SAIT’s all-time sniper list now has a new top marksman.
Shane Lust scored the eventual game winner for the SAIT Trojans on Saturday afternoon during a 4-1 Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) men’s hockey win over the homestanding Briercrest College Clippers at Barkman Arena. And with that much-anticipated tally past Clippers goaltender Jesse Chenard – which finished off a two-on-one attack with teammate Brad Plumton, at the 16:43 mark of the second period – Lust takes his rightful place as the most prolific goal scorer in SAIT Trojans history.
Lust (4th-year forward, Calgary, business administration, AJHL Calgary Royals) has now racked up 64 regular-season goals in Trojan red and white, surpassing Duane Potekal (1982-86) and Rich Norberg (1981-84), who each tallied 63 through their own SAIT careers. Lust had drawn even with Potekal and Norberg on Dec. 3 in a 4-3 loss to the Mount Royal University Cougars.
“It was a nice goal, and a great moment for him,” noted veteran Trojans head coach Ken Babey. “And he hasn’t even finished the season yet. It’s a great accomplishment for Shane. He’s been a valuable player for us during his time here, and we hope he continues to score goals.”
With 10 regular-season games to go in 2010-11, Lust now stands sixth in all-time ACAC goal scoring. The high mark of 85 by NAIT’s Ron Amyotte (1984-87) is probably out of reach if Lust doesn’t return for a fifth season, but the totals of MRU’s Jeremy Robinson (73) and Ryan Bennato (71) are within reach this campaign.
“There have been some great players to come through this program,” noted Lust, 24. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet, but I know it’s a pretty big accomplishment. I was really excited when it happened.
“I don’t know how many I’ll end up with, but usually when I’m scoring, the team’s winning games, and that’s all that matters now that we’re coming down the homestretch.”
Victory pulls the four-time defending ACAC champion Trojans (13-2-3) out of a four-game winless funk, which included a pair of exhibition losses at their own Challenge Cup tournament to begin January.
The Men of Troy are temporarily five points up on MRU (11-4-2) in the fight for top spot in the eight-team conference, pending the Cougars’ home result later Saturday against the visiting NAIT Ooks.
Shawn Hunter (1st-year forward, Caroline, Alta., academic upgrading, SJHL Humboldt) and Trevor Bailey (1st-year forward, Winfield, B.C., academic upgrading, BCHL Westside) scored third-period power play goals to put the game away at 4-0. Briercrest’s Josh Dueck spoiled the shutout bid of SAIT’s Tommy Tartaglione (2nd year, Harbor City, Calif., new media production and design, WHL Prince George) with just under three minutes left.
And Saturday afternoon’s game was memorable for another moment besides Lust’s. SAIT’s Thane Wood (3rd-year defence, Lethbridge, Alta., hospitality management, AJHL Brooks) was credited with the game’s first goal on a bizarre, 160-foot play.
“A penalty was being called on us, and their goalie left the net. One of their guys walked out of the corner in our zone, Thane went to poke-check him, their sticks touched blade to blade, and the puck slid all the way down the ice into their net,” said Babey. “I’ve never seen that in 24 years (at the Trojans’ helm). Never in my life, let alone coaching.”
After facing 47 shots on Friday night in a 2-2 tie, Chenard was the subject of another 43-shot Trojan barrage on Saturday. Tartaglione turned aside 19 of 20 shots by the Clippers (3-12-3).