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Dalhousie Tigers season recaps

It’s time for another year of Tigers athletics. After another busy summer of training and improvement, here’s a quick recaps of the varsity teams’ seasons.

 

Basketball

Men’s: After finishing as Atlantic University Sport (AUS) conference champions for the second year in a row with a 13-7 record, the Dalhousie men’s basketball team made it to the national semi-finals for the first time ever. Guard Ritchie Kanza Mata was named an AUS First Team All-Star and AUS championship All-Star, forward Kashrell Lawrence was an AUS Second Team All-Star and AUS championship All-Star and MVP, and newcomer Jordan Aquino-Serjue was the AUS Rookie of the year and made the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) All-Rookie team. Coach Rick Plato won the AUS Coach of the Year award and forward Sven Stammberger won the CIS R. W. Pugh Fair Play award. The men’s basketball team is looking to improve on their national semi-final finish from last year and add to their record-setting streak of AUS conference championships. Their preseason starts Saturday Oct. 1 and their first regular season game is at home against Cape Breton on Friday, Nov. 4 at 8:00 p.m.

Women’s: The Dalhousie Women’s basketball team lost their star player and AUS first team All-Star Tessa Stammberger late into the 2015-16 season, but that didn’t stop them from making the playoffs. Stammberger, a forward, was averaging 17.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists a game when she broke her arm in a game against Memorial University, which was sadly the last game of her collegiate career. The team lost their remaining four regular season games and finished the season at 6-14. They also lost their lone playoff game to Cape Breton. However, the outlook for next season and beyond looks bright. Guard Sophie Taube and forward Megan Thompson both made the AUS All-Rookie team, and guard Diedre Alexander was an AUS championship All-Star despite only playing in one game. Forward Ainsley MacIntyre won Community Service awards at both the AUS and CIS levels. Their preseason schedule begins on Sunday Oct. 2 and the regular season kicks off at home on Friday Nov. 4 with a 4:00 p.m. game against Cape Breton.

 

Cross Country

Men’s: Fifth-year runner Matt McNeil had one of the greatest cross country seasons in the history of the school. He raced on the provincial, national, and even international levels. McNeil led the team to a second place AUS championship finish and 16th place at the CIS championship. He and teammate Will Russell were consistently among the top Tiger finishers at their events. McNeil especially excelled. He finished first at national-level events in Guelph and Laval, seventh at the CIS championship, and 35th at an International University Sports Federation (FISU) event in Italy where he represented team Canada, which came eighth. For his stellar season McNeil won AUS Athlete of the Year and was a First Team All-Star, and First Team All-Canadian for the CIS. The men’s first cross-country event is Saturday Sept. 17 at Acadia and their schedule ends on Saturday Nov. 19 at Laval.

Women’s: The Dalhousie women’s cross country team achieved a historic first last year, becoming the first team to capture all of the top six spots at the AUS cross-country championship for their second consecutive podium sweep, with all seven runners finishing in the top eight. Led by AUS All-Star and MVP and CIS Second Team All-Canadian Colleen Wilson and three-time AUS Coach of the Year Rich Lehman, the team’s strength and depth last year was almost impossible to believe. Aside from Wilson the team boasted five additional AUS All-Stars in Michelle Reddy, Jenna MacDonald, Kayte Kowal, Emily Clarke and Emily Ferguson. Morgan Hawkes also took home the AUS Community Service Award. Wilson paced the Tigers to a fifth place CIS Championship finish by finishing twelfth overall, and helped the Canadian team to another fifth-place finish at an FISU event in Italy, in which she finished 27th. The women’s first cross-country event is Saturday Sept. 17 at Acadia and their schedule ends on Saturday Nov. 19 at Laval.

 

Sports Recap 1

Hockey

Men’s: The Dalhousie men’s ice hockey team just missed the postseason last year, finishing with a 9-15-4 record and three points out of the playoffs. However, there is plenty of reason for hope coming into this season. The Tigers won five of their last 10 games, signifying a young team coming together and learning. 20 of the team’s 28 players last year were either in their first or second year skating for the black and gold. Second-year goalie Corbin Boes and rookie forward Phil Gadoury were two young players who made significant contributions down the stretch and look to further their production next year. Boes had an AUS-best .918 save percentage and Gadoury led the AUS in scoring with his 17 goals. Both players were rewarded for their success – Boes was named an AUS First Team All-Star while Gadoury was named to both the AUS and CIS All-Rookie Teams and took home AUS Rookie of the Year honours. The men’s preseason schedule kicks off on Saturday Sept. 24, and the Tigers play host to St. Francis Xavier on Friday, Oct. 7 for the first game of the regular season.

