Men's hockey: Talking Tommies

It's only too Canadian, when someone is doing well, to look for someone in close promixity who's struggling. While the UNB Varsity Reds are still savouring their win over Boston College, their neighbours at St. Thomas are struggling.

STU is a small school that runs a hybrid college/university sports program (as does Mount Allison, which plays soccer, football and women's hockey). Power's point is that Mount A eventually threw up it hands at trying to compete with larger universities. The Tommies are last in the country in goal differential (-2.56 per game), which at least raises questions.
"The Mounties found they could no longer keep up given the kind of players other schools were bringing in. It wasn't just UPEI or Moncton bringing in a few blue-chippers and dominating for a couple of years. All of their opponents were showing up at Allison Gardens loaded with major junior ex-patriots to pit against the Mounties' high school grads.

"... Once the tailspin started (at Mount A), it couldn't be reversed, STU isn't there yet but is it outrageous to think next season and the one after will perhaps be crucial? Are 1997's high school grads the equivalent of building with tier two junior players?"
One would hate the notion of university hockey losing any of its footprint in Atlantic Canada, where it has such a large following. It might be more a question of how much hockey matters as a spectator sport for STU students -- it's also about whether the games still have some relevance on campus.

Related:
Wide disparity between haves and have-nots in university hockey (Mike Power, Fredericton Daily Gleaner)
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