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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, November 27, 2009 · 38 Moen learning during Queen's Vanier Cup bid By Ed Klajman SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER ERIC RIEHL / SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER SWEPT OFF HIS FEET: Dave Nomura of the T.A. Blakelock Tigers goes airborne as he tries to avoid the pokecheck of Georgetown's Ryan Bateman in Wednesday's Halton senior boys' hockey game at Oakville Arena. Georgetown remained undefeated, handing the Tigers a 5-3 loss, dropping Blakelock to 0-3-1 on the season. KINGSTON - After developing into an accomplished linebacker during four years at Holy Trinity, Connor Moen had a difficult decision to make last spring. He had to choose whether to attend Laurier, McGill or Queen's. In the end, he chose Queen's, thanks to the university's highly-regarded commerce program, welcoming coaching staff, friendly teammates and great campus atmosphere. But when he arrived, he discovered there's a big gap between being a great prospect and getting playing time -- especially on a team loaded with talented veterans at his position. He was redshirted, meaning he would practice with the team every day and attend all team meetings, but would not dress for any games this year. Connor Moen "I wasn't ready at start of training camp but I learned a lot from the older linebackers and I started improving drastically just from being in this environment," said the 6-foot-2, 200pounder. "I now feel I'm ready to play. And when next year comes around, hopefully I'll step in." Even without any playing time, this has still been a season Moen will cherish for a lifetime. He's been part of a team that has advanced all the way to tomorrow's (Saturday's) Vanier Cup in Quebec City, where Queen's will try to beat the Calgary Dinosaurs and win the Gaels' first national championship since 1992. Moen said he was particularly privileged to witness two dramatic, emotional wins on home field the last two weeks -- one over Western for the Ontario title, followed by a major upset in the Mitchell Bowl over Laval, which has won four of the past six national championships. "Those are the best games I have ever seen. The whole experience has been amazing. It's really fun. I just can't wait for my shot to get on the field," he said. While Moen said his main focus is on academics and a future business career, he admitted that he dreams of playing professional football one day -- just like his dad Don, who played 13 seasons for the Toronto Argonauts. "He didn't want me following in his footsteps. It's a pretty rough sport," he said, adding that his dad tried to steer him toward golf and baseball. "But as soon as I tried football, I just loved it." www.icesports.com 905-845-6989