Sea Dogs and Screaming Eagles Cruise Past Mooseheads

Charles Bety played a solid game in defeat for the Moose
Photo Credit: Richard Lafortune

Missed chances and lack of discipline cost the Moose vs. Saint John
For three periods last night the Halifax Moosehead battled not just the Saint John Sea Dogs but the men in the black and white stripes, as the Herd kept the game close through two but were blown out in the third in a 6 – 2 loss.
In a game that was reminiscent of hockey movie Slapshot , the Mooseheads held it close for the first period, but Sea Dog Aiden Kelly scored with under 20 seconds left in the game to take a lead into the second. It was a relief to be down just one goal as the Moose killed off four penalties in the first.
Garret Clarke was his usual truculent self and was running around the ice throwing his body into anything that moved, he eventually got run over himself but Alex Lemieux jumped in and dropped the gloves with Christian Morin.
The league leading Sea Dogs held no punches as they chased Clarke around the ice all night, twice taking liberties with him after the whistle, but much to the chagrin of the Mooseheads bench the penalties kept being called against Halifax.
Early in the second period Charles Bety pulled one back and tied the game at one a piece. However, on their seventh powerplay opportunity of the game the Sea Dogs took the lead again at 11:04.
Halifax came out hard and fast in the third period and the hard work paid off almost immediately. Captain Tomas Knotek scored a highlight reel one timer from Gabriel Desjardins just a minute and a half into the period.
That was as close as the Moose would come as the Sea Dogs answered back seconds later and scored three unanswered goals on the way to goalie Marco Cousineau’s 10th win in a row.
With the score out of reach, the game started getting even more rough and the referees had a tough time keeping control of the players.
At the end of the game, the number one team in Canada showed a lack of a class, as the Sea Dogs players taunted Halifax fans as they skated off the ice.

Three Stars
3rd Star – Charles Bety – Picked up a goal and skated hard all night
2nd Star – Mike Hoffman – Had a goal and an assist
1st Star – Zack Phillips – Scored the game winner and picked up two assists


Halifax blows three goal lead; throws away win vs. Cape Breton
The Halifax Mooseheads had a three goal lead early in the second period but couldn’t hold on to it, dropping Friday night’s contest 6 – 4 to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.
A lack of discipline played a large part in the Mooseheads demise and ruined another solid outing by goalie Mathieu Corbeil.
Halifax broke out to a three goal lead with goals from Travis Randall, Gerrad Grant and Bradley MacDonald. But midway through the period the wheels fell off as first Viktor Hertzberg scored shorthanded and then Ashton Bernard pulled even less than two minutes later.
Penalty trouble caused the tying goal as Linden Bahm sat in the box when Canadian World Junior star Luke Adam scored his 41st goal of the season on the powerplay.
With momentum clearly turned in favour of the Screaming Eagles, Mathieu Brodeur scored early and it looked like the Mooseheads had packed it in and given up. However, Grant picked up his second of the night midway through the third period.
Discpline had been the issue for the Mooseheads of recent weeks and Garrett Clarke was once again the focus of the problems as he took a kneeing penalty which resulted in a major penalty and a game misconduct for the under-fire rookie defencemen.
On the powerplay Cape Breton took no chances as they took the lead once again, before Jacob Lagacé added his 33rd of the year to put the game out of reach with just fifteen seconds left.
Announced attendance was just 4,233.
The Mooseheads will have a chance for retribution as they return home to face the same team Sunday afternoon in Moose Country. Game time at the Metro Centre is 2:00.

Three Stars
3rd – Mathieu Brodeur – Had a goal and an assist for the hosts
2nd – Tomas Knotek – The one bright spot for the Mooseheads, picking up three assists in the losing effort
1st – Nick MacNeil – The Screaming Eagles captain led by example adding a goal and two assists, finishing a +3

Halifax Sneaks Past Rockets

Moose blow two leads but steal a win in a shootout
After blowing a one goal lead and a two goal lead late in the third the Halifax Mooseheads had no business taking the PEI Rockets to a shootout last night.
With the game on the line in the shootout, Gabriel Desjardins dangled and picked up the Mooseheads second win in a row. Peter Delmas stood tall throughout and stopped all four Rocket shooters to backstop the team to his fifth win out of nine starts since joining the team at the trade deadline.
The Mooseheads started off the right way, fresh off of a win over Cape Breton Saturday night, when top draft pick Brent Andrews hit the back of the net. Like most of this season the young Mooseheads blew a lead and it was tied 1 – 1 heading into the second period.
Sawyer Hannay tried to get the team pumped up early in the second period but instead lost his second fight in as many games. The Moose tough guy hasn`t had much luck dropping the gloves since picking up the slack left by the departure of Spencer Metcalfe back in January.
Linden Bahm proved an unlikely hero putting the Mooseheads up 3 – 1 heading into the third period.
Once again the Mooseheads couldn`t hold on and in just twenty seconds, after two dreadful defensive plays the Rockets levelled it at three a piece heading into the third period.
Rookie defencemen Garrett Clarke found himself the odd one out as he was a healthy scratch, after also being benched for part of Saturday night`s game. Clarke`s undisciplined play has hurt the Mooseheads of late and hopefully this will help encourage the young player to stay out of the penalty box.
Announced attendance was just 4,559.
Captain Tomas Knotek also continued his strong play with two goals, but the big story was that of Gabriel Desjardins, who scored the shootout winner. The young, speedy winger had been under a lot of pressure the first half of the season and unable to find his scoring touch, but has been on fire the second half of the season and is finally showing the skills that grabbed him the rookie of the year award last season.
Three Stars
3rd – Konrad Abeltshauser – Not sure how the big German defencemen made it into the three stars, he was a minus one on the night.
2nd - Jordan Escott – Picked up two goals for the Rockets.
1st – Tomas Knotek – The Moosehead captain continued his strong play of late and had two goals in the game.

