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Compiled by Maclaine Chadwick
Photo by Justin Labelle
Gees trump Guelph 90-83
IT WAS A close contest on Friday night when the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees men’s basketball team took on the University of Guelph Gryphons, but the Gee-Gees came out on top with a 90-83 win.
The first half of the game saw great shooting, with the Gees making 45.5 per cent of shots from beyond the arc, and shooting 51.6 per cent from the field.
The second half saw a continuation of strong three-point shooting, but the Gees were lacking in defence, allowing the Gryphons to outscore them by 12 points in the fourth quarter.
“Guelph has a really good reputation for never giving up, and I have to give them credit because they played hard,” said head coach James Derouin in a press release sent to the Fulcrum. “I thought we stopped playing at certain points throughout the game and our defence was sloppy, so we will take the win, but we need to be better.”
Leading the Gee-Gees to the win on the scoreboard was third-year forward Gabriel Gonthier-Dubue, who had 16 points and seven rebounds. Fifth-year guard Warren Ward followed closely behind Dubue in points, contributing 15 points and nine rebounds.
—Danny Bronson
Men’s hockey continues winning streak
DESPITE VALIANT EFFORTS by the Royal Military College Paladins, the Gee-Gees men’s hockey team defeated the Paladins 2-0 on home ice Nov. 24.
“This had to be our smartest game of the year,” said Gee-Gees head coach Real Paiement in a press release sent to the Fulcrum. “We managed the puck well, we managed the situations well, we managed the clock well, and we didn’t unnecessarily force the play tonight.”
Despite 19 attempts on goal and six power-play opportunities, Gee-Gees goaltender Russell Abbott held strong throughout the game, refusing the Paladins any goals.
Gee-Gees forward Trevor Layton scored in the first period, with Guillaume Donovan’s goal in the third period securing the win. So far, the significant number of injuries on the team has not affected their play.
“For us right now, we need to take care of ourselves and what we can control,” explained Paiement. “All we can control is how we play, and that gave us success this weekend, so we’re going to continue with that mentality.”
This is the third straight win for the Gee-Gees, who also beat the Queen’s University Gaels 2-1 on Nov. 23 and the Carleton University Ravens on Nov. 16. They are now 7-3-4, third place in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA), and hope to maintain that standing when they travel to Toronto to play the Varsity Blues on Nov. 30.
—Spencer Van Dyk
Gees swat down the Stingers
THE GEE-GEES WOMEN’S hockey team scored an impressive 7-3 win against the Concordia University Stingers at home Nov. 24 in their highest-scoring game of the season.
“We’ve been waiting for that performance for a long time,” said Gee-Gees head coach Yanick Evola in a press release sent to the Fulcrum. “It’s good for our confidence, to prove to ourselves that we can do the job.”
Goaltender Cassie Seguin made an impressive 28 saves throughout the game.
“Every time Cassie is in the net, she gives us a chance to win the game,” Evola said of his starting goaltender. “She came out today and made the saves when we needed them.”
Of Elarie Leclair’s return to the game post-injury, coach Evola said it marks the team’s first complete lineup.
“This is probably the first game in a while with a full, healthy lineup, so this is our team and it represents us well,” Evola explained. “If we can stay healthy after Christmas, we’ll be a dangerous team.”
First-period Gee-Gee scorers were Carol-Ann Upshall and Carley Porcellato, with Janie Paquette earning a goal in the second period. Third-period scorers were Leclair, Janie Paquette, Cindy Laurin, and Jessica Bouchard.
Despite strong play against Concordia, the Gees lost their Nov. 25 game in overtime to the University of Montreal Carabins. The Gee-Gees are now in third place in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec, with 3-6-2.
—Spencer Van Dyk
Saturday night victory moves Gees to even out the season
WITH THEIR 84-72 victory over the visiting Lakehead University Thunderwolves (1-4) on Nov. 24 and their 70-51 win over the Guelph Gryphons on Nov. 23, the U of O women’s basketball team (3-3) finally made it to .500 after a rough start to their season.
The Gees were determined from the get-go against the Thunderwolves, as the home team exploded with 28 points in the first quarter to put them up by eight at the break. The Gees switched their focus to defence next, managing to limit the Lakehead squad to just nine points in the second quarter. At the half, the Gee-Gees were up 42-29, and were careful to maintain their lead in the second half, ultimately winning by 12 points.
Second-year forward and human kinetics student Maddie Stephen led the Gee-Gees with 22 points and 11 rebounds during the match. The U of O team’s next game will be on Nov. 30, when the Wilfrid Laurier University Goldenhawks (3-2) will host them in Waterloo.
—Keeton Wilcock
Four straight wins for men’s basketball team
THE U OF O men’s basketball team (5-1) stretched their winning streak to four games in a row on Nov. 24 when they came out on top against the Lakehead Thunderwolves (1-4), 82-76.
The visiting Lakehead team came out surprisingly strong, catching the Gees off-guard with their aggressive play. The first quarter ended with the Thunderwolves up 22-15. The Gees quickly regained their composure, though, lighting up the Thunderwolves for 28 points in the second quarter and finishing the half with a slim lead of 43-40. Both teams came out a little flat after the break, but the game remained tight until the Gee-Gees sealed the victory with a 17-2 run in the fourth quarter.
Third-year guard and economics student Johnny Berhanemeskel led the U of O team with 20 points against the Thunderwolves. The Gees’ next game will be on Nov. 30, when they will be hosted by the Laurier Goldenhawks (2-3).
—Keeton Wilcock
Women’s volleyball team suffers first loss
IN A HIGHLY anticipated game between two OUA powerhouses, the U of O women’s volleyball team suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of the York University Lions on Nov. 25.
The Gees were the first team out of the gate, winning the first set 25-23. The Lions, however, fought back to win the next two sets with scores of 25-23 and 25-20. While the Lions had a good start in the fourth game, the Gee-Gees quickly came back, winning the set 25-12 and giving the full house of fans the excitement they were looking for.
With the game tied 2-2, the Gee-Gees gained momentum going into the final set, which was a nail-biting battle between the two undefeated teams. In the end, it was York who was able to prevail 19-17 and win the game.
“The bottom line is it wasn’t a beating by either side,” said Gees head coach Lionel Woods. “It was an absolute battle and I hope that when the two teams meet again in the future, we’ll both be at our best again and we’ll see what happens.”
—Megan Cary
