Men's Hockey 2009-10
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BLAZERS COME UP SHY OF THREE-PEAT
The ice-rivalry between the Assiniboine Community College Cougars and the CMU Blazers has a five year history dating back to 2005, when the Cougars joined the Central Plains Athletic Conference. In 2007 CMU defeated ACC in the conference championship, claiming the MCAC banner and cup and marking themselves as “the team to beat” in 2008. Last season history repeated itself. The Cougars entered the final as the top-ranked team, while CMU had to defeat Providence in a semi-final for the right to play ACC. The Blazers beat Providence, then went on to knock-off the Cougars to repeat as MCAC Champions.2010 posed similar possibilities for CMU. Despite dropping three of four regular season meetings with the Cougars, there was no shortage of confidence on CMU’s bus when they left for Brandon on Friday afternoon, and when they stepped off the ice for the second intermission of Saturday’s final, the defending MCAC Champions had the game right where they wanted it – CMU led ACC 3-2.
CMU jumped out to an early lead when fourth-year forward Geoff Reimer scored on a pass from Marty Siemens midway through the first period. ACC responded moments later on a goal by Joran Hedley. Siemens and Reimer combined twice more before the horn sounded to end the first period – Siemens at 4:51 and again at 3:05 on the powerplay, building a 3-1 CMU advantage. Ryan Anderson brought the Cougars back to within a goal in the final 10-seconds when he batted the puck past Blazer goalie Josh Ewert to make it 3-2.
The two teams traded scoring chances in the middle frame, but neither team could muster a goal. The Blazers would eventually solve ACC’s Dylan Funk early in the third period, when left-winger David Epp gave CMU some insurance, restoring the two-goal lead. But 2010 MVP, Charles Tweed scored at 17:59 and Ryan Anderson at 7:53, both unassisted goals, backed the defending champions against the ropes. A controversial delay of game penalty to CMU goalie Josh Ewert, sent ACC to the powerplay with three minutes left in the third. The Blazers fought hard to preserve the 4-4 score, icing the puck at each opportunity. With 42 second remaining in the man-advantage, Cougar defensemen Mitch Tillbury’s shot alluded Ewert and the Blazers to put ACC on top. Two empty net goals in the final minute would give ACC a 7-4 win, and the their first conference championship since 2006. Geoff Reimer was selected as CMU’s player of the game. Ewert, Siemens and Ethan Hiedebrecht were all selected to the MCAC All-Conference team at Friday night’s award banquet.
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Date Feb 22th 2010
ACC TAKES THE UPPER HAND
With first-place in the conference on the line, CMU and Assiniboine Community College played a home-and-home series last weekend on Friday and Saturday night. Entering their first game in 2010, the Blazers expected to be a bit rusty when they took the ice at the Brandon Sportsplex on Friday. Mike Friesen put the Blazers in the lead when he scored an unassisted goal 5 minutes before the end of the period. However, in the final minutes of the frame, the Cougars would steal two goals back and enter the intermission with a one goal lead. Three second period ACC goals had the Blazers looking for answers. Dan Cochrane, Joran Hedley and Joel Strachan were the scorers for the Cougars. After some line-juggling, CMU cut the lead to 6-2 when Marty Siemens scored from Friesen and David Epp. The Cougars put the game away with two more goals in the final 17 minutes to defeat the Blazers 8-2.The lop-sided score in Brandon set the stage for a heated affair on Saturday night in St. Adolphe. Four first period goals by ACC left CMU attempting to claw back into the game when the teams started the second period, and that is just what the Blazers did. As tempers boiled over from the previous night battle and the uneven score, between the second period skirmishes and penalties, the CMU powerplay unit that includes Siemens, Geoff Reimer and Ethan Heidebrecht got the Blazers on the board. Reimer would score a second goal for CMU near the end of the second period to counter ACC’s fifth goal of the game, scored 2:24 before the second intermission. Trailing 5-2 in the third, CMU managed to pull within a goal with 1:33 left on the clock when Reimer scored his second of the night from George Dyck III, but the goaltending of Dylan Funk would not allow CMU an equalizer.
The two wins secures top-spot in the conference for Assiniboine and leave CMU to battle C. U. de St-Boniface in the semi-finals to be played in Souris, Manitoba on February 19th.
Date January 29& 30, 2010
NO LOVE LOSS BETWEEN ICE RIVALS
After a lopsided season opener against C.U. St-Boniface last Sunday night, the CMU men’s hockey team put their perfect record on the line against Assiniboine Community College at the St. Adolphe Arena on Saturday night in a rematch of the 2009 MCAC men’s hockey final. The Cougars jumped ahead midway through the opening period on a goal by Adam Chambers when his point shot alluded goalie Josh Ewert. The Cougars made it 2-0 two minutes later when Adam Kerkowich and Joran Hedley set up Tyson Mitri.The Blazers would respond on the powerplay before the end of the first period, Mike Friesen batted the puck past Dylan Funk in the Cougar goal and brought the Blazers to within one. But ACC re-established their two goal lead in the second, Kerkowich scoring the goal from Mitri. Geoff Reimer’s third period marker from Mike Friesen and Ethan Hiedebrecht, the second power play goal of the game for CMU would bring the Blazers back within a goal before David Sattler sealed the deal with an empty net goal two seconds before the horn sounded to end the game. The final score was 4-2.
CMU will hit the ice again this Friday night at St. Adolphe at 7:30pm, looking to build on their 1-1 record when they face off with St. Boniface.
Date Oct. 26, 2009
Reimer Honored With Lehotsky Scholarship
CMU’s two-sport star Geoff Reimer was selected as the recipient of the 2009 Reverend Harry Lehotsky Scholarship awarded annually to two local students who have shown vision and excellence while volunteering in Winnipeg’s West End. Reimer, a native of Landmark Manitoba, has been working at the Edge Skatepark in downtown Winnipeg as part of his CMU practicum and has relished the opportunity to be a positive role model in the lives of Winnipeg Youth. This is the third year of the Harry Lehotsky Scholarship in Winnipeg. Lehotsky was a pastor, activist and humanitarian who dedicated his life to improving the lives of people living in poverty in Winnipeg’s West End. The City of Winnipeg named the award in his honor, after Lehotsky died of pancreatic cancer in November 2006. Reimer was presented with the award at City Hall by Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz.
CMU hockey coach Jason Wicklund noted, “Geoff is a leader on our team the same way he is in the community. He is dedicated and passionate and puts his whole heart into every shift.” Reimer is not only a star athlete on the ice, he also excels on the soccer field. Men’s soccer coach Russell Willms echoed Wicklund’s comments: “Geoff is very deserving of this award. He is an incredibly humble individual who is completely dedicated to the kids that he works with at the Edge.”