With most Tigers teams not playing, it’s been a pretty slow week, giving me a golden opportunity to put together another Top 10 list. Without further ado, here are my Top 10 things to happen in Tigers sports so far this year.
- The success of the men’s soccer squad
The Tigers men’s soccer team have been making some noise in the AUS. They have a 4-2-2 record that puts them in third place and firmly in a playoff spot. Bezick Evraire has been tearing it up, scoring seven goals in seven games played and is a sure bet to make the first-team AUS all-star side again this year. Zack Mbolekwa has been finding the back of the net as well and sits second on the team with four goals. Keeper Jason Ross has been sensational to this point, recording four clean-sheets so far. This Tigers team has shown some good chemistry and will have a good chance at making some noise in the playoffs.
- The cross-country runners are fast
Both the women’s and men’s cross-country Tigers have had some great success this year. The women’s side currently sits in first place in the AUS and it would be a shock if they didn’t win another AUS Championship this season (no pressure). The men’s side has been good as well but will be hard pressed to pass the powerhouse StFX team that is really just filthy good.
- Matt McNeil
The fifth-year cross-country runner has been so good he deserves his own spot on my list. He has run in three races so far this season and … wait for it … won all three of them. In his last race, the AUS-RSEQ Interlock at Universite de Laval, he clocked 24:58.7 good for a 25-second advantage over the field. By the way, the Laval side is ranked number two in the CIS right now and, just like everyone else so far this year, could not catch Matt McNeil.
- Football
The Tigers football club has got some good crowd support in their two home games so far this year. The Tigers sit at 2-2 going into homecoming this Saturday, Oct. 17 — check out my homecoming article for why you should care about that — and have a great shot at the Moosehead Cup this year. The home games at “the Wick” really do have a great atmosphere that gets better the more people that go. Cheer on this Tigers team, and help bring Varsity football back to Dal.
- Women’s Volleyball
Yes, they have not played a game that counts yet … but in the preseason matches they played they showed an ability to be dominant. This team is the three-time defending AUS champion and will be a big threat again this season. The team has another preseason tournament coming up this weekend Oct. 16-18 at the University of Ottawa and then kick off their regular season Friday, Oct. 30 at the Acadia Axewomen. Their first home match will be Sunday Nov. 15 also against the Axewomen. The volleyball played in the AUS is exciting: get out to the Dalplex and cheer these girls on this year.
- Men’s Volleyball
Just like the women, the men’s Tigers squad has yet to play a game that counts this year. Their two preseason tilts against the UBC Thunderbirds, who are also projected to be one of the top teams in the CIS this year, provided a glimpse of how good this Tigers squad has a chance to be this season. They have enough weapons and skill to compete with anyone and will be a thrill to watch as they fight to get back to nationals.
- Women’s Soccer
It has been an up-and-down season to this point for this Tigers team. They have a 2-4-2 record that has them in seventh place in the AUS, one spot out of the playoff picture. The team has been competitive and actually led in most of the games they have played this year but just cannot seem to close out games. Long stretches of owning possession have not translated into goals. With five games left this season, they still have a chance to climb into one of the playoff spots. If they can play the way they have shown they can this team can get it done.
- Men’s Hockey
This Tigers team has only played one regular season game so far — a 4-1 loss to the Saint Mary’s Huskies — but there is a lot of optimism surrounding the group. The team is bigger, faster and more skilled than it has been in previous years. The biggest issue for the team is developing chemistry and when they figure it out, they will be back in the playoff picture in the AUS.
- Women’s Hockey
These Tigers have yet to play a game that matters this season and went 1-2 in their preseason. This team made some noise last year in the AUS playoffs and has a good chance at doing it again this year. The biggest issue in the preseason was shots allowed as they found themselves on the wrong side of shots fired in all three games. If they can clean up their possession and shots allowed issue, this Tigers team will make another deep run this year.
10. No Hazing
I cannot decide how excited I should be about this. On one hand it is great that there has been no hazing story here this year, but on the other hand, the fact that it is a story that there has been no story is kind of sad. Hopefully we have turned a corner and will not be writing about any of our teams doing this all year.
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