The St. Thomas University Tommies finished the Atlantic University Sport regular season with a record of 11-11-0-0, good for fifth in the AUS, and are poised to play the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers (13-7-0-2) in the one game quarterfinal.
These two teams have faced off against each other five teams this year, in regular season and exhibition play, with all of the games being won by the home team, and all but one being a one-goal game. The Tommies closed out their regular season with a 3-1 win over the Panthers to jump into the fifth seed to face those same Panthers in the playoffs, but head coach, Peter Murphy, says its not quite as simple as saying to his team “hey, we won the last game against them, let’s do it again.”
“There’s zero advantage our way right now,” said Murphy about the matchup against UPEI following their win against them. “Its easier as a coach if you lose that last game against them and then have to win the next game. My job is to convince our team that that wasn’t our best game, we are going to be in their rink, that everything will be going against us.”
Murphy is right about the Panthers at home, as they went 9-2-0-0 in Charlottetown this season.
The Tommies won the 2018-19 AUS Championship and currently have seven players on the roster from that team. Murphy knows how invaluable that kind of experience is.
“Experience is everything in playoffs and players that have seen it all the way through can speak to what is needed to not just perform in the playoffs but go all the way. There is a difference. I will sound like every other coach. We need to execute our game plan, keep to our habits, and above all else work hard enough to be worthy of a break or two. Breaks don’t just happen; you have to earn them.”
STU has been a “score by committee” team so far this season, but Murphy notes that some of his lines are gelling at the right time.
“Mimi [Mariah Carey] has had the hot hand as of late and has found some new energy playing with Pelowich and Pardy. But if we lean on anyone too much we are not going far. All players must elevate their games regardless of the minutes they play. If you are on the ice, you are expected to play at the top of your ability. These past two years have been about adversity and how to overcome it and now is the time to tangibly show this when you play.”
The Tommies will head to the Island tonight to face the Panthers in a must win game. Puck drop is set for 7:00pm and you can tune in on AUStv.ca.