Photos by Alexia Pang/The Griff

“It’s a pretty cool opportunity, but nothing’s going to change for our group.” coach Zack Daley remarks

After a month of lead up, the MacEwan Griffins got a chance to take on a national team. And for the second time in MacEwan athletics history, a men’s team beat a national team in an exhibition game. The 6-4 victory over China could be viewed as a landmark achievement for the program. But despite the magnitude, coach Zack Dailey says one win is not the ultimate goal.

“We got, you know, stuff in Canada West to focus on, and as a program that’s trying to grow and, you know, be legitimate. That’s our main focus.” Dailey said. Coming into the game against China, the Griffins had won four of their last five U Sports games, including an overtime victory against the crosstown University of Alberta Golden Bears. Break weeks can be detrimental to a team on a hot streak. A high level hockey game in between doesn’t hurt. 

“This is a bonus for us. A, it helps us be ready to play next weekend when we are back at Canada West. And B, it’s a cool experience for our guys. So happy about it.” said Dailey.

“We got, you know, stuff in Canada West to focus on, and as a program that’s trying to grow and, you know, be legitimate. That’s our main focus. This is a bonus for us.”

– Zack Dailey, MacEwan Griffins men’s hockey coach

The heightened level of play and excitement was something that the Griffins, Dailey included, took into account. When discussing his plans for the game, the coach said to stick to the fundamentals and build on an already solid foundation. “Making plays under pressure is something we’ve been trying to focus on in the second half.”  Dailey said.

The game mirrored what the team has shown already this year. The Griffins are a faster and tougher unit compared to last year, backstopped by a career year from Eric Ward and scoring in bunches. Kadyn Chabot already broke the school’s single season goals record, and he’s supported by high-flying forwards like Dwayne Jean Jr. and Liam Hughes, who scored twice against China. “It was a lot of fun,” said Hughes after the game. “The whole week, we were kind of talking about it, it’s gonna be a cool experience, and it definitely was a lot of fun.” Hughes accredited his teammates for his two goals. “The first one, I kind of just was going to the net. Bidyk shot it off the goalie’s pad, and there’s a juicy rebound, and I just put it in. And then the second one, Jeaner was flying around, and I just went backdoor and he found me,” said Hughes. “Two pretty easy goals, and it was all for my teammates.”

The Griffins are now staring down the last eight matches of the 28 game U Sports season, holding on to second in Canada West’s West division. If the Griffins can maintain their position in the standings, they could finish better than the Golden Bears for the first time in university history. Dailey gave his take on what a successful season would look like.

“When you think of the big picture, there’s a lot of pressure that gets put on, and so we’re just focused daily on what we can do to be better that day.” Dailey said. “I think if we stack together a whole bunch of really good days, when we pick our heads up and take a breath, hopefully we’ll be where we want to be.”