Mooseheads Weekend Recap

Thomas Knotek Led the Moose to an Upset Win Over Cape Breton

(Photo Credit: Richard Lafortune)
Sea Dogs Edge Mooseheads
Halifax waste chances:drop game to Saint John
Heading into Friday night’s matchup with the Saint John Sea Dogs, no one in Moose Country expected the Halifax Mooseheads to walk away with a win.
The Moose managed to take the Sea Dogs to a shootout but it was business as usual for the number one team in the country as they left with the two points and win number 43 on the season.
The Moose had every chance to take the win but undisciplined play down the stretch and missed chances cost them a big upset in a season that has had so very few highlights.
Rookie Garrett Clarke took some abuse from fans as he picked up a number of minor penalties and was in the box when Michael Kirkpatrick scored to tie the game with just 42.5 seconds left in the game.
Delmas made a few key saves in overtime, as he stopped 31 of 35 shots faced, but had no help in the shootout as both Gerrad Grant and Carl Gelinas missed the net on their attempts.
Announced attendance was 5,676.
The Mooseheads face another tough opponent tomorrow night when provincial rivals Cape Breton are in town.
*Three Star information not made available post-game

Gabriel Desjardins scored a highlight goal to lead the Moose
(Photo credit:Richard Lafortune)

Mooseheads upset Cape Breton
Delmas shines as Moose knock off provincial rivals
After a tough loss the night before, the Herd came out with a purpose Saturday night and showed glimpses of the bright future ahead in Moose Country.
On the back of another strong outing from veteran goalie Peter Delmas, the young Moosehead squad beat the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 3 – 2 in front of a rambunctious crowd of 7,202 at the Metro Centre.
Captain Tomas Knotek had one of his best performances of the season as he flashed along the ice all night and looked dangerous on every shift. He opened the scoring in the first period to give the Moose the lead and made a highlight reel play to assist Gerrad Grant’s 19th goal of the season to make it 2 – 1.
Gabriel Desjardins had another strong night and put the Moose up 3-1 early in the third but with just under ten minutes to go Cape Breton scored to put the pressure on. Knotek had a chance to close out the game as he broke in short handed and tried a nifty between the legs shot and was able to beat the goalie but not the post.
Delmas then stole the show down the stretch as he shut the door on a number of scoring chances, finishing the game with 27 saves.
Garrett Clarke rebounded from a number of mistake riddled games to have a solid night and also dropped the gloves, showing the toughness that defined his game earlier on in the season.
Both Bradley MacDonald and Andrew Wigginton were healthy scratches on the evening.
Picking up three out of four points against two of the top teams in the league will make the team happy and give them a boost as they head down the stretch and fight to catch one of the final playoff spots.
Three Stars
3rd – Luke Adam – The team Canada forward showed why he’s so highly touted scoring a big goal for the Screaming Eagles
2nd – Gabriel Desjardins – The speedy winger continues to improve his play and scored another pretty goal
1st – Tomas Knotek – The Moosehead Captain played his best game of the season and finished with a goal and an assist

The Mooseheads are back in action midweek as they face the PEI Rockets Wednesday night at the Metro Centre

AUS Hockey Takes Center Stage in Halifax

2009 MVP Marc Rancourt hopes to lead Huskies to CIS National Championships

Photo Credit: Richard Lafortune

Rebuilding Tigers, Nationally Ranked Huskies, Mike Danton Have Made University Scene Fun Again

Over the years in Halifax, AUS hockey has taken a back seat in media attention and local support to basketball and Saint Mary’s Huskies football.

Despite being arguably the best conference in the country over the past decade, the league has not enjoyed the same following as the perennial powerhouse SMU football team, and university basketball bolstered by the AUS and/or CIS championships held each year at the Metro Centre.

Not this varsity season.

The AUS football season was “ho hum” to say the least, with the Huskies being the best of a bad lot that eventually got thumped by Calgary in a Uteck Bowl that failed miserably to live up to expectations.

The balance of power in AUS basketball has shifted decisively to the North with Saint Francis Xavier and Cape Breton being heads and tails above the rest of the conference. Add in the absence of championship basketball in March at the Metro Centre for the first time in decades, and the hoops hotbed that is Halifax is eerily quiet this season.

The AUS hockey conference picked the perfect time to have one of their more interesting seasons in years.

First, the SMU Huskies have been the sleeping giant of the AUS and everybody is waiting for them to start looking like a national contender.

Despite having played painfully mediocre with outstanding talent at all positions, the Huskies have been ranked in the top 10 all season. The Huskies seem to be on cruise control and waiting for the playoffs to start before turning on the jets.

The team is stacked with 2009 AUS MVP, Marc Rancourt (33 points), and high scorers, Cam Fergus (37), Cody Thornton (29), and Andrew Hotham (35). Throw in size with 6’7” Justin Wallingford, three players at 6’3”, and defenceman David Macdonald (28 points), and the Huskies are built for a championship run.

The addition of former NHL player and convicted felon, Mike Danton, has brought national attention to the Huskies and a great deal of interest from Haligonians. Danton’s first game at the Forum drew a crowd of 3700, many of whom couldn’t get into the game until the second period. They gave Danton a standing ovation when he scored the only Huskies goal in the third period of a 4-1 loss to the Acadia Axemen.

Speaking of Acadia, assuming the Huskies and Axemen meet in an AUS semi final as third and second seeds respectively, the teams could battle in the most interesting semi finals in years. An underachieving but lethally dangerous Huskies team, versus the overachieving, nationally ranked Axemen. Outside of UNB, Acadia has been the most consistent team in the conference and is gaining more and more respect each week across the country.

The winner would have to face the undefeated Varsity Reds in the AUS final but would secure a spot at CIS nationals.

Then there’s those feisty Dalhousie Tigers. Watching the Tigers is akin to watching someone run in mud. Despite a barrage of mistakes and goofs every single game, Dalhousie has been remarkably tough at the Dalhousie Memorial Arena and currently are 3 points up on the last playoff spot. It would be the Tiger’s first playoff appearance in over 5 years.

