A new season for St. Thomas University athletics is approaching, and the man behind it is pumped.
STU athletics director Mike Eagles expressed his excitement for the upcoming Tommies season in a recent phone interview with The Aquinian.
The 2016-17 campaign follows a year in which there were several success stories, from the women’s hockey team earning its first nationals berth to the men’s soccer squad falling just short of a championship.
The men’s volleyball team also won its third consecutive league title last year, and the women’s rugby team earned its second straight ACAA silver medal.
But the 2015-16 season ended in disappointment, with the administration cancelling the men’s hockey program as the last school year came to a close.
The team struggled for at least a decade, but the university said the move was a cost-cutting measure.
Eagles discussed how the athletics department has moved forward after losing men’s hockey, along with some positive stories of the new season ahead and his expectations for it.
What is it like to be starting another season for Tommies athletics?
It’s always exciting heading into the fall. When students arrive on campus, and training camps start, it injects a great deal of energy into the campus. We do a lot of preparing over the summer in anticipation of what teams will be like and new players coming and meeting new people. It’s exciting and energizing.
What are your expectations for the upcoming season?
I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy winning championships because I certainly do. We have a goal every year where we hope to win a championship – or a few. But at the end of the day, we have to keep things in perspective and have the right priorities. Winning championships isn’t always the main goal, but how we represent the institution and seeing athletes grow and develop as players and people are higher priorities.
There were four different teams that had great seasons last year. What do you think of their chances of repeating?
There’s a good chance teams that did well last year will continue to do well based on graduation and recruits. For example, men’s soccer was a phenomenal story last year, but they are young again this year. I know [coach John-Ryan Morrison] has done a great job recruiting. We hope all the teams do well, and the teams that struggled last year will hopefully improve.
What are your thoughts on this year’s recruiting class?
I don’t know all the kids or their talents, and it’s not like I’ve seen our recruits play yet. But some have played on provincial teams before. Many of our coaches have attracted high-level players, and when they reach university, it’s an adjustment. So we don’t always set high expectations, but we have many strong athletes coming in.
There are also several key veteran players amongst all 14 varsity teams, so what are your expectations for them?
When you look at returning veterans, I’d say the highest-profile is [women’s hockey captain] Kelty Apperson returning for a fifth season. Kelty had a magical year last year, and it’s tough to take that to another level, but we would love to see her remain the force she was last year. It was awesome that Kelty was invited to Team Canada’s development camp this summer, and it’s a real bonus for the women’s hockey program.
It seems like the elephant in the room is the men’s hockey program being cancelled last year. How hard is it to not have that team this year?
The decision was made, and we’re at a point where we’re not focusing on it much. It was disappointing where I coached the team for nine years [from 2002 to 2011]. It was near and dear to my heart, but I’m doing my best for the teams we have now. I’ll always have great memories of when I coached, but now, I’m focused on moving ahead.
