Days off during the season are hard earned and savored. Catching up on homework, housework and sleep rank among my favorite activities on such a day and truthfully, aside from working a shift with Joe Van Volkenburg and the great people at Meals on Wheels, Wednesday was written off as a personal day.

Thursday found the Griffins back at work and once again, the team had a strong practice with tons of energy. The team met with Strength and Conditioning Coach Rowan about fitness, nutrition and got some hints on how to eat for better performance and recovery. As a team, we are looking for every little advantage over our opponents and I found Thursday’s talk informative and important.

You could really feel the push toward our game on Friday and Saturday. While an average college student has a certain kind of extra curricular activity in mind for the weekend, the Griffs were focused on getting rested and ready for Merrimack. Two quiet nights and a Saturday afternoon shopping date with one Mr. Spencer Churchill brought me one step closer to being physically and mentally ready for the home opener.

Sunday was a great day all the way around. Much to my surprise, my early morning visit to the gym was followed by the arrival of one of my sisters, my brother and dad. While the two missing pieces to a perfect day, my mom and youngest sister Courtney, were back in Saskatchewan managing the family farm, I was certainly excited to have had a part of my family make the long trip to Buffalo, especially considering my brother has never been east of Manitoba.

Sunday’s game was not short on individual effort and team achievement. While we were a lucky bounce away from beating our first Hockey East opponent of the year, I am really proud of our work ethic and the way we stuck to the game plan for 65 minutes. Our 1-1 tie was followed by a great opportunity to experience something new, as the Griffs faced the Buffalo Sabres Sled Hockey Team in a sled hockey scrimmage. After playing what we thought was a tough game, it was humbling to be in the midst of such amazing athletes. I can’t say enough about the skill of the players we faced and I certainly can’t do justice to the Griffins' lack of performance versus the Sabres. The team would like to thank the boys from the Sabres for showing us a thing or two about backchecking.

This is your captain here, over and out.
Pete MacDougall


Did You Know ...
• Junior defenseman, Chris Forsman, still does not know how to ride a bicycle?
• Brad Emmerson, a member of the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team, is Scott Moser’s cousin?



Campus Chronicles and additional Canisius hockey coverage can be found each week in the Buffalo and Niagara area in the Metro Source. For previous entries plus additional Canisius features, visit Metro Source's website by clicking here