CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – From time to time, one hears rumblings that this coach can't do this or that coach has shortcomings and anybody that's been in the coaching ranks for any length of time, will tell that rhetoric goes with the territory.
UPEI hockey coach Forbie MacPherson likely heard it this season too, but the work ethic displayed by his club every night should have silenced any and all “Monday morning quarterbacks.”
The Panthers started the season with a very thin defensive corps, anchored by MVP candidate Ryan MacKinnon, who has played far more minutes than any defenceman in the Atlantic University Sport conference. Goaltending was supposed to be one of the team's strengths, but, on a lot of nights, it was ordinary, in a league where ordinary just doesn't quite get the job done.
In almost every game, the Panthers outworked their opponents – good enough to beat the top clubs sometimes only to lose to the weaker clubs on other nights. Those things happen when a head coach and his staff are trying to break in a whole new defensive corps plus new forwards like Kameron Kielly, who few expected would have the season he has had. Yes, outscored, but hardly ever outworked.
During the second half of the season, the Panthers turned their season around beating the top clubs like UNB, St. FX and Acadia. In fact, they won the season series 3-2 over the Axemen. The Panthers dropped the opening game of their best-of-three playoff series 6-2 Wednesday night in Halifax against a Saint Mary’s team had beaten the Panthers in all five regular season games this season. Game 2 went Friday night in Charlottetown (CLICK HERE FOR THE GAME STORY) and it would not surprise me if UPEI upset the Huskies to force a sudden-death game Sunday in Halifax. Regardless of what happened, I believe Forbie and his staff are to be commended for a job well done considering the circumstances.
Golf
Errol Nicholson may not be a name familiar with many in today's P.E.I. sporting crowd but back 40 or 50 years ago, he was among the best golfers in the province holding the Green Gables course record of 67 at a time when there were just three courses in the provinces with Belvedere in the city and the nine-hole course at Summerside in operation.
Errol also played varsity hockey at Mount Allison and when curling was at its apex in this province with 60-plus teams in the Tankard provincials, he was skilled enough to finish second in the Canadian schoolboy championships under skip George Dillon.
Over the years Errol quietly made significant financial contributions to amateur sports like junior hockey, UPEI hockey, baseball and, of course, golf. He also established the Errol Nicholson Junior Development Fund, an indication of his love for the sport.
Longtime friend Jack Hynes, who worked with Errol at Green Gables in the 1960s and 1970s, recalled an incident in late summer of 1968, when a Texan entered the Green Gables pro shop asking for information about the course. Not expecting anyone on this little Island to know who he was, he was astonished when Errol looked at him and responded, “Good evening Mr. Nelson, what brings you down this way?” To which Nelson replied, “My wife wanted to see the Anne of Green Gables house.”
Byron Nelson, the best golfer of his generation, and after whom a PGA tournament is named, picked the one person who knew him instantly. Errol Nicholson, a former schoolteacher at Prince of Wales College and at Colonel Gray, passed away earlier this week and he will be missed in the sporting community.
Basketball
The Island Storm meets the Saint John Riptide Monday at 2 p.m. for an Islander Day matinee at Eastlink Centre in perhaps the most important game of the season for the local club.
The Storm lost a heartbreaking 112-110 contest Thursday to Cape Breton in a game with playoff implications, which makes Monday's game that much more important. The Storm's Frank Session is worth the price of admission and is without question one of the top-three players in the league. They have plenty of talented pieces but haven't been able to find the right combination. Maybe on Islander Day, they'll put it together.
Hockey
Ryan Maxwell is a name today's hockey fans will certainly remember as he was a standout with the Charlottetown Abbies of the Maritime Junior A Hockey League and a top player with the UPEI Panthers a decade or so ago.
Holland College is hosting the three-team tournament, which will include UNB and Acadia, here in late March. Ryan and assistant coach Ashley Gillis are preparing the Hurricanes for the championship series and with young standouts like Jessica Redmond, Kailey Koughan, MacKenzie Koughan, Nicole Derry and Nicole Gallant, they could be bringing home another championship to Holland College. Well done Ryan.
Harness racing
Harness Racing New Zealand asked Anthony MacDonald to conduct three seminars there in September on fractional ownership because, like here in North America, the sport suffers from a shortage of owners.
I see where the regional component of the World Driving Championships will be staged at Truro Raceway in Nova Scotia in late June, rather strange since the city track, Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park, is by far the best location for such an event.
I suppose Standardbred Canada is trying to spread the events around, so let's get out and support the Truro leg of the Driving championships.
In racing up-country last week, Maritime-owned The Rev took the $27,000 top class Saturday at Woodbine in 1:51:3 for driver Jody Jamieson. At Yonkers, Pappy Go Go made a break and finished fifth in a $17,000 trot as the heavy even money favourite. All About Madi took a $25,000 class for mares in 1:54:2 with George Brennan aboard. Island Energetic was seventh in 1:55:2 in a $12,000 overnight event.
Weighing in
Click here for this week's video as Fred (Fiddler) MacDonald talks about the UPEI Panthers men’s hockey team, Suffolk’s Ross Johnston, the Olympics and spring training in this week’s video shot before Game 1 of the Panthers playoffs.
Fred MacDonald's column appears every Saturday in The Guardian. He can be reached at [email protected]
