Fresh off an AJHL title, Spruce Grove Is Working Hard To Prepare For Vernon:

Saints get back to work

Fresh off an AJHL title, Spruce Grove is working hard to prepare for Vernon

By GERRY MODDEJONGE, Edmonton Sun

Last Updated: April 15, 2010

The Vernon Vipers’ motto is Making History One Cup at a Time.

Just not this time, if the Spruce Grove Saints have their say.

Hot off the heels of a seven-game series to bring Spruce Grove its first Enerflex Cup, the Saints host the defending national champions from B.C. Friday at 7 p.m. at the Grant Fuhr Arena as the Doyle Cup series gets underway.

“It’s been a big deal around here. We’re certainly real pleased with how that last series turned out,” said Saints head coach Steve Hamilton, whose squad dispatched the Fort McMurray Oil Barons 6-0 on Tuesday to capture the AJHL title.

But the celebrations were short and sweet.

“It was important for the guys to enjoy what they accomplished,” Hamilton said. “We brought them in (Wednesday) and made sure that we’re all back to work because it’s a short turnaround here.”

As opposed to the long haul that was the AJHL final series.

“That was a great series. I really have a ton of respect for how (Oil Barons head coach) Gord (Thibodeau) had his team ready to go,” Hamilton said. “It’s good to know about yourself that you’ve been successful in a tough spot and we’re going to be facing a great opponent here in the defending national champions.”

While the Oil Barons and Saints squared off 13 times this season, the Doyle Cup brings together a brand new opponent — one with 14 players returning from last year’s championship.

“A lot of it is going to be adjustments along the way,” Hamilton said, adding all the two sides have to go on for now is tendencies. “Until you actually get out there and get involved in the series, it’s going to be a bit of a work in progress in terms of planning.

“It’s a little bit different in a sense that we’re perhaps going into it a little bit blind.”

Historically, however, both the Saints and Vipers know their work is cut out for them.

“I’d say these are the two premier leagues in Canada,” Hamilton said of the Pacific region. “In the past, there’s been some great representatives come out of this series from both representatives.”

After the showdown between the Alberta and B.C. champions, the Pacific region winner will advance to the 2010 RBC Cup championship tournament May 1-9 in Dauphin, Man.

The Saints will host the first two games Friday and Saturday, and possibly a third Sunday if the series is tied 1-1. If the first two games are swept, Game 3 will be Tuesday in Vernon. The remainder of the games will also be played in Vernon.

“I like that we’re starting at home,” Hamilton said. “We’ve been a good home team and we’ve been a great road team, too. I think to build on the energy that has been in this building throughout the playoffs — but particularly the last series — it was unbelievable.

“To get back to work as soon as we are can be a bit of an advantage because typically with time off between series, we’ve had a bit of a slower start. In this series, obviously, we can’t afford a slow start so I think the guys are champing (at the bit) to get at it.”

Now’s there chance to make some history of their own.