THUNDER BAY – Jeff Bosch is looking to put last season behind him.
When on the ice, the fifth-year Lakehead Thunderwolves netminder has established himself as a reliable starter. The problem has been staying on the ice on a consistent basis.
Last year the Thunderwolves had to make do without their goalie for much of the campaign after two fluke injuries. First, Bosch suffered a concussion on Oct. 10 when he lost an edge and crashed headfirst into the boards in a game against York. Then, three months later, a pointblank slap shot in a game against Guelph obliterated his mask, shelving him for the rest of the regular season and the team’s playoff push.
“I’ve been approaching this season by taking it as a fresh start. I worked hard all summer to get back into condition and feel really good coming in,” he said earlier this week before a practice session at the Port Arthur Arena.
“I just have to have a short memory and forget about last year.”
In the midst of the injuries and subsequent limited action, the 25-year-old struggled during regular season play, sporting a 2-6-0 mark with a .423 goals against average. That’s a significant slip from 2013-2014, when Bosch was one of the top goaltenders in the OUA with a 7-6-1 record but 2.32 goals against average and .923 save percentage while battling lower body injuries.
Despite the lackluster numbers from one year ago, Bosch is determined to emerge from training camp as the team’s primary starter in a battle that includes experienced third-year Justin McDonald and rookie Devin Green.
“I’ve been here for four years now and have a bunch of experience,” he said. “I’ve pretty much seen everything and know how this league works. I don’t like not playing and I don’t like sitting on the bench.”
Head coach Bill McDonald has a simple philosophy for determining the role of each keeper, though acknowledges the past couple of years have shown it will be a fluid situation.
“It comes down to who’s winning the games and who’s playing well,” he said.
But Justin McDonald, who has appeared in 33 regular season contests over his first two years as the presumed backup, has starting aspirations of his own.
Though shaky at times throughout the campaign, McDonald played a pivotal role in the playoff sweep of the favoured Western Mustangs in February when he stonewalled one of the most potent attacks in the conference.
“I have high expectations for myself to not only be the starter for this team but also do good things and be one of the best goalies in the league, if not the nation,” he said.
Green, the incoming freshman from the Alberta Junior Hockey League, has earned the praise from his veteran goaltending partners as well as the coaching staff during his first week on the ice.
“I just wanted to come into this camp and prove to myself and the coaches I can be here, maybe get some playing time but work hard all season,” Green said. “Goaltending is so much of a mental game and whenever the opportunity comes you have to be ready to jump on it, whether it’s in practice or in a game.”
While training camp has provided some indication, the coach is waiting for the start of the non-conference slate against the Manitoba Bisons on Sept. 25 to be the true test.
“We’re going to have to put a lot of stock into the non-conference games,” he said. “The non-conference games are going to be a lot harder and a lot different than the scrimmages we’ve had…It will be interesting to see how these guys accept it and step up.”
