Lasalle ready to flex its muscles

BY SCOTT HADDOW

The Lasalle boys' hockey team paced the Division I regular season and playoffs en route to their third straight city championship this season and now they're looking to add NOSSA gold to their trophy case.

The 2008 boys' AAA NOSSA hockey championship takes place at Countryside Arena today and continues Wednesday with the championship round.

Lasalle's combination of skill, veteran savvy, size, depth and strong coaching proved to be too lethal for opponents to handle this year.

Locally, the Lancers went 21-1, with their one blemish coming at the hands of St. Charles College in Game three of the city championship.

Lasalle also features a host of returning players from last season who vividly remember how they went 1-1-1 at NOSSA in 2007 and missed the gold medal game.

They want no part of a repeat performance and want to stake their claim as the best high school team in Northern Ontario.

"We're out to prove we can win NOSSA," captain Nick Aaviku said. "We want to show everyone what our team is really all about. It means a lot to this team since a lot of guys came back for this reason...I know I came back to get another shot at NOSSA and qualify for OFSAA."

The Lancers learned many hard lessons last year at NOSSA.

"We learned we can't take any game lightly," head coach Chris Matthews said. "We have to be focused all the time. With the NOSSA format, every single goal for and against is important. We've had a lot of practices and we're ready. There's no excuses this time around. We've been thinking about it for weeks. The returning players remember what happened last year...they didn't enjoy seeing other teams go for NOSSA gold."

With all games at Countryside Arena, Lasalle figures it will be a huge boost.

"The big ice surface will help us big time," Matthews said. "We played some of our best games there this season. It's great for our offensive guys...they have extra room to move around and they can really make use of their speed."

Lasalle has a strong mixture of skilled players who pack a wallop on the scoreboard and in the hitting department.

Forward Miguel Joyal transferred from Macdonald Cartier to Lasalle this season and also moved from AA midget hockey to play for the Lancers.

He rates this season, which, since he's in Grade 12, will be his one and only with the program, as one of the best experiences he's ever had.

"It's unreal," Joyal said. "I'm not used to having hundreds of fans come out to watch games. It's my last year of minor hockey and I came here hoping for something special. I've got it. The whole school supports us and it's just awesome. It's been a lot of fun coming here to play hockey, but it's also been a great experience going to school here and meeting new people."

The Lancers were the most prolific offensive squad in the city this season, racking up 128 goals for in 16 regular season games. They were also one of the top defensive teams, allowing just 44 goals against. The Lancers have more than just a slick offensive game and tight defensive style which allows them to beat teams. They have character in spades.

"Our team has a lot of heart and it makes a difference," forward Matt Golanski said. "We stick together and we do what we have to do to pull through tough games. We're also experienced and have high expectations. For a lot us, it could be our last year of competitive hockey so there's a lot on the line."

When pressed about what they want to achieve at NOSSA, there wasn't one Lasalle team member who didn't crave gold and nothing else.

Aaviku made it short and sweet.

"We want nothing less than gold," he said.

Matthews echoed his captain's hopes and knows it will be a challenge.

"For this team, nothing less than winning would be a disappointment," the coach said. "For a lot of guys it's their last year and they want to go out on top...winning. We know what we're getting into...it's not going to be easy. We have to be patient offensively and wait for chances...we also need to play a good defensive system. It takes everything from everyone to win something like this."