Basketball and hockey teams lead into 2014 with success
Men’s basketball
Many Gee-Gees competed and trained throughout the holidays while the rest of us stuffed our bellies with turkey and chocolates. The men’s basketball team travelled to the cold of Winnipeg after Christmas to compete in the Wesmen Classic at the University of Winnipeg. Fourth-year economics student Johnny Berhanemeskel was named the tournament’s most valuable player and led the Gees to three consecutive wins against Brandon, Regina, and Winnipeg in the finals. In the championship game, the Gees defeated the Wesmen by 10 with a final score of 81–71.
Despite losing late in the year to the Ravens, the Gee-Gees have been gliding through their seasons with nearly no hesitation. They’re solidly entrenched in their second-spot Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) rank even though they were predicted to be third overall before the season began. They’ve shown themselves to be serious contenders after the three pre-season exhibition games against National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) teams and have continued the feat of strength with their recent interim wins. Their next objective is clear: taking down the Ravens at the Capital Hoops Classic event on Jan. 21. Whether or not they can achieve that, it’s clear that the men’s team has a promising semester ahead.
The team’s next in-season game will be against Algoma on Jan. 10 at 8 p.m.
Women’s basketball
The women’s basketball team travelled to the warmth of Florida over the winter break. The Gees returned home with three wins against Rollins College, Florida Southern University, and Webber International University in their exhibition series.
The Gee-Gees defeated the Rollins Tars with a final score of 60–47. The following day, the team scrimmaged against the Florida Southern Moccasins, also beating them out by six points. The Gees also pulled together a great win against Webber, defeating them by five points. The game ended with a final score of 60–55. This marks a 5–0 record for the Gees against U.S. competition this season.
If the interim games are any indication, the women’s basketball team also has a strong semester ahead. They ended the first semester with a loss to Carleton — both teams currently stand 6–3, so if the Gees knock them down at Capital Hoops, the only other teams to watch out for will be Laurier and Windsor. Laurier is having a great season with their current 9–1 record, while Windsor stands in second place on the CIS ranking boards.
The women’s team will also begin their season with a game against Algoma on Jan. 10 at 6 p.m.
Women’s volleyball
The women’s volleyball team also travelled to Florida to compete in the Innisbrook Invitational. The Gees cleaned house as they defeated all four of their opponents.
Fourth-year social sciences student Stephanie Theiler was named the tournament’s most valuable player as her skill in the libero position led the team’s defence. Alongside Theiler was fourth-year social sciences student Myriam English and second-year arts student Kira Tome, who were named tournament all-stars. All three ladies helped lead the team with four consecutive wins.
The Gees defeated the University of Moncton and Humber College with a score of 3–1. In the new year, Ottawa came out winning 3–0 against the University of New Brunswick. In the championship game, the Gee-Gees had a great comeback after losing the first two sets against McMaster University. Ottawa beat the Marauders and brought home the gold in the final set 15–12.
Despite the few moments of hesitation that come with adjusting to new players, the team has had a great first semester and the break’s interim games are only an indication of the strong play that is to come from the team. Theiler as libero alongside both Myriam and Kelsie English bring the strength of experienced players. The team can, however, also rely on its young players with Tome and rookie first-year health science student Kaly Soro. The Gees could easily climb from eighth, their current CIS rank, to top four and perhaps even top two.
The team’s next game will be at home against Brock University on Jan. 11 at 6 p.m.
Women’s hockey
The women’s hockey team opened the new year in Montreal competing in the Theresa Humes women’s hockey tournament at Concordia University from Jan. 3–5. The Gee-Gees are ranked third in the Réseau du Sport étudiant du Québec conference with a 6–5–0 record behind the McGill University Martlets and the University of Montreal Carabins. Ottawa has lost every game to these two teams so far, but hopefully this will change with the upcoming start to the rest of the season.
The tournament brought great competition for the Gee-Gees as they won their first game Jan. 3 against the St. Thomas Tommies 5–2. The following day, the Gees didn’t have the same results, as they ended the game with a loss of 3–2 against the Queen’s Gaels, who are currently the fourth seed in CIS national standings. To finish the tournament, Ottawa competed against the York Lions on Jan. 5 and were defeated in a close game of 3–2.
This tournament was a good indication of how the Gee-Gees will play for the remaining season. Hopefully they can grind down and pull out a few victories against the Martlets and Carabins during the second half of the season. This will increase their respect across the country and maybe earn the Gees a spot in the CIS top 10.
The Gee-Gees start their regular season at home on Jan. 11 against Montreal at 2 p.m.
The first three teams are all currently nationally ranked in the CIS top 10. Hopefully the Gees’ success over the winter break will raise their rankings and be a good sign for the second half of the season.
Men’s hockey
The men’s hockey team got off to a bad start in the new year with a 5–2 loss against the Ravens on Jan. 4 at Carleton. After a dry 1–0 first period in favour of the Ravens, the Gee-Gees failed to muster up any momentum trailing 4–0 at the end of the second. The team managed two goals in the third, but it wasn’t enough to win the game and Carleton added their last point with an empty net goal with 59 seconds on the clock.
The Gee-Gees bounced back with a win against the Royal Military College Paladins on the road. The first two periods were relatively calm, leaving the score tied at 1–1. Finally, in the third period the Gee-Gees picked up some momentum with a goal, but the Paladins responded with one of their own. The Gees eventually added another two goals securing the win with a final score of 4–2.
The men’s team leaves the weekend with a 11–6–1 seasonal record, a good indication of a strong second semester. The Gees are only one win behind the leaders of their division, and despite getting off to a rough start first semester, showed in November after a nine-game win streak that they’re out to win.
Their next game will be at home against McGill on Jan. 10, at 7 p.m.
