Dinos’ men’s curling team looks for redemption at U SPORTS Championships
By Maggie Hsu and Jade Miller, February 25 2025—
Crestfallen after facing their first and only defeat of the Canada West Championships, the Dinos quickly shifted their focus away from their celebrating opponents to the U SPORTS Championships. The culmination of all the trials and tribulations of their season turns into a quest for redemption as their “all-in” mentality becomes a collective drive towards national glory.
Their path to this point was anything but smooth as they faced a unique but welcomed hurdle at the Canada West Championships: the return of Ky Macaulay, a key player sidelined for three months with a knee injury.
“It was our first event with Ky,” Team Lead, Max Cinnamon reflected with The Gauntlet on their greatest challenge of the season. “It should have cause more of a challenge than it did—he got back into it pretty seamlessly.”
This seamless reintegration spoke volumes about the team’s adaptability and the strength of their bond. Macaulay’s return wasn’t a disruption but a reinforcement of their collective strength.
In a sport where pressure can crack even the strongest bonds, maintaining morale is the greatest priority during matches.
“Sometimes it’s a lot of jokes on the ice,” Cinnamon revealed their strategy for keeping their spirits high during the difficult games. “Whenever we get kind of quiet, we just crack a few jokes on the ice, get everyone smiling again. And if not, the coaches come out for a time out and Laine does a good job at pumping us back up.”
This blend of light-hearted energy and support created a resilient team atmosphere at all levels as he recognized the key role that head coach, Laine Peters, plays in keeping the team focused during low times.
Tension can get high in tournaments between teammates; the stress of making sure everything is perfect can crumble the strongest of teams however, the Dinos remained steadfast through it all.
“We all kind of know that it’s never one person’s fault—Every shot is a team shot,” Cinnamon asserted. “So if I throw a rock, it’s not me making the shot, it’s me throwing the rock and then Michael [Keenan] and Ky [Macaulay] sweeping it and Kenan [Wipf] calling the line on it, so it’s all four players on every shot every time.”
Jumping from Canada West to the U SPORTS Championships represents a significant escalation in competition—it’s a different game, the game is tougher.
“Probably just the caliber of play,” Cinnamon explains the changes between the two competitions “We’re getting teams from all over the country now, and some of the teams from out east are pretty good.” This national stage demands a heightened level of precision and focus but the Dinos are prepared to test their ability to adapt and perform under pressure that’s come with years of playing together and practice.
Naturally, rivalries between teams form and one stands out the most for Cinnamon and the rest of Team Wipf: Regina. Cinnamon has declared the team that stole the Canada West title from them as the match they are looking forward to the most in Lethbridge this week. The prospect of facing their familiar foes fuel their competitive fire, adding an extra layer of motivation to their quest for redemption.
As the Dinos prepare to take the ice at the U SPORTS Championships, they carry with them the lessons learned throughout the past season and their Canada West tournament play. Their “all-in” mentality, forged under the repeated pressures of competition will guide them as they seek one final opportunity to write the conclusion of their season as they aim to claim national glory.