The Tigers have been blown out by the Huskies all season long, but tempers have flared between the two teams on a few occasions. The coaches, Trevor Steinberg of SMU and Pete Belliveau of Dal, went face to face after the game in a heated argument that spilled out to the locker rooms of the DMA. Belliveau was not happy about Steinberg using his #1 power play line while leading 6-1 late in the third period.

Benjamin Breault has been an offensive catalyst for Dalhousie (Photo: Richard Lafortune)

Although the Tigers shoot themselves in the foot constantly during the course of a game, they play hard and have pulled out a number of gutsy wins over Saint Francis Xavier and had a huge upset win vs. Acadia on a thrilling third period comeback.

The Tigers have also received a lot of attention with the recruitment of Bobby Nadeau, the former QMJHL goaltender who was involved in the Jonathon Roy fight from several seasons ago that received national coverage.

Nadeau and Josh Disher have been solid in next for a Tigers team that is out shot badly nearly every game.

Dalhousie also added their first stud recruit in the form of Benjamin Breault, a former draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres. Breault has been with the team since the New Year and is averaging just over a point a game while bringing some much needed excitement to a team that was desperate for a playmaker.

If the Tigers hold on to the last playoff spot, and it should be fun watching them try (the team barely showed up for a critical home game vs. Moncton this past weekend), Dalhousie would play SMU in an opening round playoff series that would be very interesting to watch.

Can the Tigers beat the Huskies?

No. But it would be the first step to restoring a rivalry that has been sorely missed in the Halifax hockey scene the past 6 years.

So fear not local AUS enthusiast, even though the Uteck Bowl was a bummer, and we have no championship basketball at the Metro centre, AUS hockey is here to save the day. An already exciting season should really heat up as we head towards spring.

Moose Weekend Recap

Former Halifax Lion Andrew Wigginton has been a bright spot on weekend road trip.
Photo Credit: Richard Lafortune

Moose can’t keep up with high-flying Remparts
After an offensive surge against Lewiston the Mooseheads came out flat against the Quebec Remparts and dropped a 3 – 1 decision.
Peter Delmas played exceptionally well but the offence dried up and his 27 save performance just wasn’t enough to steal a win.
In front of a home crowd of 13,712 the Remparts started fast and controlled the puck from the first whistle. The Moose held the game close but Mikhail Stefanovich found a way through Delmas at the nine minute mark of the first period.
The Mooseheads struggled for the rest of the game as they found themselves in the penalty box for much of the second and third periods. Unfortunately, the man advantage didn’t seem the herd as they gave up a shorthanded goal early when Mathew Brown scored after making a nifty move to break free.
Early in the third period Brent Andrews gave the Moose hope, scoring at the end of a powerplay, but the Mooseheads failed to pick up the momentum and the Remparts had no problem closing out the game, eventually adding another goal to finish the herd.
The loss is a tough one for the young Mooseheads, just a game after picking up valuable points in the playoff race, and will remind them that there are no easy games.
Three Stars
3rd Star – Danick (QUE) up two assists and finished with a plus/minus of +2
2nd Star – Martin Lefebvre (QUE) – Played an impressive defensive game but no points on 5 shots
1st Star – Mathew Brown (QUE) – Scored a shorthanded goal and added an assist

Cataractes Scrape by Mooseheads
A night after dropping valuable points to the Quebec Remparts, the Moose came out and dropped some more.
Mathieu Corbeil got the start and the Mooseheads looked just as flat just one night later. With 10,000 less fans watching, it seemed at times that the Moose were content to clear the puck and sit back, although they didn’t lead once all night.
Shawinigan got the scoring with five minutes remaining in the first and never looked back. The herd looked sloppy as the second period started and it cost them when Dave Labrecque scored his 18th of the season just 22-seconds in.
The goal gave the Moose a spark as Andrew Wigginton picked up the puck shorthanded and showed the speed that has impressed fans since being called up midway through the season. The excitement was short lived as Shawinigan answered back two minutes later with a goal from Phillipe Paradis.
In truth, the Mooseheads never looked like competing and had yet another disappointing performance in a season that is starting to drag on for fans and players alike.
Underperforming overage player Linden Bahm added the Moose’ other goal.
Announced attendance was 3,320.
One bright spot was the play of Andrew Wigginton, who along with picking up his second goal of his young career, managed to be one o the Mooseheads best players all night.
Three Stars
3rd – Dave Labrecque (SHA) – The center had a goal and an assist
2nd – Jean-Philippe Foucher (SHA) – Picked up just one assist on the night
1st –Philippe Paradis (SHA) – The winger looked dangerous all night having one goal and an assist
The Mooseheads now have almost a full week off as they head home and prepare to face Saint John on Friday and then Cape Breton Saturday.

Henry Whitfield is an avid hockey enthusiast who covers all angles of the
Halifax Mooseheads. Follow him on Twitter @HenryWhitfield for live game
updates."

Lions Lose High Scoring Affair to Summerside

Photo Credit: Michael Fines

Capitals Score 6 Unanswered Goals, Pull Away on Halifax

For the second time in two months the Summerside Western Capitals walked into the forum and laid a beating on the Halifax Lions.

The Capitals scored 6 unanswered goals after falling behind 4-3 early in the second period to pull away from the Lions and cruise to a 10-6 victory last night in MJAHL action at the Forum.
Summerside led 9-4 well into the late stages of the third period before the teams exchanged goals in the closing minutes.

The Lions began the game with a frenzy as Brendan Taylor and Justin Belanger scored in the opening few minutes as it appeared Halifax was going to build on their 3-2 victory over the Capitals last week in Summerside.

But Chad Earle, Nathan DesRoches, and Neil Sherrion scored in the middle stages of the opening frame to give the Capitals the lead. Kyle Dilosa scored on the power play for the Lions near the end of the period to tie the game after one.

