A little belief can go a long way.
At least that’s what the BG Hockey team discovered at the end of last season when it upset higher seeded teams during the conference playoffs, making it to the Final Four.
It’s that same belief that Head Coach Chris Bergeron said the team will need to wrap its arms around to maintain that momentum to push forward this season.
“The expectations have increased,” Bergeron said. “The team didn’t take that playoff run for granted; the guys went home with a purpose.”
If that purpose doesn’t stay in the players’ minds throughout the summer, they could find themselves replaced.
“If they don’t get the job done in the weight room, someone will take it,” Bergeron said.
In order to stay on top of their game, the players have to practice hard in the off season. Six players went as far as participating in NHL prospect camps.
Junior Cam Wojtala, co-captain and forward, practiced at the Washington Capitals camp last week and said he is looking forward to keeping the confidence the team gained during the season.
“The experience of last year really helps,” Wojtala said. “We simplified the game and gained confidence, allowing us to realize that we could play anybody and come out on top.”
When the academic year starts, Wojtala said the team needs to make sure all the players are on the same page and push each other to get better every day.
Hard work and strong leadership, Begeron said, should pay off this year.
“Last year, we were still in the process of finding out who we were on and off the ice,” he said. “The program is deeper than a year ago and the guys will do what they need to do.”
Some elements of the game the coaching staff said needed improvement were scoring and power plays in the offense. While experience can fill the gap, new recruits can as well.
Assistant coach Ty Eigner, who shares the duty of recruiting with the other assistants, said there are eight players joining the team: one goalie, three defensemen and four forwards.
The recruits bring size and all had successful junior careers, Eigner said. The forwards will help with scoring and powerplays, he said.
Among the recruits is defenseman Ralfs Friebergs, a freshman from Latvia, who played on the Lincoln Stars in the United States Hockey League, leading all team defensemen in scoring last season with eight goals and 34 assists, Eigner said. While the team has to work out NCAA eligibility issues with Friebergs, both coaches agreed he would be an asset to the power play.
Coming back from a long playoff run, the team is also depending on its fans for motivation.
“It’s something we talk about,” Eigner said. “The attendance we had for Ohio State and Michigan State was the biggest in program history.”
Eigner said he hopes the momentum from last year brings back those fans.
“The more you win, the more people come to watch,” he said. “When you have a building almost full, it really motivates the players and gives them the home field advantage.”
