Compiled by Maclaine Chadwick
Photo by Justin Labelle
Men’s basketball dominates in homeopening game
THE GEE-GEES MEN’S basketball team hosted their first game of the season on Nov. 16 to a loud and supportive crowd whom they did not disappoint, overcoming the McMaster Marauders 84-62.
The Gee-Gees controlled most of the game, shooting 58 per cent from the field, and dictated the speed of the game with a fast-paced first half that saw them up 11 at the end of the second quarter.
“We had a great week of practice, so we felt confident heading into this game,” said head coach James Derouin in a press release sent to the Fulcrum. “The important thing we wanted to focus on tonight was being aggressive and controlling the tempo of the game, which Mike [L’Africain] did a great job of doing for us.”
The Gee-Gees maintained their strength and kept a 20-point lead throughout most of the fourth quarter. Third-year guard Johnny Berhanemeskel led the Gee-Gees with 23 points, four rebounds and three steals, followed closely by fifth-year guard Warren Ward who posted 18 points, seven assists, and nine rebounds.
—Danny Bronson
Women’s basketball team gets first win over McMaster
AFTER TWO CONSECUTIVE losses on the road last weekend against the Western Mustangs and University of Windsor Lancers, the U of O women’s basketball team won an impressive 82-55 victory at home against the McMaster University Marauders on Nov. 16. This weekend’s triumph was the Gee’s first win of the season.
“We knew from the beginning that our team would be at its best later in the season, but we saw a glimpse of how well we can play tonight,” said head coach Andy Sparks in a press release.
“The first half was a bit out of control because they were able to throw off our tempo, but we were able to calm down after halftime and perform well,” he continued.
The Gee-Gees led 37-29 at halftime, and shot 40.5 per cent from the field. Fifth-year forward Jenna Gilbert was the game’s lead scorer, with 17 points, two assists, and three rebounds.
“It was nice to come off with a big win tonight and just come together as a team,” said forward Maddie Stephen, who scored 14 points and had 15 rebounds.
—Spencer Van Dyk
Gee’s defeated in last minute by Brock
AFTER A NECK-and-neck first half against the undefeated Brock University Badgers on Nov. 17, the Gee-Gees women’s basketball team suffered a close 57-61 loss, with Brock sinking their final basket at 45 seconds left in the game.
Despite the Gee-Gees’ determination going into the second half, and forward Tatiana Hanlan’s amazing back-to-back three-pointers on offense, Brock’s ability to make the most of U of O’s weak defence and ball control won them the game.
“Being aggressive is part of our game plan, and we did a good job tonight, but I have to give all credit to Brock for their great performance,” said head coach Andy Sparks.
Maddie Stephen maintained her impressive scoring streak from Friday’s game against the McMaster Marauders, with 12 points and 16 rebounds in the game.
With seven seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, the Gee-Gees were down by only three, and managed to gain possession of the ball, but a foul led to a missed chance at a comeback.
The Gee-Gees will host Lakehead University and the University of Guelph at Montpetit Hall next weekend.
—Spencer Van Dyk
Women’s volleyball team makes seven straight wins
FULL STANDS AT Montpetit Hall greeted the Gee-Gees women’s volleyball team (7-0) on Nov. 18, when they hosted a determined Western University Mustangs squad in regular season Ontario University Athletics (OUA) action. While the visitors did manage to steal a set from the nationally fourth-ranked Gees, the University of Ottawa team ultimately came out on top, three sets to one.
The Gee-Gees came out strong in the first set, easily shutting the Mustangs down in a 25-15 victory, but they suffered a minor setback when Western bounced back to take the second set 26-24. The set was only the second that the Gees have given up this season. The Gee-Gees regained their focus and took the third and fourth sets 25-18 and 25-13 respectively, to keep their undefeated streak alive.
Third-year communications student and Gee-Gees hitter Karina Krueger Schwanke led the team with an incredible 17 kills in the game, while fourth-year setter and ethics and society student Christina Grail pitched in with five service aces and a number of great assists.