Blake Hayes scored for the Lions on a delayed penalty to start the middle session, but the Capitals would score six straight through the second and third periods to slowly build an insurmountable lead over a sluggish looking group of Lions that appeared disinterested and dejected at times.

Heavily used goaltender Kody Bloise had his worst start of the year and was replaced in the third period by Ben Clarke. Brendan Taylor had 1 goal and 3 assists and Robbie Veriker added 3 assists for the Lions.

Earle, DesRoches, Will Johston, Cole McMillan, and Lance Pridham each scored 3 points for the visiting Capitals. Summerside improves to 19-16-2 with the victory.

Halifax drops to 16-17-5, good for 4th place in the Bent Division.

Things get harder for the Lions as they now travel to Woodstock to play a Slammers team that has only lost 1 game in regulation this season. The puck drops at 7:30 and the game can be seen on fasthockey.com.

Notes
The Lions have played the juggernaut Woodstock Slammers very tough at the Forum this season, losing 1 game in overtime, and another 5-3…….The Lions have created some separation from Amherst and Yarmouth in the bottom tier of the Division. Halifax is 3 points ahead of Amherst and up 5 on Yarmouth. The Lions also have 3 games in hand on the Ramblers…..Summerside outscored the Lions 20-8 in their two visits to the Forum this season……Halifax is nearly at the end of a brutal stretch in the schedule that will have them playing their 13th game in 22 days tomorrow night in Woodstock……Kyle Dilosa did not see any ice time for the Lions in the third period. Dilosa had been reunited with Brendan Taylor in the first 2 periods…….Taylor now has 34 points in 21 games…….the Lions held an extremely successful fundraising auction last night. Word is the event brought in $15,000!

Mooseheads Find A Way To Win

Delmas steals a victory from former team

After a tough shootout loss to the PEI Rockets, the Halifax Mooseheads headed south of the border and managed to pull off a vital shootout win over the Lewiston MAINEiacs.

With former MAINEiacs Garrett Clarke and Peter Delmas returning as key players in the Moose line-up, it was only fitting that the two would play a large role in the win.
Clarke had one of his best games of the season picking up a timely goal and two assists but also showing a physical edge the Moose have been missing of late. Although Delmas let in five goals, he turned away 24 shots and stole the win in the shootout. This was his third win in five starts for the Moose.

The Mooseheads managed to get 41 shots on net and should have put the game away early, but a few weak defensive play saw the MAINEiacs score with just 2-seconds left to take the game to overtime.

The win also saw the Mooseheads older players finally picking up the slack as the trio of Gerrad Grant, Tomas Knotek and Travis Randall had six points between them. In the shootout it was again Knotek and Grant who found a way to put the puck in the net and pick up the points for the Moose.

Another positive change was the Mooseheads ability to convert with the man advantage as they managed to score on three of five opportunities.

Announced attendance was just 1,294.

The Mooseheads continue on the road as they head to Quebec to take on the Quebec Remparts which will be Peter Delmas’ first game since he was traded at the deadline to the Moose.

Three Stars

3rd – Pierre-Olivier Morin (LEW) – Had a goal and an assist, finishing with a plus/minus of +3
2nd – Garrett Clarke (HAL) – Clarke had the last laugh as he picked up a goal and two assists,
1st –Matthew Bissonnette (LEW) – Picked up three assists for the hosts but was stopped as the last shooter

The Moose face Quebec Remparts on Friday and finish their three game road trip with a tilt against the Shawinigan Cataractes on Saturday.

Henry Whitfield is an avid hockey enthusiast who covers all angles of the
Halifax Mooseheads. Follow him on Twitter @HenryWhitfield for live game
updates.

Halifax's Mr. Baseball

A Haligonian's Experiences of Playing Baseball in Korea:Excerpts from the blog of Steve Betts

Edited by Bill McLean

"Since Thursday night about a month and a half ago, I have been the first foreigner in Jeju history to play baseball. That means I have been the first to do many things. I am first to play on that field, first to get a hit, first to get an out, first to hit a homerun, a triple blah blah blah. I had to mention those last two hits. Actually I have two HR and two triples but whatever…I am liking the idea of all that too as it sure is something I can tell my friends and kids about when I get older.The Jeju Dragons is a team of real nice guys that have been operating for ten years this summer. They are very similar to our rec hockey teams back home as they have leaders and guys that do most of the work and keep the things running. They are relatively the same age (mid 30’s so I fit in) and are typical Koreans. What that means is they work and drink and play hard. I fit right in. The team is a serious club. Uniforms are tailored and you have to have a uniform to play. I am having problems right now as I don’t have cleats but cross trainers and they won’t let me play without an argument. The field is astro turf and my shoes are fine for it but it’s the way they do things here and I can’t argue with it. There are lot of things I don’t agree with but my job isn’t to argue about tradition it’s to hit bombs and catch balls. I am doing that so far and loving it."

".......The leagues they play are tiered. Meaning that they have short seasons and then you are placed in a higher or lower league according to your performance. It’s much the same as football in the U.K.. There is much to tell about the differences in the game, the team atmosphere and the culture. I have had nothing but good experiences other than the shoe issue but it’s early and Koreans are good at changing things in a hurry. I sound negative but it’s more cautious than anything."

"........One game I actually had an umpire apologize several times for calling a bad strike. I was put in a hole when he called two strikes that were obviously low as even my team was yelling from the bench. They don’t yell at umpires here. Umpires are given respect and there is no arguing whatsoever with an umpire. Before each at bat or at least on the first at bat for each batter, the batter bows to the catcher and the umpire without his helmet on. Back to the umpires apologizing. He calls these strikes and he knew they were very low so when I was running back onto the field he yells at me real loud so everyone could hear him and he calls me over. He apologizes vehemently about calling such bad strikes on me. He apologized a lot and he made sure everyone knew he was apologizing to me. An inning later I am on second and he apologizes again like he stole my soul. I mean I have heard of umps apologizing but he went out his way to make sure I wasn’t mad at him or was having a bad time because of him. That is what most Koreans are like. If they know they are upsetting you they will correct it as much as they can. I am not sure if that goes for Koreans to Koreans but as a foreigner, it happens."

