The NAIT Ooks men's hockey team begins their journey defending last season's championship title. The Ooks finished fifth in league standings and will hit the road to take on the Briercrest Clippers in the first round of a best-of-three series this weekend. The two clubs have faced off four times, splitting the season series with two wins a piece. Fourth-year forward Dylan Stewart led the Ooks with five points in the four games played versus the Clippers this season. Both Ooks goaltenders have had success playing Briercrest; Kotchorek has a .932 save percentage in the two games he has started. Ryley Osland has been equally as impressive with a .931 save percentage in his two starts, and the Ooks will be hopeful for similar results this go around. For the Clippers, goalie Dominik Tmej has been their backbone against the Ooks this season. He's stopped 74 of the 81 shots he faced in 3 games. Head Coach Scott Fellnermayr is optimistic that playing in Briercrest earlier this season will help them. 

 

"I think it helps to have played there this year. They had a ton of fans, and it made for an exciting series," said Fellnermayr. 

 

Dylan Stewart finished second in league scoring, registering 29 points and led the Ooks in goals with ten. His individual success had positive ramifications throughout the lineup as second-year forwards Bjorn Robinson and Bryce Osepchuk took a significant leap, having career years. Osepchuk, who played with Stewart for much of the season, tied for fourth in league, scoring with 26 points. Robinson, one of the league's premier distributors, led the ACAC in helpers with 21. 

 

"Stewart has been dominant in the last few weeks. He has scored some big goals, but if you just looked at the stats, it wouldn't tell the whole picture. He has been creating chances almost every time he gets on the ice. Fans should look forward to seeing him in playoffs," said Fellnermayr.

 

The Clippers rely heavily on their goaltending and scoring depth through their lineup. Tmej, one of the league's best goaltenders, ranked second in save percentage and third in goals against average. Jack Dale led the Clippers in scoring with 19 points, and Alex Pellerin was right behind him with 18. 

 

The Ooks finished the season with some devastating losses and have struggled to generate a winning streak, but Fellnermayr believes his group has what it takes to go on a run. 

 

"Our team is built for playoff hockey and the type of adversity we will see in Briercrest. I have seen a determined group in the last few practices," said Fellnermayr. 

 

If the series goes the distance, the Ooks will be playing three straight games starting Friday at 6:30 p.m. Game two goes Saturday at 6:30 p.m., while a possible game three is a matinee affair scheduled for a 2:00 p.m. puck drop. Catch all the games live on ACACTV or Telus Optik channel 1998.