Engineering bests commerce in annual charity hockey game

For the fourth year in a row, Dalhousie University engineering students faced off against commerce students in a charity hockey match at the Halifax Forum.

According to organizers, more than 2,370 Dal students attended the game on March 14, raising $75,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society. The engineering beat the commerce team, evening the all-time series at two apiece.

Signs, cut-out heads, and even bedsheets were done up in support of the teams.

“It’s awesome to see the pride on both sides, and just to see everybody showing up to support a great cause,” said William Godfrey, a first-year commerce student and player. 

Godfrey was excited for the game and the chance to best the engineers.

“We took the last one, so I know they’ll be looking for some blood this time, but it clearly means a lot,” Godfrey said.

Once the game started, fans cheered every time a player touched the puck. Just one minute in, Liam Walsh scored the opening goal for the commerce team, and the roof almost blew off. 

The engineers dominated the rest of the period, as Nick Morin and Cooper Puma found the back of the net. Engineering ended the period up 3-1, and it looked like a rout was underway.

After engineering scored yet again to make it 4-1, the game seemed out of reach for commerce, and engineering fans were loving every minute of it. Engineering fans chanted “Daddy’s money!” while “We employ you!” rang out from the commerce fans.

“It’s almost like a European soccer game,” said Declan Hearn, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student and the team’s head coach. “It’s bigger than a hockey game for these guys.”

That scrappy attitude was clear on the ice — more gametime minutes were spent shorthanded than five on five.

“I don’t think I like any of them, and they don’t like us,” said Alex Caulfeild, a third-year engineering student and former Kingston Frontenacs draft pick. “I want to do everything I can to beat them.”

Commerce shortened the lead in the second period. Goals from Godfrey and Logan Durno brought the lead to within one, and stellar play from goalie Braeden Shaikh kept the engineering team at bay. 

The third period brought nerves. With minutes left to go, commerce put on the pressure, drawing a penalty and pulling the goalie to play six on four. As the clock hit 13 seconds, Commerce was awarded a penalty shot.

With the game on his stick, Matthew Fraser slowly approached goalie Mitchell Spearns. Despite the hard sell to the left, Fraser could not bury the puck, and engineering went on to win the game.

“Engineering is going to be the new big man on campus,” said Charleigh Roman, a first-year commerce student.