Alternate captain Jared Gomes has been leading by example since the UPEI Panthers men’s hockey team returned to the ice earlier this month following the Christmas holiday break.
The left winger has racked up at least one point every night for the team during the seven games so far in the second half of the Atlantic University Sport season.
Those points proved to be invaluable last weekend, as Gomes had two goals that helped clinch road games against the St. Thomas Tommies and UNB Varsity Reds.
With the Panthers down 3-2 against the Tommies last Friday, Gomes scored with less than two minutes remaining to prolong the game, allowing Chris Desousa to net the game-winner during a shootout. Gomes also added an assist earlier in the game.
The next night, UPEI had built up an early 6-1 lead against UNB but the third period found both teams battling to break a 7-7 tie.
With less than two minutes left again, Panther defenceman Matt Boyle moved the puck over to linemate Matt Maione in the neutral zone.
Maione brought the puck to the blue line and feathered a saucer pass to Gomes, who was coming up the middle.
“I was able to get through the two defencemen and put it up past the goalie on my backhand,” Gomes told The Guardian. “To get the win on a goal like that was awesome.”
The goal was one of 15 Gomes has scored this season, along with seven assists for a total of 22 points.
Since returning for the second half of the AUS season on Jan. 6, Gomes has racked up at least one point in every game.
“Sometimes we say goals come like bananas, in bunches,” said UPEI head coach Forbes MacPherson. “That seems to be the situation for Gomes right now.”
Gomes, 23, was born in Montreal but grew up largely in Brampton, Ont.
He spent his first three junior years with the Sarnia Sting in the Ontario Hockey League before moving to the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors for his final year.
Gomes said he had been interested in moving to the eastern end of the country after hearing about the level of hockey being played here and quickly decided that UPEI was his best fit.
“There was just a lot of really positive things I’d heard about P.E.I. and in terms of personnel and people they have here on the campus,” he said. “Visiting it (UPEI) made it that much better.”
Gomes made waves in the school’s hockey program after arriving, finishing his first season ninth in AUS scoring with 33 points, and was named the CIS rookie of the year in men’s hockey.
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound player continued to be a major force in his second year, picking up 21 points.
MacPherson said while the alternate captain has a quiet demeanor, it is overshadowed by the Gomes’ discipline and dedication to the team.
“He practices Monday to Thursday the way other guys compete on the weekend. He just brings it every single day, has a distinct goal in mind and puts all that effort and ambition into attaining that goal,” said MacPherson. “Just a pure professional.”
That’s the type of professionalism that will lead the Panthers into the homestretch of the AUS and during home games tonight against the Dalhousie Tigers and Saturday against Acadia Axemen at MacLauchlan Arena.
Game times are 7 p.m.
With only seven games left before playoffs, UPEI sits in fifth place with 26 points in the conference but only five points behind conference-leading Acadia.
Dalhousie sits at seventh in the conference with 14 points, only one point behind St. F.X. which holds down the last playoff position.
With UPEI battling for first and Dal trying to break into a playoff position, both teams will be stepping onto the ice hungry for points tonight.
“We want to make sure we have one of those top two spots to get through the first round of playoffs,” said Gomes, adding that the games this weekend will be far from easy. “There might be teams at the bottom of the standings in this league but every team is competitive and we have to bring it every single night if we want to get points.”
