Tommies fans have waited seven long years, but the tides have finally turned for the men’s hockey team as they beat the V-Reds 3-2 in the Battle of the Hill on Wednesday.
Pat Powers, the new head coach and former STU hockey player, said wins are important no matter who they’re against, but this one is special.
“The win means more for the institution and to the faithful fans and alumni of STU, which I’m a part of… When you combine all that it does mean a lot,” he said.
The Battle of the Hill has been an important rivalry between the two schools for decades, even though UNB usually takes home the prize. STU last beat the V-Reds in 2006, and hasn’t been victorious on UNB’s turf since 2003.
STU visited the Aitken Centre on Wednesday night to play the V-Reds, who are ranked second in the AUS. The Tommies quickly took the lead, closing the first period 2-0. Each team picked up a goal in the second, and UNB grabbed a third period goal. But the 36-game winning streak ended for UNB as the Tommies left with a 3-2 victory.
STU goaltender Jonathan Groenheyde was fantastic in net, facing 44 shots to the 20 that UNB goalie Charles Lavigne saw. Game stars included Groenheyde and forward Randy Cameron, who had two assists.
Powers believed this victory came from the team being confident in their skills, and hopes that confidence will stay around for the next Battle of the Hill.
“It’ll give us a little more confidence competing against them in the next game knowing we played hard and beat them in their arena,” he said.
But while the win is positive for the team, Tommies fans in Fredericton and beyond were even more excited.
Robert Johnson, commentator of Tommies hockey, graduated from STU last year. The streak had already settled in by the time he started at St. Thomas in 2009, but that didn’t stop him from cheering on his team.
“I went to a lot of games [when I was at STU] and had never seen them win [versus UNB], so watching that game on Wednesday was great … The feeling in [the STU] section was awesome,” he said.
Johnson knows this victory is big, no matter what team you support.
“Twitter and Facebook exploded after the game. Everyone was talking about that game, whether you were a Tommies fan or just a hockey fan in Fredericton.”
As for Coach Powers, he isn’t giving away his trade secrets. But he’s doing everything he can to prepare for their next game against UNB.
“I know they’re going to be ready for redemption,” he said.
