Hilton overcoming 'rough start'
Feb. 1, 2010 - Regina Leader-Post
By Ian Hamilton
Brant Hilton is getting his shot(s) in the University of Regina Cougars' net.
Making his second start in as many nights -- which he hadn't done since Oct. 30-31 -- Hilton stopped 29 shots Saturday as Regina beat the Calgary Dinos 4-2 in Canada West men's hockey action at the Sherwood Ice Sports Centre.
"I had a rough start to the season," admitted Hilton, who was 1-5-0 with a 4.41 goals-against average when the other half of the Cougars' goaltending tandem, Adam Ward, was out with a broken finger. "Wardo was hurt, I was the guy and I had a rough start.
"But now I'm in a groove. I'm playing well, so my confidence is up. (Saturday) was great. Hopefully this just keeps building. That's what I'm looking for."
After Ward returned from injury, he made four straight starts and went 2-2-0 with a shutout. Hilton got the start in the next game, but allowed four goals in just 26 minutes of a 5-1 loss to the Saskatchewan Huskies on Nov. 27.
Ward started the next three games, but was hooked in the third of those contests after allowing four goals in the first period against the UBC Thunderbirds on Jan. 9. Hilton gave up just one goal the rest of the way, but it was the overtime winner in a 5-4 UBC triumph.
Hilton started Regina's next game, surrendering only two goals to Saskatchewan in Regina's 3-2 victory on Jan. 16. But the coaching staff went with Ward the next night -- and the Huskies prevailed 5-3.
Hilton got the nod Friday and helped Regina beat the Dinos 4-3 in a shootout. Even though he hadn't started two in a row since October, the Cougars turned to him again Saturday -- and the 23-year-old product of Winnipeg posted his third straight win.
"We went with him because last week didn't work," Regina head coach Blaine Sautner said.
"Not that Wardo played badly, but we lost the second one, so we thought we'd try something different."
Hilton is glad they did.
"I'm just trying to play well and hopefully (Sautner) comes back with me," Hilton, a third-year fine arts student, said after improving to 4-6-1 with a 3.62 GAA and an .888 save percentage.
"It's just about focus," he added. "I've got to be focused right from the first drop of the puck. It's about stopping the first couple of shots and then I get comfortable."
On Saturday, the first shot he faced was on a breakaway by Torrie Wheat. Hilton repelled that one and all 16 shots he faced through the first two periods.
He finally was beaten with 4:22 left in regulation time on a deflection by Brock Nixon. Dan Ehrman added a power-play goal with 1:20 left for the Dinos (10-9-5). Calgary outshot the Cougars 15-2 in the third period and 31-22 in the game.
Ryan Sawka scored two goals (including an empty-netter) for Regina, which led 1-0 and 3-0 at the intermissions. Justin Scott and Carter Smith also sniped for the Cougars (8-11-1), who moved past UBC (7-16-1) into sixth place.
With Hilton on a roll, Ward now is the netminder who has to wait his turn.
"It's hard, definitely," admitted the 24-year-old product of Swift Current. "It's hard just because we only play a couple of times every weekend. Sometimes you see yourself not playing for two or three weeks in a row. Especially now when points are so important (in the stretch drive), you understand that coaches are going to run with the hot guy."
So all Ward (3-4-0, 3.05 GAA, .915 save percentage) can do is try to stay sharp in practice and wait for Sautner's decision as to who will play Friday and Saturday against the visiting Manitoba Bisons.
"You want to play and you want to contribute to the team," said Ward, a fourth-year kinesiology student.
"But when you're not playing, you root for the other guy. Winning is the bottom line and I'm happy to be a part of that."