By: Monty Mosher
A change in plans five years ago may have changed the course of AUS football. It could easily change its record book.
B.C. native Brian Hope, a kicker with abundant promise, wasn't ready to be a student-athlete when he attended Simon Fraser University in Burnaby in 2013. He left after a red-shirt season.
But one of his coaches at the NCAA football program was James Colzie III, who later found his way to Blake Nill and UBC and then on Saint Mary's to revive a team that had back-to-back winless seasons under Perry Marchese.
By the fall of 2016, after Hope played junior football in Langley, Colzie came calling. Hope was ready for a crack at U Sports football and had never forgotten Colzie, who coached the Clan's special teams.
Add to that, Hope's best friend and holder Liam O'Brien was joining the Huskies. They had been at SFU together. Hope would have a buddy and roommate to smooth the transition.
Best friend came to Halifax with him
It all seemed like a pretty good fit despite having to relocate from one coast to another. He wasn't concerned by his new team's recent losing ways.
Three seasons later, Hope is one of the best kickers in the nation. With two games left this season, and a full season available next year, Hope has a good chance to break the AUS career record of 65 field goals set by former Saint Mary's kicker Justin Palardy, who went on to play in the CFL.
Hope, an all-star last year, has 49 field goals in 22 career games. He has connected on 80 per cent of his attempts.
His 15 field goals this year have helped the Huskies to a 6-0 start and the host berth in the Loney Bowl next month. He'll have two games, beginning Saturday against Mount Allison, to break Palardy's single-season record of 23 set in 2009.
Next year will be the last at Saint Mary's for Hope. Turning 24 early in 2019, he'll be out of eligibility due to age after a fourth season with the Huskies.
"Shortly after Coach Colzie got hired at Saint Mary's he asked me to come out for a visit in Halifax," Hope said this week. "I fell in love with the city, the school and his ideals in terms of football and how he wanted to run the program."
Converted from soccer
Football started for Hope at Terry Fox Secondary in Port Coquitlam, B.C. He had played soccer, his first love, and one of his teachers, who also happened to be the football coach, thought he should come out for the team.
Hope kicked in Grade 11 and 12. "I just really enjoyed it. There's something really satisfying about kicking the ball and seeing it go through the uprights or punting a spiral. I decided it was going to be my thing."
He was aware of how far the Huskies had fallen since a run of 10 titles in 12 years, a stretch that included Vanier Cup championships under Nill in 2002 and 2003.
"I had heard about their struggles," Hope said. "But that didn't play a part in my decision. I knew the type of man Coach Colzie is. It was more just the shock of the geographical change, just coming across the country. I'd never given any thought to coming out to Nova Scotia before."
Colzie doesn't hold back when it comes to the effect Hope has had on the team, which is ranked sixth in the nation this week.
"Brian has been the focal point of our special teams since the minute he arrived," he said. "He's been voted as a special teams captain for two straight years. He's an all-AUS performer and is never satisfied with his performance. He works hard and wants to be the best kicker in U Sports."
Select company already
Palardy, who played four seasons from 2006-09, is the only kicker in AUS history to top 60 field goals in a career. Mount Allison's Ryan Lambert (58), St. F.X.'s Jadran Mlinarevic (56), CFL legend Terry Baker, who played at Acadia and Mount A (54), and Mounties' David Bradford (51) are next on the list.
Hope has zoomed past current CFL player Brett Lauther, Dana Segin and Mark Dalla Riva on the Huskies all-time list, leaving only Palardy to catch.
Only Palardy, Lambert (22) and Acadia's Jim Direnzo (21) have made 20 or more in a season.
"I look at myself as fortunate," Hope said of his success with the Huskies. "Obviously, the offence has been putting me in great spots. I've always just had an approach that when I'm on the field I want to do my part.
"The guys on the field are busting their humps every play so when it is my turn I want to execute and come through for them. I feel for the most part I've been doing my job. I want to keep doing that."
Hope is aware of Palardy's accomplishments. In fact, the two have had some conversations. "He's been very gracious and very supportive of me throughout my time here," he said.
Palardy a big supporter
He said Palardy has encouraged him to go and take the records.
"He's already expressed he's excited for me and he's happy with what I've been doing. If I can be anywhere close to the kicker he is I'd be more than excited and happy because he was very successful. Just being mentioned with him is really an honour."
He'd love to follow Palardy and Lauther, both from the Truro area, into the CFL.
"It's definitely an aspiration of mine," said the criminology student. "If that's where things go for me I'm going to give it my all. When it comes down to it I love what I do. I really love kicking and being a part of a football team. The brotherhood and camaraderie of it is really special. If that becomes an opportunity for me then I'm going to do my best at it and keep kicking for as long as I can."
Palardy, a police officer who drops by Huskies practice on occasion, said he sees some of himself in Hope.
"He reminds me a lot of myself during my time at SMU," he said. "Both were not the strongest kicker but both very consistent and reliable in all parts of the kicking game. As a coach, that's what you need from your kicker.
"I'm a big fan of Brian Hope and I hope he smashes every record and he gets where he wants and that's a shot at the pro level once his university career is over."
Three field goals to be beat Bishop's
Hope's importance to the Huskies can't be overstated. On Saturday, with the Huskies struggling at home against winless Bishop's, he made field goals of 43, 20 and 30 yards in the second half to bring his team back from a 10-9 deficit. Saint Mary's won 18-9 to clinch first place.
He's made eight straight field goals over his last three games and hasn't missed since Sept. 8 at Mount A.
Hope embraces the pressure. "That's my job," he said. "That's my responsibility."
The Huskies will play in a second straight conference final after losing to Acadia 45-38 in an overtime shootout last season in Wolfville. The Huskies last championship came in 2010.
(Monty Mosher is an award-winning sportswriter with more than 30 years of experience covering university sport in the Maritimes. He can be reached at mosher100@at eastlink.ca.)