"......The first few times at the field were not good experiences. I was not allowed to play the first time I was suppose to as I didn’t have cleats nor a uniform. Both items are required to play in this league. I have cross trainers but they are no good enough for some reason. Its astro turf for crying out loud! As far as a uni goes, for this game I was able to play without one but when they saw my shoes they wouldn’t let me play. So I sat my first day of ball. Not a good feeling."

".......Game two as better because I started it off with a bang. I was playing another exhibition game and it was with some players from other teams and our Dragon team. It was more or less a ‘live’ game. I was hitting third ( I think) and was expected to hit something hard or else the giant white guy wasn’t doing his job. The coach comes to me before every at bat, looks at me with a serious look and says “Steben, homerun” and points at me like a probation officer would to his parolee. I just nod and think to myself…wow! No pressure. Hit a homerun every time. No pressure. Yea right."

".......I was playing first again and it was a hot day at the field and at first. The players we have are very high and low skilled and so getting a throw at first can be an adventure to say the least. I am tall and semi-mobile so getting balls is easy enough but when it’s coming off turf it’s a bit of a trick. I got the hang of that soon enough but wasn’t expecting so many high throws, so many low throws and so many wild throws. I liked the action but we sure need some infield practice. I could see the heat wave coming off the field as the ball approached it was so hot out! Water was the drink of the day. I could see them laugh when I would catch something high that the normal first baseman cant and I know they are saying to one another "just throw it over there somewhere and he will catch it, he is such a big friggin monkey, he can catch anything", then they point and laugh. I get it and like it because they know they can trust me to try for anything they can dish out."

".......This is a very serious league and team. They don’t play that much but when they do the seriousness of it all is evident in the mandatory uniforms, the five umpires on the field for games, the full scoreboard and not to mention playing at a 12,000 seat stadium. It is serious!
I had a great day at the plate but the only hit that meant anything to them was the homerun. I hit a hanging curveball over the wall in right and I was greeted at home with the boys beating me over the head with their hands and some high fives as well. I was now a teammate and a big slugger to boot. I think from my coach’s looks and finger wagging I am suppose to do that every time at the plate."

".....This night was full of new experiences. I had a good day with the baseball and getting to know these guys. There was lots of time spent with them so I had no choice but to get to know them somehow someway. I can’t speak Korean remember and on the other side of the coin there are two guys that speak very little English. I assume we speak as much of each other’s language about the same. I think I might know slightly more than one guy but a little less than the other. It’s a huge deal as little things can be hard to discuss. Think about that for a second and remember I spend at least three hours or more with these guys during a game. It’s hard."

".....After the game we were all going to a local restaurant which is owned by a friend of the team manager. It was close by and so easy to get to from the park. It was a hot day and a long one, so a few beers never hurt anyone right? Famous last words."

".......I was seated next to Kay, the one guy that can speak a little English. He is a great guy and very much a happy person. He is always smiling no matter the situation. He is a good pal for sure. When Kay and I got talking he tells me that I am very much a part of the team now and that the manager and coach are more than impressed with my skills. I said thanks and smiled and kept sipping my beer. As every minute passed I was being told by Kay that this player thought this and that player thought that and that they were happy to have me playing for them. I was told that other teams are jealous about me playing for the Dragons and that I will have to not go to another team if they approach me. I was shocked at all the attention but understood it as this is the highest form of baseball here and they never give up their dream of winning a championship. Back home hitting a homerun is expected out of me and not something to be hailed. I am not home though."

".......Kay proceeds to tell me more as the beer gets flowing. I was not permitted an empty glass and all the players around me were offering me beer and Soju (the local nasty-high-alcohol-content-face-squincher-eye-closer liquor) not even ten minutes into the night. Even the league president was there but in a Dragons capacity and he told Kay to tell me that he was happy to have myself and Conrad (the other foreigner) in the league. I can only account for what they said to me but I am sure they are happy to have Con too as he is a good ball player and adds some skill to the weak outfield. When the food came I was not to get my own food as the others around me put meat on my plate and made sure my side dishes were full at all times. I was being treated like a King! I wasn’t sure why so I got going on the questions and this is what I learned."

".....I am younger than some but for the most part I am older than my teammates. As a Korean custom, older people are held in high regard due to their age. I am 37 over here (it’s a long story) even though I am 35 in the Western World and so that makes me older than most teammates. Add the fact I am a good ball player (which does count as something) and I don’t have to do a thing for the whole night. I get beers poured for me, I get the best meat of the heat plate, I get Soju poured for me and really the only thing I need to do on my own is go to the bathroom. I was sitting quietly when ‘Manager’ came to me and introduced me to the Rookie. He is a 26 year old kid who isn’t that great a ball player but wants to be a part of the team no matter what. He won't play for a year at least before even given the chance to play and basically is everyone’s ‘gopher’ while he is around. I found this out this night as Manager told him to sit beside and told me that if I needed anything he would be there to get it for me. I had a pool-boy! The thing about being older is you are to take your higher rank and use it to give proper advice and experiences to your younger mates........You are not expected to treat them nice and basically you can treat them as you see fit and no one can say much as this is their culture. It isn’t abused a lot but it can be an issue in some circles. Now, as a Westerner I am not use to his type of attitude and I was being too nice to the Rookie and Manager was getting mad at me. He asked me if I liked him already and I said yes but he would give me a dirty look. I wasn’t sure why he was being that way so I asked and Kay told me why. I wasn’t surprised with the answer but nonetheless I was doing what I thought was right. I said to Manager that no matter his status and my status he is a teammate and we stick together and so I am obligated to treat him with respect. He didn’t agree with that as he is Korean but we at least agreed to disagree. Don’t worry Manager and I are good friends now and we don’t see eye to eye on some things but we are fine."

