Outdoor hockey is a rite of passage for Canadians across the prairie provinces, where a large number of NHL players are pumped out every year.

Before the era of indoor white ice, there was pond hockey. This iconic, Canadian pastime evokes feelings of excitement, patriotism and pride nationwide. Harsh winters transform sloughs, rivers and lakes into perfect skating surfaces. As a result, many athletes from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba first learned to skate outdoors.

“It’s the best place to play,” said 33-year-old ..read more

Long time SAIT Trojans women’s hockey player Melanie Vincent has just become the franchise’s all time leader in games played with 117. Vincent is in her fifth and final season with the SAIT Trojans, and will be graduating this spring from the Medical Laboratory Technology program.

The Trojans wrapped up a disappointing 2011/12 season with back-to-back losses to the NAIT Ooks over the weekend, dropping them out of playoff contention.

Vincent provided some much needed veteran leadership to a young Trojans squad, ..read more

With the recent revelations that Sydney Crosby’s concussion symptoms were in large part thanks to broken vertebrae in his neck, debate has switched from when the NHL superstar would return to the ice to if he should return at all.

There has to be a point when overall health takes precedence over performance.

SAIT Trojans head athletic therapist Kim Sweeney has the difficult task of assessing injuries and informing athletes as to the risks associated with continuing on in sports after sustaining ..read more

Former SAIT Trojan, Melanie McCann achieved her Olympic dreams, securing her position on the Canadian women’s modern pentathlon team for this summer’s Olympic Games in London, England.

McCann, a 2010 SAIT civil engineering technology graduate, was the first Canadian modern pentathlete during the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico last October to qualify for the prestigious Olympic Games in London. “I feel so happy, so excited and so relieved to have qualified,” said McCann, 22.

As a member of the SAIT Trojans ..read more

Another season is winding down for Trojans athletics, and players and fans alike are gearing up for long playoff runs.

With the regular season ending in mid February, there is still time to jockey for positioning in the ACAC playoff races.

Who will be the team to step up and add another ACAC title to SAIT’s already rich sporting history?

With playoffs just around the corner, it’s time to take a look at how each Trojans team stands heading into the ACAC playoffs.

Volleyball

Womens It has ..read more

Following the City of Edmonton’s approval of $125 million for a new Oilers arena, many Calgary Flames fans are calling out for an equal endowment.

“It’s like a kid’s need to have the same toy as his neighbour, we all want the newest, coolest facility for our city,” said Mark Reynolds, a community league hockey coach during a Trojans hockey game Feb. 4.

“[The Saddledome is] still functional and we should hold off spending the money until it’s really needed,” said Reynolds’ ..read more

There’s a sense of pride associated with donning the merchandise of your favourite sports team. It’s a way to pronounce to the world, “This is my team—take it or leave it.” And while sporting merchandise such as jerseys and baseball caps have always been around, love it or hate it, these items have started to become a permanent fixture in most men’s wardrobe.

Yet not all sporting gear is tailored towards the male customer, as evidenced in the rise of ladies ..read more

When it was announced earlier last year that Mount Royal University would be joining the Canadian Interuniversity Sports (CIS) league, the SAIT Trojans lost their biggest inner city rival.

This only adds to the limited competitive opportunities the SAIT Trojans currently have within the Alberta Colleges Athletics Conference (ACAC).

In 2001 the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association (CCAA), of which the ACAC is a member, abolished their national championships for men’s and women’s hockey, which meant Trojans teams could no longer win anything ..read more

February 5, men and women will gather to celebrate the final game of the NFL season, but often it is the snacks and food available that take centre stage and force the game to the back-burner.

Everyone likes to indulge in some snacks during the Super Bowl, so whether you’re a New York Giants fan or you’re pulling for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, here are some quick and easy recipes that should have party-goers coming back for more.

Savoury ..read more

To call Ken Babey a SAIT hero and inspiration is merely scratching the surface when describing the father of the Trojans after 25 years as athletic director and coach.

At the suggestion he might be feeling old after a quarter century with SAIT Babey laughed, “It’s been a long road but I’m only getting started.”

After winning an ACAC title in 1982, the program would wait another 15 years until its next title in 1997. Babey took over the head coaching role ..read more

Either due to injury or other factors, the men and women of Troy have bolstered their lineups over the holidays with fresh faces and potential stars.

