THUNDER READY TO RUMBLE FOR REPEAT
The Regina Thunder’s run to the 2013 PFC title could be a factor as the team goes after the league’s championship in 2014.
When it plays host to the Calgary Colts in a semifinal today (7 p.m., Mosaic Stadium), the Thunder can draw on its experiences from last year — to some extent.
“We don’t want to focus too much on what happened last year because this is a whole different team, but we can look at how we did our practices and how we mentally prepared the guys for the upcoming games,” Thunder head coach Scott MacAulay said.
“We can use that to put ourselves in a situation to be successful.”
In 2013, the Thunder finished second in the regular season with a 5-2-1 record and played host to the Edmonton Huskies in a semifinal.
A forced fumble and recovery late in regulation time preserved the lead for the Thunder, which added a last-minute touchdown in its 26-17 victory.
The following week, Regina visited the Saskatoon Hilltops in the conference final. The Thunder won its first PFC title, posting a 2116 victory over the threetime defending PFC and CJFL champions.
Two weeks after that, the Thunder completed its magical playoff run by hammering the Vancouver Island Raiders 55-26 in the Canadian Bowl at Mosaic Stadium.
“Our playoff success last year shows our team what it takes to win,” Thunder defensive end Taylor Garrett said. “We had a great group of strong leaders and our older guys this year have to show the same kind of leadership that we got last year.
“We need our leaders to make plays and show the young guys what it takes to win in the playoffs — and that’s working hard.”
Tailback Nick Brown looked back even further.
In 2012, the Thunder drove 85 yards in six plays and scored the eventual game-winning touchdown with 22 seconds left in a 2421 semifinal upset of the first-place Colts.
Brown played for that Regina team and suggested this season’s edition can benefit from the experiences of its predecessors.
“We can use a lot of that — knowing what to do in certain situations, being able to handle specific pressures, things like that,” he said. “There’s a lot of pressure on players in the playoffs and experience gives you an advantage over guys who might not have that.”
The strain on players in the post-season is different than what they face in the regular season — they don’t have to deal with do-or-die scenarios in their first eight games — so playoff veterans know what to expect.
They also know how to raise their effort level in the playoffs.
“It’s important to set the tone early and play the game we know how to play — the game we want to play,” Brown said.
“We want to show teams what we can do in the playoffs and get some momentum going.”
The Thunder went 5-2-1 in the 2014 regular season, with one of its losses coming against Calgary. The Colts beat Regina 20-13 at Mosaic Stadium on Sept. 28 in the teams’ only previous meeting this season.
Not surprisingly, that contest has been discussed by the Thunder this week.
“It was a good learning experience for everybody, from the coaches to the players,” MacAulay said. “Having a game against them where we got to know their personnel a little bit more is going to really help us.”
If the Thunder is somewhat familiar with the opposing players, it will be less familiar with one aspect of the semifinal.
Of Regina’s eight regularseason games this season, seven were played on Sunday afternoons. Only one was played on a Saturday evening — and that took place in Saskatoon.
“Scotty preaches that we’ll play anyone anywhere anytime, so we’ve got to live by that motto and play just like it was an afternoon game,” Garrett said. “To be honest with you, it’ll be exciting to play under the lights.”