".....I was told there was a game on a Sunday but got a call Saturday morning at 8 AM telling me we played that afternoon versus a team from Seoul........I get to the field and it was a very busy. There were photographers and more people in the stands than a regular day. The other team was already hitting and taking infield and looked good. I found out later that some of them played pro and were a farm team of sorts for the Korean pro league. I was right about them probably being better than what we see here in Jeju and I was happy to see it. The stands had lots of kids in them and more semi-sober middle aged men then normal watching both teams get ready."

"......I was super tired but ready to roll and see what we were up against. In the end I had a good day at the plate and had a good day in the field. I was 2-3 in the game versus some good pitching. It was a young kid with a great Asian wind up and a great off speed pitch. I saw more than one of our players twist themselves into the ground. They were hitting our pitching so it was no surprise we took a whooping. They were beating our pitcher around like a rented mule. They had a four hitter that was my size and was hitting the hell out of the ball. There was a light mood and I was smiling head to toe and admiring this other team. I was actually playing baseball on a paradise island versus a team from Seoul! I almost forgot I was in the game a few times and found myself watching and not knowing what the count was and how many outs there were."

".....Baseball wise, the fun part was the other team. They had some sweet fielding middle infielders and some great hitters. Speed wise Koreans are not normally fast and this was true of this team. They basically made their way around the bases with singles and the odd double but nonetheless made their way. I don’t think they stole a base the whole day but seeing their hitting was good enough for me."

"........The day was a good one for sure. I was amazed at a few things. I saw some great baseball finally. I had witnessed some real clown shows in the games we have played. The errors are relentless sometimes and make for long games. This day, I saw some great baseball and it made me think of what a great experience it was. I was seeing something that I never ever dreamt I would see. I can look at it and say I am privileged and lucky to see this as it’s truly something of a surreal event for me. The two teams smiling and playing a game we all love to play made me forget I was in Korea. Made me forget I didn’t know how to say “good play” or “good hit”. We didn’t win the game but the game of baseball brought me a little closer to my teammates and more importantly Koreans. I saw no differences between skin, language and any other thing you can think that was and is different on every single day I play."

".......The second game was a bit different in a few ways. First of all, I didn’t know there was a second game. I was finishing the second game up, packing my glove my hat and cleats when Robert (named after my father by me) comes to me and says “Seteben, you ok, play again? More game”. I thought &^%$ I am tired and I didn’t want to go through another beating like they put on my team. This game was different for a second thing; it was an All-Star game! They asked myself and players from all sorts of teams to play in this game. I thought well that would be cool as the skill level on our team would be higher and maybe we would give them a run-for-their-money. The third thing that was different and was very exciting for the Koreans was that it was under the lights. They don’t play under the lights in Jeju and there were guys who had never ever saw or played a game under the lights. So this was by all accounts, a big deal game. So I said yes. Hangover and all."

"........I am glad I played. The guys we had on our team were the best and I knew it. I had seen these players on other teams and thought they were good. They chose the best but also they picked some senior players so as to give them a chance to play in this special game. Seniority goes a long way as you have read in previous blogs so this was no different. We had a solid 8 out of 9 guys on the field. The game went pretty much the way it was suppose to which was inning after inning neither team really pulled away. I was doing just fine at the plate and in the field so I was not concerned with that part of the game. I was concerned with the ‘not-so-good’ player coming into the game at second base. Sure enough, they hit about 4 balls in one inning by him and through him to take a big lead. It was not a big deal as it was a fun game but disappointing to most of us as we were giving them a good game. The score ended up being a bit lopsided but still a good game."

"......I was impressed with the way both teams handled this situation. I knew this guy was bad, the team knew this guy was bad, he knew he was bad but they played him anyway. He got balls hit at him and he didn’t want to have to field a single one. He laughed his way through it and so did the rest of us. I started to get slightly upset but then realized that no one around me was getting mad. Normally even in a ‘fun’ game in North America people get upset over these types of things. Not this group. Two teams were laughing about it and it was genuine. The second baseman was not mad or angry with his play so I calmed down and realized how wrong I was in reacting the way I started to react. Another lesson learned that it is just a game and not a life changing event that will have a major affect on life…it’s baseball."

"....In the end the two games I played were vastly different. The first game was an obvious attempt by an inferior team to try and score some runs. The second game was Jeju proving we had some good ball players (plus one whitey) who could stand up against the Seoul teams and give them a good game. This was a big deal for the league, the Island and the players. They were happy with the second result and that was very much discussed after the game. I was thanked for my play and congratulated by the other team for my hitting. Two players took the time to try and explain I was a concern for their team in both games. I was too big and strong for their pitching but also they found out I could hit strange pitches. I told them I could hit pitches like that because I was too anxious to hit and didn’t like to walk, they had a good laugh over that. Both teams left the park together and went to a big restaurant and finished the weekend with lots of soju and whisky and beer. I somehow shook some hands, had some chats and snuck away to my motorbike and drove home."

".....The playoff run was up next. The tourney was set and our team had about 2 practices to get ready. I went to coach and told him something that was not really accepted at first. I told him that there is a lot of pressure on the team to perform. We were missing some great players in the previous games but I was told they would be back for the playoffs. I told Coach to ease up a little on the players and let them relax and have fun. Koreans put a lot of pressure on one another and even more on themselves to perform. This was evident in everyday life with Koreans and that did not change for sports.

So we were up against some tough teams in the beginning rounds of our playoffs. Our losing those 3 or 4 games put us at the bottom of the teams and therefore had to play some good teams. Coach wanted to put lots of pressure on the players but to my amazement he called the team together and told them what I had told him a week ago. He told them to have fun, stay focused and relax. We were good but only when we were playing together and having fun! I was amazed as the Coach is the man on a team. What he says goes and to have him use my thoughts before the playoffs was a big deal for him and me. I smiled at him and patted him on the back without saying a word. Turns out the team listened to him and we made that our theme for the next 4 games. We rolled over the competition and even had the players who played so bad before, play real well and get some clutch hits. That was a great run into the finals which was against the best team bar non in this set of playoff games."