Women’s: The Dalhousie women’s ice hockey team snuck into the playoffs with a 9-14-1 record, clinching their berth with a 3-1 win over St. Francis Xavier in one of the final games of the season. They lost their opening round best-of-three playoff series to St. Thomas, their opponent from the same round a year earlier. This time the Tigers did not prevail, losing both games. Even so, the team did well to make it that far considering the injury troubles they faced along the way. Second-leading scoring and AUS Second Team All-Star Lisa MacLean was only able to play in 17 games, in which she recorded 15 points, after her season was cut short due to injury. Sarah Robichaud ultimately led the team in points with 18, and Laura Brooks led all AUS defencewomen with five goals. Sarah MacNeil also won her second consecutive AUS Community Service Award. The Tigers’ preseason begins on Friday, Sept. 23, and their first regular season game is at home against the University of Prince Edward Island on Saturday, Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m.

 

Soccer

Men’s: With 10 players on the cusp of graduating last season, the Dalhousie men’s soccer team hoped to send them off as winners. The team did slide into the playoffs in the final slot with a 6-4-3 record, but they lost 2-0 to Acadia in the first round after injuries before and during the game forced some of their best players off the pitch. They almost didn’t even make it that far, though. Entering the last two games of the season the Tigers needed one win to secure a spot in the postseason. Their second last game was against St. Francis Xavier (St. FX), who would eventually finish the season one spot behind them. The win would prove crucial, as the Tigers would go on to lose their final regular season game. The score against St. FX was tied 2-2 as the clock wound down, until the team’s star midfielder Bezcik Evraire came through with the game-winning goal in the 88th minute. Evraire finished with a team leading 10 goals and was named an AUS First Team All-star and CIS Second Team All-Canadian. Defenders Jonathan Doucett and Mark Hagen were both selected as AUS Second Team All-Stars, while midfielder Sangmuk Choi received both the AUS and CIS Community Service Award. The men’s soccer team preseason begins Monday, Aug. 29, and their regular season starts Saturday Sept. 10 with a game at Memorial University. Their first home game is Saturday Sept. 17 against Cape Breton University.

Women’s: The Dalhousie women’s soccer team failed to make the postseason last season for the first time this millennium, which is as far back as the AUS women’s soccer archive has information for standings. With a record of 4-6-3 they fell short of the playoffs by five points. They had a chance to make a push for the final spot at the end of the season, but they went goalless in their final three games, two shutout losses and a 0-0 draw. Even though they missed the playoffs, there were still some bright spots for the team. Two departing players were named AUS Second Team All-Stars: defender Kristy McGregor Bales and striker Victoria Parkinson. Fellow graduate Katie Morgan also had an impressive season, putting up a 4-3-2 record in goal with 4 shutouts and a 1.00 goals-against average. The women’s soccer preseason begins Friday Sept. 2, and their regular season starts on Saturday Sept. 10 with a game at Memorial University. Their first home game is Saturday Sept. 17 against Cape Breton University.

 

Swimming

Men’s: The Dalhousie men’s swimming team won their 18th straight AUS championship with last year’s young roster, and look to continue their run of dominance in the upcoming season. Led by Captain Kyle Watson and breakout star Gavin Dyke, the team did not lose a single one of their AUS events and finished in sixth place at the CIS level. Their unparalleled accomplishment was rewarded with numerous prizes at the end of the season. Gavin Dyke was named AUS Swimmer of the Year and AUS Championship Swimmer of the Meet and All-Star. Morrgan Payne was named AUS Rookie of the Year and AUS Championship Rookie of the Meet and All-Star. Kyle Watson, Keenan Teghtsoonian, James Profit, Tony Liew, Peter Inches and Tyler Herron were all named AUS Championship All-Stars as well. Graduating swimmer Jeremy Ryant won both the AUS and CIS Community Service Awards, and Coach Lance Cansdale won AUS Coach of the Year. The men’s swimming season kicks off Saturday, Oct. 15, and the AUS and CIS championships run at the beginning and end of February, respectively.

