Cougars plan to give their all in last series of season
Feb. 23, 2010 - Regina Leader-Post
By Ian Hamilton
The University of Regina Cougars won't be participating in the Canada West men's hockey playoffs, but they still have something for which to play.
"We've talked to the guys about making sure they still have some pride," head coach Blaine Sautner said Monday as his squad practised at the Sherwood Ice Sports Centre. "Anybody worth his salt or who has a competitive bone in his body is going to put on the equipment and play hard. That's what we're looking for from the players."
Regina has just one weekend remaining in its season, with games Friday and Saturday in Winnipeg against the Manitoba Bisons. The post-season will begin the following weekend, with the top four teams competing in semifinals.
By then, the Cougars will be spectators. They're hoping to be more than that this weekend.
"We have a lot of guys with great character in our dressing room, so I don't think we have any guys who are just writing off the season," said forward Caine Pearpoint. "The guys love to compete and we all get mad when we lose.
"Manitoba hasn't clinched a playoff spot yet, so maybe we can play the role of spoiler ... We want to go out on a high note and take it into next year. That would be something special in itself."
Making the playoffs would have been special, too.
Had Canada West kept its previous playoff format -- with six teams qualifying for the post-season -- the Cougars would have made the playoffs in each of Pearpoint's five seasons with the team. Instead, he'll complete his CIS career this weekend with a regular-season series.
"I'll take what I've done in my five years and be thankful for the opportunity that I had to play at this level," said Pearpoint, a 25-year-old Regina product. "It has been a great run for me. I've had a lot of great teammates.
"It was nice to stay in Regina, go to university and play in my home city after being in Brandon and P.A. (during his WHL career) for so long. It was great to share this opportunity with my friends and family."
Tanner Shultz and Blair Stengler also will wrap up their Cougars careers this weekend. They join Pearpoint as the only Regina players who are in their final seasons of CIS eligibility.
"At the end of the season, you always want to be playing for the fifth-year players to send them out on a winning note," Sautner said. "This year, that won't happen -- and that's too bad.
"When you look at what they've done here over the course of their careers, you realize those guys have blocked a lot of shots, they've had a lot of bruises and they've had a lot of broken equipment from getting into shooting lanes. You didn't have to ask them to do it, either; they just did it. They brought that aspect of grit and determination to this team."
Pearpoint, who's studying economics and geography, hopes to embark on a pro career after completing his degree. But first, he and his teammates have some business to attend to in Winnipeg -- and he's convinced the Cougars will not just play out the string this weekend.
"The guys we have all enjoy coming to the rink every day," Pearpoint said. "Coming here is almost like an escape from school, because you're with your best buddies at the rink.
"Not making the playoffs is tough -- that's what you play all year for -- but to call it disappointing isn't really right. This game is all about growing and developing skills. It is too bad we're not going to the playoffs, but that's what the guys can come back next year for."