"...The Coach was brave in giving me credit for the `fun` theme. I am not taking any credit for that in my mind. I think what he did by saying my name in the team huddle was a big deal for him, a real manager’s move. He was humbled by it and I knew it. His players knew it. He didn’t give them a big speech; he didn’t give them a heart to heart. He smiled, said that I thought we needed to have fun and play hard and stay focused. He said we were good and we knew it and had to act like it. He made the team follow him and he made them believe. He just needed someone to remind him who we were and who he was. I think it worked."

Steve Betts is a regular guest on Haligonia Sports episodes and colour commentator for Dalhousie Tigers hockey on ssncanada.ca.

Commentary on Patrice Cormier

Article by Steve Betts

Sports and violence as a rule go hand in hand. It’s only that way because we allow it to be. We say things like "it’s a part of the game" or "well, things got heated and its hockey, it happens".

I want to make a couple points. One is that hockey is a game. We play because it’s fun to skate and shoot and it builds teamwork and camaraderie. We enjoy the competition and the challenge of winning but also feel good when we gave our all but lost.

From a man who has played hockey at high levels since he was 5 years old and as a man who encountered violence due to hits and fights, what Cormier did was dirty hockey. He suckered an unsuspecting opponent in a game that is supposed to be all those items I previously mentioned but which is unfortunately also a business. Business dictates rules and regulations in competitions such as hockey. These rules are made to make the game more attractive to the fan

so they spend money.

Patrice Cormier’s attitude and society’s hockey expectations have a lot to do with Cormier’s actions. Cormier is sitting on the ice and is thinking "I’m going to give the crowd something to cheer about, I’m going to get that guy back for what he did in the first period and I’m going to be cool and loved by my home town fans and teammates".

Ask any good hardnosed hockey player about those feelings and thoughts and I guarantee 9 out of 10 will admit having those thoughts. It’s the smart ones that don’t execute it on the ice and calm down. Cormier's actions are not a part of the game; they are selfish and dangerous and go against everything sport is suppose to be.

The people in power have got to understand this and stand up to simple schoolyard peer pressure and stop allowing it. If they allow it due to pressure then let is pressure them to change the rules to no tolerance and bring back the "for the love of the game" aspect and general respect.

What Cormier did was assault. Something beyond the rules, beyond respect and even beyond typical street fighting codes. Generally a street fight is one on one and is agreed upon by both parties; somewhat like fighting in hockey.

This type of violence is mildly more acceptable by some then the sneak attack that Cormier used. So that being said, if I was in a business meeting with several people, its big money involved, people around the business world are watching, I am trying to land a million dollar deal for my company, it gets heated because both sides want the best deal possible and it gets to the point where its personalities clashing and words are exchanged and I decide I want this deal so bad, I am so angry that I hit the opposition business man and knock him out; I lose my job, I’m going to jail or at best, paying a fine and paying some debt to society.

Sport is a game, something done for fun. It can be hard hitting, intense and exciting all within the rules. Assaults are not within the rules. But because this was done in a modern day game and in an atmosphere that it has been accepted for a 100 years, it makes it acceptable and what little attention it gets, is not enough to change it.

I am amazed that the powers in charge are that naive to right and wrong in this situation. These powers have children, have friends and have morals and I assume they know right from wrong. They know it’s wrong to allow it but do nothing about it. I believe these powers are gutless to say "NO, we won’t tolerate it in our arenas, in our society and you are banned from our league". Amazing.

I have been involved in violence before, either by choice or not by choice. I have seen the eyes glaring at me wanting to hurt me. Although I thought what that man was about to pursue was wrong, I at least honored his belief. I knew what he was doing was right in his eyes and wrong in mine but I also knew I had to defend myself if provoked.

For the most part, people know the difference between right and wrong. For those who do not, they should be and are punished for their actions. There is one person who should be punished for his actions and not based upon the rules of the game but the rules of society because what he did was beyond the rules of the simple game.

There is also a group that should be held accountable for their reaction to this. This group leading the way needs to step up and make people understand the difference between right and wrong, not only within their league but within our world. People of the world have to stop asking for violence. It’s an endless circle that is only endless because we allow it.

Steve Betts is a regular guest on Haligonia Sports episodes and colour commentator for Dalhousie Tigers hockey on ssncanada.ca.

University Weekend Roundup

Cam Fergus Scored 4 Goals to Lead Saint Mary's in a Rout Over Dalhousie
Photo Credit: Richard Lafortune

Sullivan and Tigers Rebound on the Rock
After a disappointing home stand last weekend that saw the 2009 AUS Champion Dalhousie Tigers men’s basketball team drop back to back games to Saint Francis Xavier and Cape Breton, John Campbell’s troops swept the rebuilding Memorial Seahawks in St. John’s to get back in the thick of the AUS playoff race.
Although it’s a virtual lock at this point that the X-Men and the Capers will finish 1-2 in the hotly contested conference and receive a first round bye at the championships in Sydney, the Tigers are battling the Saint Mary’s Huskies for third place.
The Huskies were swept at the Tower over the weekend by a high powered Capers team that appears to be getting more dangerous every week. Heading into the final month of the regular season the Huskies are only 2 points ahead of the Tigers in the standings. The teams have a home and home series in February with 8 points up for grabs.
In St.Johns, 5th year senior Andrew Sullivan had his first big weekend of the year in leading the Tigers to back to back wins. Sullivan averaged 18 ppg and hit 7 of 8 three point attempts to break out of a shooting slump that had dated back to November. Simon Farine added 20 points in Sunday’s finale. The Tigers won both games by 20 points.
The wins gave the Tigers a season sweep of the Seahawks. The Tigers will try to extend their winning streak with home games this weekend at the Dalplex vs. UPEI and UNB. Both games will be on ssncanada.ca and ckdu.ca, 88.1 FM in Halifax.

