With two Sault stars on the roster, university hockey team chasing history

He’s been a member of the University of New Brunswick men’s hockey team for two seasons, and all he knows at the university hockey level is winning.

It’s safe to say that Sault Ste. Marie’s Camaryn Baber is enjoying the ride with UNB.

There was no hangover this season after the UNB Reds — who also feature fellow Sault native Cole MacKay — won the national championship last year.

The team went unbeaten this regular season on their way to another league title, with sights now set on capturing a second straight national championship. With a win on Thursday against the Brock Badgers, the Reds advanced to Saturday's University Cup semi-finals at the former Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Baber said of his second year at UNB. “We go into each game with a great mindset about just enjoying the game, follow the game plan, and just work your tail off and have as much fun as you can for the game.”

An arts major, Baber said juggling the course load “has been about finding a schedule that works for me.”

“Whether it’s going to the library for three hours a week or four hours a week or finding time to do it at home,” Baber said. “For me, it’s a lot easier going to the library to get stuff done. While I’m at home, living with five other guys, it’s kind of tough. We always find something to do.”

Being able to share this season's magical run at UNB with MacKay, a close friend from back home, has made the ride extra special.

“It’s been really cool,” Baber said. “Living together our first year and then this year being separated, it’s so cool having somebody that you’ve grown up with [around].”

The Sault products grew up together and played hockey together as kids locally and are now sharing in the success that is the UNB men’s hockey program.

“We’ve been surrounded by each other for years now and it’s so cool being able to run stuff off him because we’re so close,” Baber said. “It’s really more than a friendship.”

In addition to MacKay, Baber said having a lot of former Ontario Hockey League players with the Reds has been a lot of fun.

“That’s pretty cool too,” Baber said. “Knowing a lot of guys and having Cole too, it was pretty cool.”

“Knowing how these guys compete and battle and how we’re all here for the same reasons, we all want to continue playing hockey at a high level and doing academics, it really brings us together,” Baber said.

UNB is on quite a run on the ice this season, having gone unbeaten to an Atlantic University Sports playoff title after sweeps of Saint Mary’s in the AUS semi-final and Moncton in the league final.

“It was pretty crazy to be honest,” Baber said of the regular season run. “We knew we were going to be a good team. We knew we had a lot of the right pieces obviously, having such a successful year before this year. There was no expectation for going 30-0. We were more focused on each day, getting better each day.”

Baber said the Reds ability to go perfect through regular season play was a credit to the team looking to get better on a daily basis.

“It was more how to be successful in a day, how do you win the day and from there, follow the success,” Baber said.