If things happened a little differently, Union defenseman Sebastien Gingras would be a member of the opposition this weekend when the second-ranked Dutchmen travel to Maine for two non-conference games.
That's because when the junior originally decided to play college hockey in early 2010, he committed to Maine for the 2011-12 season.
But like the best-laid plans, that never materialized. Gingras' relationship with Maine went south after he joined the U.S Hockey League's Muskegon Lumberjacks for the 2010-11 season. At the time, it was Muskegon's inaugural year and the team wasn't that good.
“Maine wanted me to continue in the USHL, and that wasn't the best fit for me. That's when we departed [ways],” said Gingras, who left Muskegon in Dec. 2010 to return to his previous team, the Central Canada Hockey League's Brockville Braves.
 |
| Gingras in action last weekend photo: Union College Sports Information |
“I was looking for something that was a better academic program,” said Gingras, who committed to Union in Oct. 2011. “I was really young when I committed to Maine. Maine has a great tradition, but I thought Union was the better fit on the academic side and [as far as] the type of opportunities available.”
Gingras said Union turned out to be the right decision, but it was disappointing at the time that Maine didn't pan out.
“It was very disappointing,” he said. “I was looking forward to playing at Maine. I visited and I loved the campus and the atmosphere. The fans were really great, and it's a great hockey program. But in the long run, it allowed me to open my eyes to a program that was more suited for me.”
Gingras is looking forward to finally getting a chance to play at Maine's famed Alfond Arena this weekend. Friday's game starts at 7:30 p.m. and will air live on Fox College Sports Pacific. Saturday's contest is scheduled for 7.
“It's going to be really special,” he said. “I'm really excited. My first visit was at Maine one weekend. It was absolutely packed and the fans were going [crazy]. It's going to be real fun to get back in that rink.”
When Gingras came to Union, he looked like a big-time offensive defenseman. The native of Pierrefonds, Quebec recorded 33 goals and 95 assists in 128 games at the junior hockey level, nearly all of which came in three years with the Braves.
But that kind of production hasn't been on display at Union. In 74 games with the Dutchmen, Gingras has registered only five goals and 14 assists.
Gingras said his offensive production has been slow to translate because of the differences between junior hockey and college hockey.
“Junior hockey is very open, sort of like the [exhibition] game we played a couple weeks ago against Prince Edward Island. There isn't much emphasis on defense,” he said. “College is very tight defensively, especially the ECAC. One of the biggest challenges is to create opportunities for yourself by moving your feet and getting pucks on net.”
Even though Gingras hasn't yet been a major points producer – “it takes a bit of time,” said Union head coach Rick Bennett – the 23-year-old has hardly been a disappointment in two years and change at Union.
“There's been some nights when he has been our best defenseman, and it's not something a lot of people would see,” Bennett said. “He does have some flash and he's a bigger guy, but he was human breakout machine and I think that's why Mat Bodie loved playing with him. He's big, strong, and has feet. He went back to get pucks, which made it easier on Mat.
“There were a lot of great things he did for our program and for his partner last year. That's the sign of a good defenseman.”
While Gingras doesn't wear an 'A' or a 'C', he's become a leader of sorts. The neuroscience major set an example of what it means to be a student-athlete when he posted a perfect 4.0 GPA in all three semesters last year.
“Guys respect him instantly because he does it right on the ice and off the ice,” Bennett said. “He does an excellent job with our players, especially the young guys, in how he carries himself and how he helps them out.”
Overall, Bennett is pleased with the progress Gingras has made in his time at Union, especially on the defensive side of his game. But he thinks Gingras can still make another leap.
“It's his time now,” Bennett said. “When Mat [Bodie] and Shayne [Gostisbehere] left [after last season], there was a great opportunity for him to step up as a junior. In some programs, it takes until your senior year to do that. He has a great chance to be in that echelon."
Follow @UnionHockeyBlog
No comments:
Post a Comment