TORONTO — All season long, the Rams men's hockey team has been the favourite. Whether it be a mid-season series against the Lakehead Thunderwolves or a first-round playoff matchup against the Western Mustangs, the Rams have long been perceived as having the upper hand before the puck dropped.
But, as they prepare to take off for the U SPORTS National Championship in Wolfville, N.S. this week, the blue and gold are viewed as the underdog, coming in as the No. 7 seed. With several top programs joining the fray, the Rams are now just one of several talented squads vying for the elusive U Cup.
The University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds—who'll be the team's opponent in the quarter-final game on Friday, April 1 at 12 p.m. EST—are a somewhat familiar team to the Rams; the two teams did battle in a set of exhibition games in 2018, but haven't met since. The Varsity Reds are also eight-time U SPORTS champions, having won the title in 2016, 2017, and 2019. In that spirit, the Rams have been watching UNB's progress and, in the words of their coach, are ready for what is to come.
"It was fast, hard-hitting, really good hockey," head coach Johnny Duco said of the exhibition contests with UNB following Saturday's victory against McGill. "We know what they're all about and we're going to have to have our absolute best to be in the game."
As the team prepares to compete in their first-ever national championship, Jeremiah Addison—an experienced veteran who played for St. Francis Xavier University for two seasons—will likely be relied upon for consistency and leadership in the absence of the injured Michael Cramarossa, who was one of the team's most travelled players coming into the season. Elsewhere on the roster, captain Jared Walsh will need to be solid, so too will blueliners Ryan Wells, Mark Shoemaker, and Zachary Shankar.
On New Brunswick's end, the Rams will need to neutralize the team's tremendously explosive offence, which is anchored by Samuel Dove-McFalls (10 G, 10 A during the regular season), James Phelan (9 G, 7 A), Austin Keating (5 G, 19 A), and Brady Gilmour (5 G, 10 A). Of course, goaltender Rylan Parenteau, who led the AUS in goals against average during the regular season, will factor into his team's goal prevention strategies, as he has all season.
"We're definitely mindful of how good they are and how talented they are," Duco remarked. "It'll be exciting to go down and play that underdog style and see what happens."
Fans can watch the Rams in their pursuit of a national championship live on the U SPORTS website.
