The Weekly Albertan

Ticket prices for Trojans’ games have been raised this year to include the price of parking with game admission.

Game and Events Coordinator, Kristie Strumm, sits in the SAIT Trojans' hockey rink with admission tickets. The ticket prices have increased this season, in order to include parking.

Far from being a dairy farmer near the town of Winchester, Ont., veteran SAIT cameraman knows what it takes to make Olympic coverage a sport in itself.

SAIT television production instructor Carman Dawley will be operating a mobile camera, similar to the ones found in studios, at the hockey games during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Marvin Calderon, SAIT Polytechnic

The SAIT Trojans women’s volleyball team finally ended an eight-year losing streak against rivals Mount Royal University Cougars on Friday Jan. 15.

The injury-plagued Trojans battled through a four-set game, beating the Cougars in sets two, three, and four (25-19, 25-18, 25-21.)

Andrea Price, a second year left side from MRU, said her team did not mentally prepare well enough for the matches.

“SAIT played a really good game that night,” she said.

Daly Donaghy of the SAIT Trojans Women's volleyball team competes against the MRU Cougars at SAIT on Jan. 15. The Trojans won 3-1 after an eight year losing streak against the cross-town rivals

He’s a minor celebrity, a former big wheel in roller hockey and an unorthodox practitioner of his trade. But for California goaltender Tommy Tartaglione, being uncommon is simply being optimistic about life.

“Being from (California) I have a little flare for dramatics,” said Tartaglione, 21, also known as Tommy T. “People tend to get excited about that”.

Tartaglione is one of the new recruits for the Trojan’s hockey team, which is trying to capture its fourth title as league champions.

The Trojans recently beat the NAIT Ooks 8-2 and 3-2, respectfully placing them second in the ACAC standings, with much of the credit going to Tartaglione’s goaltending.

“He looked like he had a lot of confidence,” said Brennan Strang, roommate and fellow teammate. “When our goaltender’s got confidence, it gives us confidence.”

Strang said Tartaglione’s personality sets him apart from other teammates, and it’s carried onto the ice.

“He’s got a lot of energy, and he’s got a good attitude on life,” Strang said.

Tartaglione said his zest for life comes from the support he has from his family and the example given to him by, his 14-year-old brother Ethan “Baby” Tartaglione.

Baby Tartaglione suffers from Cephalic disorder, a congenital disorder of the nervous system.

“Every day I call home and I can hear him laughing in the background,” said Tartaglione.”If you see pictures of him he’s always happy.”

Others have noticed Tartaglione’s flare for life and his unique style of play, which stems from the years he played roller hockey in his native California.

Ken Babey, Trojans head coach, said he is excited for Tommy to be here.

“He’s got a style of play, I think, that confuses the opposition,” Babey said. “I’m impressed with his ability to stop the puck. At the end of the day, that’s the key factor.”

Tartaglione, of Harbor City, Calif., spent three seasons in the Western Hockey League with Vancouver, Regina and Prince George, before finishing his junior career with the British Columbia Hockey League’s Surrey Eagles.

Tartaglione noted there was “a big wave of California players my age

coming up to Canada to play, and that was mainly because of (Wayne)

Gretzky” playing for the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings.

Tartaglione honed his style watching the Los Angeles Blades of the long-defunct Roller Hockey International, and playing roller hockey until he was 14.

“It’s a completely different style,” Tartaglione says. “You’ve got to stand up a

lot more, because you can’t slide on the roller hockey floor. A lot of standing

up, and diving around making desperation saves.”

On Jan. 29, 2008, while playing for the Eagles against the host Powell River

Kings, he joined the rare group of goalies who’ve scored a goal.

“It wasn’t a dump-in,” he recalls. “It was a scrum along the wall, and the puck popped out right to the front of the net.”

“I can still clearly remember my defenceman looking back and saying, ‘Oh my God, he’s going to shoot.’

“It’s something I’ll never forget.”

During her time-off from the sport she loved so much did Orlandrea Moore dream of hardcourt?

Orlandrea Moore is one of the ACAC leaders in points per game (10.78) and is tied for the second-highest shooting percentage in the south division.

Perhaps, but she had little time for dreams. The former all-American honourable mention for college basketball filled her two years away from the court with heartache and helping the disadvantaged. Cancer took three of her family members while she worked for St. John’s Community Services, a Washington D.C. non-profit support group for people living with disabilities.

And then her phone rang.

A resilient SAIT Trojans men’s hockey team was too much for the upstart Portage College Voyageurs in a 7-5 victory on Saturday, Oct. 24 at SAIT Arena.

Portage College Voyageurs goalie Scott Orth smothers the puck with Trojans forward Kevin Lessard bearing down on the net.

The SAIT Trojans soccer teams will have a new home field next season after going without an on campus playing facility for two years.

The Martin Cohos Commons field, located on top of the new parkade, will be the home for both Trojans soccer teams beginning next season.

When Mount Royal became a university in September, questions arose about when the Cougars would begin playing with the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS).

MRU Cougar, Maria McKee, battles against UBC in their pre-season tournament. The Cougars will continue to play in the CCAA until at least 2013.