The Trojans men’s basketball team added four new members over the break in hopes of cementing the roster to make a strong push going forward into their second half. First-year automotive service technology student Patrick Chea, first-year academic upgrading students Jared McLellan and Daniel Kabeya and second-year pipefitting technology student Tervil Brown were brought in ..read more

According to experts, a holistic approach to health has become increasingly popular among post-secondary students.

While the price tag may be daunting, industry professionals say even the starving student can incorporate holistic health practices into their lifestyle with relative ease.

SAIT’s Health and Wellness Fair held on Jan. 18 in the Heart Atrium, showed clear support for the movement toward homeopathy. Most practitioners’ booths highlighted complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practices and products, while only one was reserved to promote conventional preventative ..read more

Within the world of sports, certain games mean more than others. Games played against bitter rivals often offer the best storylines and the most drama, and are generally the games that leave lasting impressions on players and fans alike.

Over the winter break, Canadian hockey fans were treated to one of the best hockey games in recent memory as the Canadian World Junior team lost another hard-fought game to their bitter rivals from Russia. This semi-final loss marked the first time ..read more

After close to a month off, the Trojans men’s hockey team was put to work early in 2012, competing in the fifth annual Challenge Cup hosted at SAIT from Jan. 2-3.

Also participating in the tournament were teams from the University of Calgary, the University of Alberta, and the University of Lethbridge. Each of these teams compete in the larger CIS, and the exhibition matches gave the Trojans a great opportunity to test their skills against tougher competition.

Head coach Ken Babey ..read more

The effect sex has on athletes before events was associated with myth and misinformation since competition began.

Plato wrote in 444 BC that, “Olympic competitors before races should avoid sexual intimacy.”

In 77 AD, Pliny the Elder wrote to the contrary that “Athletes when sluggish are revitalized by lovemaking.”

Thousands of years later, the controversy continues with athletes like boxer Muhammad Ali who would abstain for weeks before a title bout, while Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath was a supporter of sex, ..read more

The year 2012 is now upon us, which means it’s time for men and women to fulfill their New Year’s resolution of getting fit or finding a partner.

Sometimes, both can be accomplished in the same place.

Most gyms have a high number of both men and women getting or staying in shape. And with mirrors everywhere, most people can’t help but ogle.

Natalie Bjurman noticed sexual tensions while she played college hockey at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, where she worked ..read more

Troy, the Trojan Warhorse, SAIT’s ‘fun’damental icon for sports fans has become merely a phantom for students this season.

“I don’t have much school pride to even care,” said second-year information technology student Dan Croteau.

Croteau was one of over 30 students who were asked if they knew who Troy, the SAIT mascot, was.

Croteau, like many SAIT students, doesn’t have the time to follow SAIT sports.

“Troy’s job is to support fan energy but it all comes back to the students,” said SAIT ..read more

In 2011 the Ultimate Fighting Championship signed a landmark seven-year deal with the FOX network, which will net the company around $90 million US per year in rights fees. But this contract also signals that mixed martial arts is big business and a changing of the guard is taking place, transitioning viewership from professional wrestling to mixed martial arts.

There was a time when WWE wrestlers were larger than life. When Hulk Hogan told kids to eat their vitamins and say ..read more

When the health and condition of your body is essential to your livelihood, you tend to take fitness and health a little more seriously, and Trojan athletes at SAIT put in serious work to ensure that they are in top physical form when it’s time to don the red and white of the Trojans.

In preparation for their weekend game schedule, Trojan athletes train as much as six-days-a-week, for a total of six to eighteen hours.

SAIT Trojans head athletic therapist Kim ..read more

SAIT has been a part of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) since 1964, and though this conference may not have the same distinction the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), the Trojans manage to build championship caliber teams on an annual basis.

Though playing sports in the ACAC may not always be the platform to launch athletic careers into the next level, every year athletes continue to don the red and white of the Trojans, because SAIT has created a culture to ..read more

A recent tragedy in Edmonton has brought attention to the most dangerous play in hockey—shot blocking.

Sixteen-year-old Kyle Fundytus, a player for the Edmonton Don Wheaton Midget AA, lost his life Nov. 13 after being hit in the neck by a shot. He went into cardiac arrest and died later in the hospital.