Women’s: The Dalhousie Women’s swimming team continued their consistent performance since the new millennium, winning their 16th straight AUS championship. Standout swimmer Phoebe Lenderyou won all 20 of her AUS events this past year and set 13 new AUS records. She won AUS Swimmer of the Year, and AUS Championship Swimmer of the Meet and All-Star. At the CIS championships, she won a bronze medal in the 50m backstroke. Graduating swimmer Katherine Webster also had an exceptional season, winning all four of her AUS championship races and taking bronze in the CIS 400m and 800m freestyle races. She was an AUS Champion All-Star as well. Joining their teammates as AUS Championship All-Stars were Ainsley Fraser, Lucy Macleod, Rachel Shin, and Lise Cinq-Mars, who also took home AUS Rookie of the Year and AUS Championship Rookie of the Meet honours. Lance Cansdale was named AUS Coach of the Year. The women’s swimming season kicks off Saturday, Oct. 15, and the AUS and CIS championships run at the beginning and end of February, respectively.

 

Track and Field

Men’s: In winning their second straight AUS championship, the Dalhousie men’s track and field team had 10 athletes go home with All-Star honours: Jake Wing, Jordan Bruce, Matt Coolen, Corey Conforzi, Devin Errington, Shiloh Johnson, Adam Karakolis, Adam Manuel, Matt McNeil and Will Russell. Jake Wing was also named the AUS Championship Track Athlete of the Meet, while Matt Coolen took home the awards for both AUS Rookie of the Year and Track Athlete of the Year. Jordan Bruce won a bronze medal in triple jump at the CIS championships, helping the Tigers finish eighth overall. Coach Rich Lehman took home his second straight coach of the year award. The AUS track and field schedule starts Saturday, Nov. 28, and runs through February, with the CIS championships going in March.

Women’s: The Dalhousie women’s track and field team continued their incredible streak of supremacy, capturing their 27th consecutive AUS championship this past season. As proof of their depth, 14 different athletes were named as AUS Championship All-Stars: Shannay Beals, Heather Beaton, Macayla Cullen, Sonja Gashus, Morgan Hawkes, Abby Llewellyn, Jenna MacDonald, Shawna McKay, Michelle Reddy, Chantelle Robbertse, Jessica Shannon, Sydney Smith, Michaela Walker and Colleen Wilson. On top of those awards, Sarah Taplin took home AUS Field Athlete of the Year and Morgan Hawkes won the AUS Community Service Award. Unsurprisingly, Coach Lehman won AUS Coach of the Year, bringing his total AUS Coach of the Year awards to three with his wins for the men’s track and field team and women’s cross country team. The AUS track and field schedule starts Saturday, Nov. 28, and runs through February, with the CIS championships going in March.

 

Volleyball

Men’s: After finishing the regular season atop the AUS standings, the Dalhousie men’s volleyball team was unable to translate that success to the playoffs, where they fell to the University of New Brunswick (UNB). With a regular season record of 9-7 the Tigers just barely beat out UNB, who finished 9-8, who both took turns beating third place Memorial University, which finished 0-16. In spite of their disappointing playoffs, the Dalhousie team took pride in their regular season. Adam Sandeson, Jonathan Macdonald, Matthew Donovan and Kristen O’Brien were all AUS All-Stars, with Adam Sandeson claiming AUS Libero of the Year. Coach Dan Ota was the AUS Coach of the Year. The men’s volleyball season starts Satuday, Oct. 8 at home against Trinity Western.

Women’s: The Dalhousie women’s volleyball team won their fourth consecutive AUS championship and finished sixth at the CIS championship last season. They finished the regular season with an AUS-best 14-3 record, setting them up for a successful postseason. Anna Dunn-Suen was an AUS First Team All-Star as well as the AUS Championship MVP and All-Star, while Abby Czenze was named to both All-Star teams as well. Jessica Josenhans, the only graduating player from the team, joined Dunn-Suen and Czenze as AUS First Team All-Stars. Mieke DuMont and Marisa Mota were both named to the AUS Second Team All-Stars, and Courtney Baker made the All-Rookie teams at both the AUS and CIS levels. The team looks to defend their title for a fifth year as they bring back almost the entire roster of their championship team. Their season starts Friday, Oct. 30 at Acadia University and their first home game is Sunday, Nov. 15, also against Acadia.

 

 

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