Saskatoon - A Team Looking for an Identity

[Ozzy Batty 293]

Can Saskatoon Figure Out Who They Are, Or Is It Too Late?

 

(Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) The Wild has had a season of ups and downs, but it seems like the "Downs" are going to win out. The Wild had put together a 4 game winning streak that included to 7 goal scoring games. It seemed like they had figured out the last piece of the puzzle and their season was going to turn around. But then they suffered a 2-4 loss against the Mississauga Hounds. The Wild appeared to regroup as they defeated the Ottawa Lynx 4-3 and got revenge on the Hounds with a 5-1 victory. Things were starting to look up for the Wild...it seemed.

The Wild were then defeated by the Philadelphia Reapers 2-4 but once again rebounded to defeat the Ottawa Lynx 3-2. But then the wheels came off. There 6 defeats in a row, with losses to Halifax (2-3), Houston (1-2, Mexico City (1-4), Halifax again (1-4), followed by another defeat at the hands of Mexico City (4-5) and lastly a loss to Ottawa by a score of 2-5. The Wild currently have a record of 13-16-3 with a paltry 29 points, an abysmal goal difference of -13 and are currently, officially, on a 4 game skid. 

 

Where did it go wrong? Yes, the Wild had a rocky start for sure. But then they seemed to have figured it out. They were winning, not only the close games, but even winning big (remember those 7 goal games?). But now, the goals seem to be few and far between. During those last 6 games, they scored 11 goals, which if they had a top-class defense, might have been enough to win. But we all know this team is a work in progress and there were going to be holes that needed to be covered. The way to make up for a weak defense is to have a strong offense, and the Saskatoon Forwards seem to have lost their mojo. Yes, during that same 6 game stretch the Wild gave up 23 goals, which is nothing to cheer about, but it is easy to see how there was not much going right during that stretch. Those kinds of lows can knock a team off of the track and derail the rest if its season.

We hope that is not the case with Saskatoon. It is easy to see the spirits of the players has not taken a hit as they left the arena after practice on Friday. If anything, there was a steeled determination on their faces. They do not look like a team that is in last place, but more like a team that has everything to play for, even if at this point in the season it is more for pride than anything else. 

The season is not what we wanted for the Saskatoon Wild, but it is what was expected, deep inside, we knew this was going to be a tough season. The question is, will the Wild continue to fight or have they been tamed for yet another season?

 

Word Count: 503

Claimed: Week ending 23 Apr