The Gee-Gees’ next game will be on Nov. 25, when the Royal Military College Paladins will host them in Kingston.
—Keeton Wilcock
Women’s hockey knock off Carleton 4-3
THE U OF O women’s hockey team were looking for redemption this Sunday at Carleton University after losing the first home game of the season to the Ravens on Oct. 12.
The Gee-Gees got off to a strong start in the first period with a goal by Valerie Gobeil in the ninth minute, and held their lead until the second period when Raven Sadie Wegner equalized the game on a breakaway. An untimely penalty for the Gee-Gees put them in a tough fight, but forward Janie Paquette scored shorthanded on a rebound from forward Jessica Bouchard to put the Gees up by one more goal.
The third period started with a quick goal from the Ravens to tie things up, but with 10 minutes remaining in the game, the Gee-Gees went on the offensive once more to pull ahead. Their third goal was scored by defender Maude Laramee, who managed to force the puck in following a pile-up in front of the Ravens’ net. Victoria Gouge of the Ravens tied the game with only four minutes remaining, but a well-placed pass from forward Jen Delange to forward Carling Chown in the final two minutes of the game gave her a breakaway that resulted in the game-winning goal for the Gees. The Gee-Gees outshot the Ravens 37-26 and fought hard for their 4-3 win.
The Gee-Gees’ next game is on Nov. 24 at the Minto Sports Complex, where they will play host to the Concordia University Stingers.
—Wyatt Brakeboer
Men’s hockey team ends losing streak
IT TOOK THREE weeks, but the U of O men’s hockey squad is finally back in the win column. After a six-game losing streak, the Gee-Gees beat the Concordia Stingers 6-3 to get a win at home, bringing their season to 5-3-4.
“This game is good, positive news for the team,” said Gee-Gees head coach Real Paiement in a press release sent to the Fulcrum. “The losses have been hard on the players, so the win is going to give us the opportunity to practice with more positive thoughts.”
The Gee-Gees scored fast and often in the first period, achieving a four-goal lead, but had to fend off a strong three-goal comeback from the Stingers in the second period. The Gees managed to hold off the Stingers and scored two more goals in the last five minutes of the third period to put the game away for good.
The game resulted in injuries to the Gee-Gees roster. Forwards Craig Moore and Nicolas Larocque-Marcoux did not return to the ice after stepping off with injuries.
Second-year forward Matt White played a great game, tallying three assists and getting the final goal of the game. Other goal-scorers were forwards Moore, Jean-Bernard Voyer, Paul Forster, and Guillaume Donovan.
The Gee-Gees will be looking for another win as they get set to play Queen’s on Nov. 23 and the Royal Military College on Nov. 24 in their final two home games before the exam break.
—Danny Bronson
Swim team places second overall
IN THEIR LAST home meet of the season, the U of O Gee-Gees swim team placed second overall in the Stratten Divisional Championships from Nov. 17–18. The Gees hosted the Brock Badgers, the Queen’s University Gaels, the Trent University Excalibur, the University of Waterloo Warriors, and the Western University Mustangs at Montpetit Hall for the meet.
In the women’s category, third-year Eryn Weldon outswam her competitors to three first-place finishes: the 200m and 400m individual medley and the 200m breaststroke. Other first-place finishes for the Gee’s women’s squad came from third-year Nicole Lachance in the 200m and 400m freestyle and second-year Julia Tunney in the 200m backstroke. Although it wasn’t a first-place race, Lachance set a U of O record in the 800m freestyle with a time of 8:58:77.
The Gee-Gee men had four first-place races. Rookie Robert Bonomo took the 200m backstroke and 100m freestyle, and second-year Connor Michie won the 100m and 200m breaststroke races.
The Gees swim team will head to the University of Toronto to race in the University Cup and Canada Cup from Nov. 24–25.
—Maclaine Chadwick