Surging Tigers Steal One at Memorial; Girdwood regains all star form.
Anna Stammburger’s resurgent Dalhousie women’s basketball team got a win in a gym that not many teams walk out of victorious.
Laurie Girdwood scored 18 points and added 10 rebounds for a double-double, leading the Tigers to a 73-69 win on Saturday night. Dalhousie led 61-45 at the end of the third quarter and withstood a feverish 4th quarter rally by the Seahawks for their 5th win of the season, sending MUN to an unheard of second straight home loss. The Seahawks have dominated competition at home throughout Head Coach Doug Partridge’s regime.
Memorial got their revenge on Sunday morning with a hard fought 62-60 win. Girdwood scored 20 points in defeat to cap a weekend performance that put the Dundas, Ontario native back into contention for another AUS all star nomination after struggling in the fall.
The 5th year senior has averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds in the Tiger’s last 3 games and has been the centerpiece of a mid season run that has seen the team win 4 of 6 games so far in 2010. Dalhousie now has 10 points in the standings and is on the cusp of overtaking the last playoff spot from the Acadia Axewomen, trailing Alise Brown’s team by one victory. The Tigers are 4 points behind UNB and play a pivotal 4 point game with the Varsity Reds this weekend at Dalplex. The Tigers also host the last place UPEI Panthers this weekend in another 4 point game on Sunday. Both games will be on ssncanada.ca and ckdu.ca, 88.1 FM in Halifax.

Tigers Win Back to Back Games at Home; Get Blown out by Huskies at the Forum
It was a week of highs and lows for Pete Belliveau’s Dalhousie Tigers. After nail biting victories over the St FX X-Men and the nationally ranked Acadia Axemen at the Dalhousie Memorial Arena, the Tigers received a solid drubbing from their chief rivals and AUS powerhouse Saint Mary’s Huskies.
After holding on to beat the X-Men 5-4 on Wednesday night, the Tigers staged a thrilling comeback on Friday to beat the second place Axemen 4-3 in overtime.
The Tigers were led by newcomer Benjamin Breault, whose highlight goal to tie the game late in the third period may have been the Tiger’s most brilliant individual effort this season.
Breault picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and exploded past an Axemen defender to the outside before deaking out Christopher Westblom to send the contest to overtime. Fellow newcomer Jordie Berk scored on the powerplay in the extra session to give the Tiger’s their 7th victory of the season, already 3 more than the team garnered last year. (Highlights on http://www.ssncanada.ca/)
The next night at the Forum on Windsor Street, Breault scored early in the first to give the Tigers some hope against the nationally ranked Huskies, only to see SMU score three unanswered goals on the power-play to finish the period. Huskie’s forward Cam Fergus would go on to tally 4 goals in leading Saint Mary’s to a 7-3 victory.
The Huskies were without the services of Mike Danton, the former NHL player and convict who enrolled at Saint Mary’s and is expected to play the rest of the season for Trevor Steinberg’s Huskies as they try to get on even footing with the undefeated UNB Varsity Reds.
Danton was at the Forum and could be seen walking around the concourse with a couple of friends. There is heavy speculation Danton will make his Huskies debut this Wednesday in a pivotal game vs. Acadia.
The Tigers are in 6th place and trying to hold on to their first playoff spot in over five years. Dalhousie has 17 points, 1 ahead of St. Thomas, 1 behind UPEI.
Dalhousie hosts the Tommies this Friday at the DMA , followed by the visiting Moncton Blue Eagles on Saturday. Both games will be on ssncanada.ca.

Notes
There was a battle of two of the nation’s leading scorers this weekend at the Tower. Cape Breton’s 5th year senior Kelsey Hodgson and Saint Mary’s Rookie Justine Colley duelled in a 2 game set which saw the undefeated Capers rout the Huskies. Hodgson had a 33 point game on Sunday while Colley averaged 20 points over the weekend.......The Dalhousie Tiger’s Women’s hockey team are officially in a mid season slide. After finishing the first term with a 7-3 record and knocking on the door of the upper tier of the division, the Tigers have lost 5 of 6 games in 2010. Tiger’s leading scorer Jocelyn Leblanc has been out with mononucleosis and the rest of the team has struggled mightily to score. This past weekend the Tigers were outscored 11-2 on a weekend trip to New Brunswick.......Game to watch this week? St. FX, the number 3 team in Canada, vs. the Huskies at the Tower on Wednesday night. The last time the teams met was the final of the Rod Shoveller when the Huskies beat the X-Men riding the shoulders of tournament MVP Ike Ichegbu. The X-Men are undefeated in conference play while the Huskies are coming off a 102-75 thumping at the hands of the CBU Capers. It’s Konchalski vs. Quackenbush; a battle of dynamic backcourts with two of the nation’s leading scorers in Joey Haywood and Christian Upshaw; and a war of playing styles featuring the full court athleticism of the X-Men and the half court passing of the Huskies. Game time is 8:00. The women’s game should be a good one as well at 6:00.......The end of the month should be the breakthrough weekend the Dal Tiger’s women’s basketball team has been working towards. A 4 pointer against the V-Reds, who are 4 points ahead in the standings, followed by a guaranteed 4 points vs. UPEI. Carly Clarke’s Panthers may be the worst team in the country as the former Dalhousie assistant and Bishops Gaiters all star is in her first year of a massive rebuilding program in Charlottetown.....Like Volleyball? There is a big game Tuesday night at Dalplex, Huskies vs. Tigers. The Huskies are led by all -star Kerri Smit while the Tigers have been rejuvenated by the addition of dynamic Louise Facca. Match time is 7:00 and will be shown on ssncanada.ca.