The event shook the hockey world, and showed many how much damage a puck can really do.

It has also raised the issue of whether shot blocking should be coached ..read more

The Trojans women’s basketball team may have hearts as big as their basketballs. They’ve teamed up with the Calgary Women’s Centre to organize a toy drive for women in need. Toys will be donated to mothers needing an extra hand this Christmas so their children will have something to unwrap Dec. 25.

The team had never paired up with the women’s shelter until assistant coach Mecoh Bain suggested the idea. Head coach Donovan Martin quickly jumped on board.

“Coach Bain volunteers down ..read more

Click on the image below to check out the snowboarding forecast for Winter 2011/12.

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A slow start for the Trojans  women’s hockey team has not dampened their spirits or drive for success.

After winning the ACAC championship last year, the women’s team now stands in the middle of the league, with a record of two wins, four losses, three ties and one overtime loss. The Trojans, however, are not panicking, as they sit only six points behind Mount Royal and NAIT, who are tied for first in the standings.

SAIT has a collection of talented players, ..read more

One of the most overlooked aspects of being a student­ athlete is the added pressures of trying to balance a commitment to sports, as well as finding time to study while constantly at practice or on the road for away games.

Trojan teams play an away game almost every weekend, and while some are close to home, others can be in Edmonton, Briercrest, Vancouver or beyond. Travel is normally by bus, so student athletes have to be committed to balance their ..read more

Post-secondary athletic facilities are often some of the most in-demand and highly utilized services a school has to offer, and SAIT’s are no different.

How many schools can say they have a FIFA level two certified soccer field? SAIT can.

The Cohos Common field could be considered the jewel of the SAIT athletic facilities crown.  The field, which opened in 2010, now provides the Trojans with a FIFA caliber soccer pitch.

“What we have is a FIFA level two playing surface that is ..read more

Being an Oilers fan in Calgary is akin to belonging to a secret club but instead of a secret handshake, it’s a nod or polite smile to a passing stranger brave enough to wear orange and blue on the street.

There is an instant connection, a friend in the face of adversity.

It’s nice to have someone share the brunt of the ‘boos’ or ‘Oilers suck’ chants, but why is this necessary?

There is a certain apprehension when you first enter the Saddledome ..read more

After a disappointing 2010 – 11 season, that saw the Trojan men’s volleyball team finish eighth overall, the Men of Troy are off to an impressive start with a record of five wins and one loss.

With only five returning players, the culture in the locker room has shifted and resulted in the Trojans excelling on the court.

“They are so competitive with each other, no one is comfortable in their spot,” said head coach Ryan Marsden, now in his fifth season ..read more

After a solid bronze medal finish at this year’s ACAC cross-country championship, the women Trojans were ready to impress once again.

This past weekend the women’s Trojans cross-country team sent six members to the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association (CCAA) national championship in Kamloops, BC. It marked the first time since 2006 that SAIT has sent that many female runners. What the team might have lacked in experience at the event, they made up for with dedication and hard work.

“They worked hard ..read more

Standing tall beside the net at five-foot-eleven, petroleum engineering student Caia Morstad crushes the competition as one of the Trojans women’s volleyball team’s menacing new left sides. Her height and incredible athletic abilities have helped Morstad’s number seven jersey stand out.

Morstad, a first-year SAIT student from Swift Current, boasts a power-packed resumé with experience from multiple teams and clubs throughout Canada and the US.

She has played for both the University of Saskatchewan Huskies as well as the Middle Tennessee State ..read more

It seems that Dejuan Peart was always meant to be a Trojan.

Now that he is, he not only earns his keep on the basketball court, but continues to learn every step of the way.

After graduation from Lester B. Pearson High School in 2006, Peart stayed with friend Ryan Wetherell in California. He attended the University of South California (USC) and played pick-up with the USC Trojans.

“My goal was to play basketball in America,” said Peart at the Odyssey Café between ..read more

Darcee and Robyn Froese have more than just parents in common, this year they’re also captains of the men’s and women’s Trojans volleyball teams.

Robyn was joined by her brother Darcee at SAIT this fall after he attended and played for Red Deer College taking business administration. Darcee is continuing his education in the bachelor of business administration at SAIT, good news for Trojans because it means the 21 year-old will be at SAIT for an additional year.

Robyn is also pursuing ..read more