Dunkle and Ooks prepare for Vikings
by ACAC Sports Writer Curtis J. Phillips
During his last three seasons of post-secondary hockey, Tanner Dunkle has seen his NAIT Ooks lose only 11 games.
On the reverse end, where the W looms large, the Ooks have won an impressive 80 regular season games within the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) ranks while skating to back-to-back ACAC men's hockey banners.
"It's an awesome feeling," said Dunkle, 24, a high-scoring forward for the Edmonton school, leading the eight-team ACAC in goals scored during the 2016-2017 regular season with 24 along with 15 assists. "I do not know if I can describe it going undefeated (32 regular season games, four playoff games) last year (2015-2016) and then winning it all. It is an unbelievable feeling."
Last year the Ooks outscored their opponents 193-58 with Dunkle, a native of Red Deer, Alberta, contributing 28 points (11 goals 17 assists( in a high-octane offense led by John Dunbar (26 goals, 31 assists), Trace Elson (20 goals 26 assists) and Riley Sheen (16 goals 26 assists).
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| #10, Tanner Dunkle, NAIT Ooks |
With Dunbar and Sheen now graduated, Dunkle picked up some of the scoring slack with 39 points while second-year Elson's output remains focused with an ACAC leading 44 points on 11 goals and 33 assists.
Having played Junior A hockey with the Okotoks Oilers, Olds Grizzlies and Lloydminster Bobcats (2009-2014), Dunkle balanced work and hockey for three years after graduating high school.
"I did anything and everything when it came to jobs during that time," recalled the 5-foot-8 Dunkle. "I worked in a sheet metal shop, hockey camps and out on a farm. Working on the farm, I wasn't too good at it and sometimes didn't know what I was doing. Hey…I'm a city boy."
Upon returning to school in 2014-2015 to attend NAIT he said: "It was really tough the first year, so I took upgrading. Just to get back into things. Being away from (education) for three years, I lost a lot of stuff that I had been taught in high school."
Currently enrolled in Civil Engineering Technology, Dunkle is undecided on a career path with the possibility of "being a fire fighter" or "professional hockey player somewhere in Europe" on the radar.
"I hear good things about being a fireman and that it's like playing hockey in that they have a team mentality. I've also talked to a couple of guys who played hockey in Europe or down in the Southern Professional Hockey League and they are loving it there to. I still have one more year at NAIT though to think about it."
NAIT Ooks take on the University of Alberta Augustana Vikings in one of two ACAC semi-finals which start tonight. The other best-of-three semi-final features SAIT Trojans against the McEwan University Griffins.
NAIT Ooks vs. University of Alberta Augustana Vikings
NAIT Ooks 22 wins 6 losses 138 goals for 70 goals against
Goals per Game 4.93 Shots per Game 32.0 Power-play goals 30 Short-handed goals 3
Ooks Young Guns: Trace Elson 11 goals and 33 assists 44 points, Tanner Dunkle 24 goals 15 assists 39 points, Jake Mykitiuk 10 goals 21 assists 31 points
University of Alberta Augustana Vikings 18 wins 9 losses 1 overtime loss 100 goals for 70 goals against
Goals per Game 3.57 Shots per Game 12.3 Power-play goals 25 Short-handed goals 5
Vikings Young Guns: Jeff Lorenz, 9 goals 15 assist 24 points, Lukas Biensch 7 goals 15 assists 22 points, Patrick Thompson-Gale 10 goals 11 assists 21 points
SAIT Trojans vs. MacEwan University Griffins
SAIT Trojans 19 wins 6 losses 3 overtime losses 105 goals for 75 goals against
Goals per Game 3.75 Shots per Game 28.8 Power-play goals 29 Short-handed goals 7
Trojans Young Guns: Dean Allison, 14 goals 24 assist 38 points, Pat Martens 15 goals 9 assist 24 points, Joel Hamilton 13 goals 11 assist 24 points
MacEwan University Griffins 21 wins 7 losses 123 goals for 69 goals against
Goals per Game 4.39 Shots per Game 30.5 Power-play goals 25 Short-handed goals 7
Griffins Young Guns: Brett Njaa 11 goals 20 assists 31 points, Ryan Benn 10 goals 16 assists 26 points, Tyler Morrison 8 goals 17 assists 25 points