To start, UPEI is 5-6-2 and mired is sixth place in the Atlantic University Sport men’s hockey conference.
UPEI has given up the second most goals (63) and has the third lowest goals scored (47), and has lost six games in a row heading into today’s home tilt versus surging Saint Mary’s (8-7-1), winners of five straight.
Game time is 7 p.m. at MacLauchlan Arena, and Panthers head coach Forbes MacPherson knows these two home games before the Christmas break, the second is Friday against Acadia (7 p.m.), could determine how the second half goes.
“Obviously at this point we we not preparing to be in this position… to be battling with our playoff lives on the line,” MacPherson said. “Unfortunately, different causes (for losses) have come a different times. We’ve been inconsistent. A different moment and different things costing us games.”
Hopes were high for MacPherson’s recruiting class this year after he brought in former St. Thomas sniper JC Campagna, defencemen Austin Levi and Bobby Zinkan, and forwards Cody Payne, who leads the Panthers with nine goals and 13 points, Gabe Guertler, Kurt Etchegary, Beau McCue and Riley Whittingham.
Zinkan and Whittingham played for the Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals last season. Matt Mahalak took over in goal for Mavric Parks.
But things haven’t gone as hoped. After a 2-0 start, including a win over powerhouse UNB, the UPEI squad has just three wins in its last 11 games.
And it’s forced MacPherson to run his numbers again.
“I never felt like we would go through this stretch, that we would be this bad in the win-loss column. When you’re recruiting in the off-season, you’re trying not to prepare for these times but the reality is it happens,” he said. “But our players know you have to work through these times, we’re not going to luck our way out.
UPEI’s been banged up, too, with several players missing significant time. Tonight, Etchegary and McCue are out.
MacPherson also points to some players transitioning not as fast as others to the AUS game and to university life from the major junior and junior A ranks as most university hockey players have more than the game on their plates.
He said he’s not making excuses, though, as those are things all players have to deal with.
But MacPherson did say his group keeps fighting to become greater than the sum of its parts.
“There is still a lot of confidence in our group. Practices have been upbeat and competitive. They’re working hard and feel like there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. We just believe we’re going to get through this.”
To start, UPEI is 5-6-2 and mired is sixth place in the Atlantic University Sport men’s hockey conference.
UPEI has given up the second most goals (63) and has the third lowest goals scored (47), and has lost six games in a row heading into today’s home tilt versus surging Saint Mary’s (8-7-1), winners of five straight.
Game time is 7 p.m. at MacLauchlan Arena, and Panthers head coach Forbes MacPherson knows these two home games before the Christmas break, the second is Friday against Acadia (7 p.m.), could determine how the second half goes.
“Obviously at this point we we not preparing to be in this position… to be battling with our playoff lives on the line,” MacPherson said. “Unfortunately, different causes (for losses) have come a different times. We’ve been inconsistent. A different moment and different things costing us games.”
Hopes were high for MacPherson’s recruiting class this year after he brought in former St. Thomas sniper JC Campagna, defencemen Austin Levi and Bobby Zinkan, and forwards Cody Payne, who leads the Panthers with nine goals and 13 points, Gabe Guertler, Kurt Etchegary, Beau McCue and Riley Whittingham.
Zinkan and Whittingham played for the Summerside D. Alex MacDonald Ford Western Capitals last season. Matt Mahalak took over in goal for Mavric Parks.
But things haven’t gone as hoped. After a 2-0 start, including a win over powerhouse UNB, the UPEI squad has just three wins in its last 11 games.
And it’s forced MacPherson to run his numbers again.
“I never felt like we would go through this stretch, that we would be this bad in the win-loss column. When you’re recruiting in the off-season, you’re trying not to prepare for these times but the reality is it happens,” he said. “But our players know you have to work through these times, we’re not going to luck our way out.
UPEI’s been banged up, too, with several players missing significant time. Tonight, Etchegary and McCue are out.
MacPherson also points to some players transitioning not as fast as others to the AUS game and to university life from the major junior and junior A ranks as most university hockey players have more than the game on their plates.
He said he’s not making excuses, though, as those are things all players have to deal with.
But MacPherson did say his group keeps fighting to become greater than the sum of its parts.
“There is still a lot of confidence in our group. Practices have been upbeat and competitive. They’re working hard and feel like there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. We just believe we’re going to get through this.”
