Talent
The talent was there despite being one of the youngest teams in Canadian Interuniversity Sport. Three players–Travis Friedley, Andre Blanchette and Jarret Lukin–were selected for the Canada West All-Freshman Team, giving the Dinos the most representation out of all universities. Friedley and Lukin were also named to the CIS All-Freshman Team and will play a vital role for years to come.
Effort
After going right down to the wire with the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in the playoffs, no one can doubt the team’s effort. On top of that, beating the University of Alberta Golden Bears is no easy task–let alone winning twice including a shut out.
Coaching
This year marked head coach Scott Atkinson’s fifth season with the Dinos. He was aggressive and certainly wasn’t afraid to call out players who were inconsistent and didn’t perform to their potential. He truly believed his team was capable of going further and refused to give up on them until it was officially over.
Achievement
They finished the season with a 13-13-2 record, good for 28 points. The record could’ve been better if not for some surprising losses to weaker teams. They were still a mile behind the U of A Bears. The division semi-finals were closer than the Dinos would’ve liked, as they had to go to double OT and needed all three games to beat the T-Birds. The team ended up getting swept by U of A, and–as much as everyone hates to admit–it didn’t really surprise anyone.
Overall: B+
Animal: Ants. They fit into their role and work hard. Not everyone noticed them, but they were slowly building up. It’s too bad the Bears stomped all over them in the end.