The Windsor Lancers men's hockey team is looking to build on an incredible run last season that ended one win shy of the OUA Finals. The Lancers will obviously be trying to get back OUA West finals and further, however head coach Kevin Hamlin had no illusions on how hard such a feat would be.
 
"Every path is unique and different," Hamlin said, speaking to how his team could repeat last year's success. Hamlin also mentioned that any team that goes as far as his squad did last year, regardless of skill, need an immense amount of "puck luck", as coach Hamlin put it.
 
The Lancers will also have to overcome being the youngest team in the OUA with an astonishing 13 freshmen on the roster. With such a young team, leadership questions may be asked but fifth year left wing and captain Blake Blondeel is making sure that it not the case.
 
"I think a younger team looks up to you a little more," said Blondeel. "You're being watched even though you don't feel like it, you really are. Honestly the leadership group we have compliment me and they're doing a great job right now so I think you just really have to lead by example, as a collective, not just individually."
 
Blondeel also spoke to the process in practice to bring such a young team along.
 
"I think right now our mentality to start with is to learn the system and get better and better and better," explained the fifth year captain. "There's two things our coach went over last week for us. He wants us to be the hardest working team night in and night out and that we play our systems perfectly. That's two points he's been told over the years, so we want to hold that as our identity. Those are two things we're really stressing right now with such a new group."
 
Despite all the youth, coach Hamlin is confident in the older players. "We're very excited about the returning guys we have," said Hamlin. Windsor returns 12 players to the line-up this year including Blondeel, forwards Justice Dundas and Kyle Hope, defenseman Kyle Haas, and goaltender Blake Richard.
 
The Lancers open their 2017-18 campaign on the road at York Lions Friday October 13th, puck drop is at 7:00pm and can be seen live at www.oua.tv. Windsor's first home game is scheduled for October 20th at the South Windsor Arena where the Lancers will be taking on the Gee-Gees at 7:30pm. Season tickets for the Lancers can be purchased at www.goLancers.ca/tickets.