games left them dissatisfied and with a less than happy coach.