The DAL AC Woodsmen have their work cut out for them.
A successful defence of their Canadian Intercollegiate Lumberjacking Association (CILA) men鈥檚 team title is in jeopardy as the final event of the season, the 33rd annual Rick Russell Woodsmen Competition, draws closer.
The showdown is set for this Saturday at MacMillan Show Centre, NSPEC in Bible Hill and features teams from Eastern Canada and the Northeastern United States duking it out for top spot in the CILA standings.
Teams compete in timed events which include chopping and sawing disciplines, a water boil, axe throwing and pole climbing among others.
Admission is $5 per person and children under 12 get in free. Action starts at 8 a.m. and runs throughout the day.
Closing the gap
The Woodsmen 鈥� with 3,323.32 points 鈥� enter the event sitting third in the season standings with just a 45-point gap to close on second-place McGill University鈥檚 Macdonald Campus. However, the University of New Brunswick鈥檚 Woodsmen are 257.65 points up, leading all teams, in top spot.
鈥淭he title is still within reach and that鈥檚 always the goal,鈥� Woodsmen head coach Geoff Larkin said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 possible, but we need to have a really good day.鈥�
Should that happen, the men鈥檚 A team would be champions for the sixth time in the past seven seasons and stretch their streak to three consecutive titles.
The women come into the finale also sitting third, just 89.16 points behind current runners-up UNB. But they also have a large hill to climb to reach Macdonald Campus, who have a 355.65-point cushion. The DAL AC women finished third in last year鈥檚 points standings.
But no matter what the standings are or how they play out, Larkin said he just wants both teams to put their best foot forward and cap the season on a high note and the standings will look after themselves.
鈥淲e just want to come home and have a strong finish,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have a good chance to win the competition.鈥�
Ready for a strong showing
There鈥檚 no reason to think the Woodsmen won鈥檛 come out with a point to prove. The team traditionally has a strong showing at the competition, which sees nearly 1,000 people attend over the day. The home team feeds off that energy and uses the fact they don鈥檛 have to travel to their advantage.
鈥淲hen you鈥檝e got an axe in your hand and a full house cheering you on, it鈥檚 hard not to get amped up,鈥� Larkin, in his second season coaching the squad, said. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e actually got to keep them calmed down. It鈥檚 nice to be able to finish the year at home.鈥�
The key for the Woodsmen will be execution. The team had a tough showing at the most recent outing at Macdonald Campus Jan. 27. However, both the mens and women鈥檚 teams typically contend for wins in both individual and team events and will need to live up to that potential and regain that execution to be successful.
鈥淭hat got lost a bit in Montreal but we can get it back and finish strong,鈥� Larkin said. 鈥淓verything we can control we need to control.鈥