Dan Falloon
A pair of local hockey players are adjusting to “Sainthood” in Duluth.
Tyler Miller and Chris Sinclair, both Fort Frances products, are in their rookie seasons with the St. Scholastica Saints, an NCAA Division III program.
The Saints are ranked second in their conference and fourth in the entire conference after a 1-1 tie against conference-leading St. Norbert.
Miller explained part of the success lies in the hockey culture of the school.
“The hockey part of it’s been fun because we’ve only lost three games all year and it’s a great bunch of guys down here,” enthused the 21-year-old, who has six goals and 14 assists on the season.
“No one likes losing around here.”
Miller also noted because of the short 23-game schedule, which is less than half of a regular junior league campaign, losses become more and more devastating as they start to pile up.
“Every game means something,” he remarked. “It’s a short season if you’re on the losing side of it.”
Sinclair, also 21, agreed, describing the pressure teams face each game.
“Every game means that much more and you’re preparing that much harder,” reasoned Sinclair, who has notched a goal and four assists on the season.
“You can’t have a night off,” he stressed. “In junior, you take one night off and lose one game out of the 60, you look back and say, ‘Oh well.’
“But down here, you lose one game and it could cost you the season.”
Miller, an education major, is on a line with Jeremy Dawes, who sits a point off the team scoring lead with 12 goals and 11 assists.
Miller is expected to contribute offensively after tearing up junior hockey in 2008-09, notching 113 points after splitting the season between the OJHL’s Port Hope Predators and now defunct Thunder Bay Bearcats of the SIJHL.
“This year, I’m playing on one of the top lines with Jeremy Dawes and Riley Riddell [seven goals and 11 assists],” noted Miller. “So far, we’re doing good as a line.
“We’re helping out with the scoring, and we’re each putting up our points that the coach is hoping for us to put up this year.”
Miller also is at the top of the leaderboard in another category, recording 34 penalty minutes. But he maintained he’s not a particularly hard-nosed player—he’s just been given less leeway by the referees.
“It’s not something that I want to do. It just seems like I end up in the box more down here,” he chuckled.
“It’s hard to score when you’re in the box, but my line’s finding a way to do it, I guess.
“I’m not a gritty player, it’s just the way the calls are going, Miller added. “I’m just trying to stay out of that penalty box.”
The 5’4, 140-pound Sinclair, meanwhile, has been shuffled in and out of the lineup, and finds himself patrolling the fourth line when he hits the ice.
“I’m in and out of the lineup, occasionally,” he noted. “Playing fourth-line, this year, just out there not to get scored on.
“To add energy to the team, get stuff going. A big hit, maybe, by one of my linemates,” he added.
“I’m not going to be throwing many big hits, with my size,” Sinclair admitted. “But just keeping the puck out of our net, and out of our end.”
Miller and Sinclair played minor hockey together, but also have lined up against each other—most recently when Miller’s Bearcats trounced Sinclair’s Fort Frances Jr. Sabres in the SIJHL playoffs last year.
“We played together a while ago,” Sinclair recalled. “We played back in PeeWee together, and growing up, I played against him, so we know the way each other plays.
“In practice, we have fun because we know where each other is going to be.
“I’m not playing with him this year, but maybe down the road, we’ll be playing together and have some chemistry,” he added.
“It’s just a life-long friendship from now on in,” chipped in Miller. “Right now, we’re just having fun down here and trying to keep on winning.”
Sinclair, an exercise physiology major, feels the U.S. college game is quicker than junior but the atmosphere in an arena can be a bit rowdier, too.
“The atmosphere is different than junior in the rinks because it’s mostly the college students that go to the games,” he remarked. “You’ve got your whole campus there cheering for you and it creates that much more energy in the rink.
“The competitiveness is a lot higher, that’s for sure.”
Sinclair had nothing but praise for his adopted city and his new team, saying he’s thrilled to be in Duluth.
“I’m loving it down here. The city is beautiful and the campus is great,” he lauded. “It’s got a very good reputation. The hockey is good.
“I’m on such a good team this year, so I have no complaints, that’s for sure.”
