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Posted by: paulsoucy on 11/05/2009 10:14 AM
Updated by: paulsoucy on 11/05/2009 10:29 AM
Expires: 12/31/2019 12:00 AM

McParland cautiously optimistic

Nipissing Lakers Head Coach Mike McParland discusses what's been working for his suprisingly successful hockey team so far this season.

By Paul Soucy
theclaw.ca

It’s safe to say the Nipissing Lakers have surpassed expectations so far this season. Heading into the campaign, Head Coach Mike McParland said he’d be content with fighting it out with Ryerson University and Kingston's Royal Military College for a playoff spot. Eight games in they have a record of 6-1-1, which gives them more points than those two teams combined.

There’s a lot of hype surrounding this team now that it has been ranked in the top 10 teams in the country the past two weeks. The Lakers were first ranked number nine last week, and moved up to number eight this week. However, McParland isn’t counting his eggs before they hatch – so to speak.

“If we remain realistic I don’t think that we can sit here and say ‘we’re probably better than the University of Prince Edward Island, better than UBC (University of British Columbia), whatever the case may be,” McParland was quick to add.

McParland attributed his team’s near-perfect record to the schedule they’ve been dealt so far and the fact they’ve steered clear of the injury bug, with the exception of Matt Lahey.

This group of players seems to listen well to their coaching staff, along with the fact their defence and goaltending has been above-average so far which helps the performance of the rest of the team.

“From that good foundation it's allowed the forwards the freedom to try things in the offensive zone,” McParland explained. “We’re scoring probably much more than I expected we’d score.”

Not a lot was expected of this team going into their first game of the season versus Queen’s, and it’s safe to say the Lakers were the underdogs at that time. With the exception of one blowout loss, Nipissing has been right at the doorstep for every game; and can now be considered a favourite - or can they? McParland said thanks to the team’s schedule (they play four other Canadian Interuniversity Sport Top-10 teams before the Christmas break – they can technically still play the role of underdog.

What really helps his team is the fact he can move players in and out of the lineup on a regular basis, McParland said. An example: in the last few games, four of five players who hadn’t played a game up until that point came in and performed as though they had been playing all season.

“That sends a message to everybody that there’s no one guy that’s irreplaceable,” McParland added. “We can look at Matt Lahey, who at the time of his injury was leading the league in scoring - it’s a good sign that we’re a broad-based team, and we’re not dependent on one or two players for success.”

Lahey, Andrew Marcoux, Sam Hopewell, Marcus Pryde, Ryan Maunu and Nathan Hewitt are all players McParland expected to play well at the start of training camp. A pleasant surprise has been the contribution of the third and fourth-liners.

CHIPPING IN

“I think they all have (overachieved),” McParland said without hesitation. “Maybe not point-wise, but they all chip in.”

He pointed to Adam Simms as an example. Although the coach said Simms doesn’t have the most skill and he’s not the most talented player, he still contributes.

“He makes all the guys in our line-up 10 percent braver,” McParland said, “which allows them to play a little harder and a little freer.”

Other players who have surprised are Tyler Riel, a staple on the Lakers' penalty-kill, and North Bay native Justin Villeneuve, who has three goals so far. McParland said he doesn’t think the list will stop there.

“There are still one or two guys that can even do more,” McParland explained. “That’s what makes me very optimistic.”

When your win percentage is 81, you’ve obviously got good goaltending. Matt Hache and Kyle Cantlon have been stellar this season, but McParland said it’s not fair to designate one of them the starting goaltender.

“We think it would be an injustice,” McParland said. “Both goalies are more than capable of being a number-one goalie, and I’m not designating a number one. We’ll ride the guy that’s hot, and I think it’s necessary that both of them stay motivated because they challenge each other and they make each other better.”

McParland added the Lakers goaltending tandem has been as good as any in the league.

Nipissing plays its first home-and-home of the season this weekend versus Carleton University, a team McParland said was all the rage coming into the 2009-10 season. However, with a record of 4-3, the Ottawa school has not lived up to expectations. But McParland said the Ravens can't be taken lightly, and there are disadvantages to playing a team on back-to-back nights.

“Naturally, the travel to Carleton – there and back, that’s a long trip to make on Friday night. But if you can get used to it – I guess you can say we’re starting to get used to it.”

The only team ahead of Nipissing in their division is the Université du Québec à Trois Rivières (UQTR) a team Nipissing lost to 8-3 earlier in the season. McParland said he has the Dec. 4 rematch circled on his calendar.

“For sure,” McParland said as though he meant business, “8-3, that score for me is so misleading. They do have an explosive team and they are a very good team. Eight-three is flattering for them, but our guys definitely believe that when they’re back here we can beat them.”

The Lakers hit the ice Friday in Ottawa when they visit the Carleton Ravens, and face them again the next night at Memorial Gardens as part of a home-and-home.