Maritime Hockey Not Far Off

After a spring of mostly damp and dreary weather here in the Maritimes, many were questioning whether summer really existed and wasn’t some tantilizing dream that we were sure had come in years past.

We were treated to a beautiful Canada Day long weekend featuring an unheard of three consecutive days of sun. It’s the unofficial beginning of summer: kids out school, BBQs, fireworks and beaches.

All that said can only mean one thing: Hockey in the Maritmes!!!

Yes, you read that right. Coming off the nicest weekend this region has seen so far this year the Quebec Major Junior League unveiled its preseason schedule while the Atlantic University Sport conference released the 2011/12 regular hockey schedule.

2011 NSSBL Preview

The Nova Scotia Senior Baseball League is set to kick off Friday night, as the Sydney Sooners travel to Truro to meet the Bearcats.

The 2011 season has the makings to be the most competitive in recent memory. The teams perennially at the top remain strong, but rest of the league has made some interesting moves that could tighten things up at the top of the standings.

Here’s a look at each of the clubs for this upcoming season, along with a few of the highlights from last year.

Tigers and Axemen Fall

It was a tight game with neither team able to pull out to a big lead. Dal big man Joseph Schow led the way in the first half with thirteen points and six boards, staking the Tigers to a one point lead going into half. But in the end the Huskies were too much downing the Tigers 91-79.

The Saskatchewan Huskies rode a strong third quarter from Rejean Chabot to retake the lead going into the final frame.

Dalhousie failed to get the same offensive production from Schow in the second half. They abandoned the screen and roll game that got them the halftime lead. Instead they tried to rely on Schow’s low post game.

Simon Farine, AUS Championship MVP from the previous week, had 16 of his 22 points in the second half, but little else was added to him and Schow in the second half.

The Huskies meanwhile continued to get strong performances from their big 4. Nolan Brudehl, Michael Lieffers, Chabot and especially Jamelle Barrett continued their strong balanced attack and slowly began to put some distance between them and the Tigers.

Barrett, the Canada West MVP, took over the game in the fourth finishing with a dominating 27 points and 11 assists. He put the final nail in the Tigers coffin with a “HON candidate” behind-the-back pass that resulted in a three-point play (don’t tell TSN I used that – they’re touchy).

In the end it seemed that depth was the difference was too much for Dalhousie. Saskatchewan pulled away in the fourth and Dal couldn’t keep up.

In early action:

Acadia – 77
UBC – 96

Lakehead – 74
Trinity Western – 82