Senior A's Holding Their Own
STORY FROM ST. CATHARINES STANDARD
The head coach of the expansion Athletics has guided the squad to a very respectable 8-5-1 record which includes a win over the first place Stoney Creek Generals last week.
“To tell you the honest truth, things have gone a little better than I would have thought at the start,” Bolibruck said. “At the end of the day I’m pretty happy where we are. I still think if we want to make a run especially in a championship year or at the Allan Cup level, I think we need to add a little bit more experience.”
The Athletics have a roster composed of several former Thorold Blackhawks who experienced more than their share of winning at the junior B level. Former Blackhawks captain J.J. Martin leads the A’s in scoring with 18 points in 12 games. Ex-Hawks Brad Jackson (8-8-16), Steve Zdumczynski (6-8-14), Johnny Falzoi (4-10-14), Chris Risi (8-5-13), Fraser Smith (8-5-13) have also contributed significantly on offence.
“We’ve got a bunch of guys who love to play the game,” Bolibruck said. “We’ve got some guys who have played together and won before and they kind of get that feeling back again.”
The A’s have used 28 players so far, something that is not that uncommon at the senior level.
“This type of hockey is a little bit of a different animal,” Bolibruck said. “I’m glad I got me feet wet with Dundas. I think even Dave (A’s president Dave Marrone) has had a trying time at times understanding what the commitment level is like. The reality is guys have jobs and families at home. You do need to be a little bit more lenient in areas, but at the end of the day, if we want to win this I honestly believe it’s the closest teams and the most committed teams that do end up winning.”
The Athletics sit in fourth place, four points behind Brantford with a game in hand. The teams play a critical home-and-home series beginning Friday in Brantford. The teams meet again Saturday at 5:55 p.m. at the Thorold Arena.
The top three teams receive a bye in the first round and are guaranteed a best-of-seven series. The fifth and sixth place teams will have a one-game playoff with the winner advancing to a two-game, aggregate series versus the fourth-place team.
