You might want to remember the name “Frankie LaPenna”
Sandy Hill was quiet over the holiday break, but the Gee-Gees returned to campus sooner than most. Both basketball teams and both hockey teams make up most of the sports stories you missed over the break, which also includes news from overseas and from the Sandy Hill Winter Classic organizers.
Basketball
Men travel to Laval for holiday tournament; lose first game of the season
Beginning in August, the nationally top-ranked Gee-Gees men’s basketball team had been experiencing every team’s dream: a perfect season. They had bent, but they had yet to break. That all changed when they travelled to Quebec City after Christmas to participate in Laval’s Tournoi des Fêtes Rouge et Or. The Gees shot 44.4 per cent from three, and 45.6 per cent from the field, but their 81 points were outdone by St. Francis Xavier’s (St. FX) 104.
Men, Women, lose to Queens; Men’s conference win streak stops at 10
Even with the loss to St. FX, the men still had their perfect OUA conference record to lean back on. But to maintain it into the new year, they would have to take down U SPORTS #3 Queen’s. But without key players Cole Newton and Jacques-Mélaine Guemeta, the task would be a tough one. After a thrilling game, which included multiple Gee-Gees leads, the visiting Gaels would just barely prevail, 96-95.
Before the men’s game, the women would play, who were looking to protect a nine-game win-streak. But in a similar fashion to the men, they would lose a close one. Allie McCarthy was the lone Gee to put up double-digit points, finishing with 17, and a perfect 3-for-3 line from beyond the arc. Four Gaels would hit double digits as they took the game 70-61.
Hockey
Men return from break with wins over Carleton and Ontario Tech
You might want to remember the name “Frankie LaPenna”. In his past two starts, wins over Carleton and Ontario Tech, the 21-year-old has saved 56 of 57 shots, boosting his season save percentage to 0.948, and lowering his goals-against average to 1.53. The former Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League star leads the OUA in both statistics by a wide margin. With the Gee-Gees now in first place in the East Division, it’s clear that the Gees could make a playoff run this season with LaPenna in net.
Women drop first game back; losing streak extended to four games
The women’s hockey team isn’t off to as hot of a start as the men’s. The team’s record stood at 4-9 before the break, and although the team was battling hard against top-ranked teams like Concordia, the wins weren’t coming easy.
To begin the second half of the season, the team welcomed McGill to the Minto Sports Complex on Jan. 6. After falling behind 3-0 early, the girls rallied. Florence Lessard would find the back of the net with just over a minute left in the game, and with just 10 seconds left, Maëlle LaPlante would tip one home, but it was too late. The Gees would fall to 4-10 on the season with the 3-2 loss.
Community
Sandy Hill Winter Classic registration dates announced
In case you missed it, the Sandy Hill Winter Classic is returning to the Sandy Hill outdoor rink (ODR) in in February. The charity event has been tentatively scheduled for Feb. 3, with a backup date of Feb. 10. Mark your calendars: Registration will open Jan. 14 at 5 p.m. You don’t want to miss a chance at participating in this one-of-a-kind hockey tournament. Visit the event’s website for more details.
Ticket lottery for 2025 World Juniors closes
Interested in attending the 2025 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Junior Championship (WJC), which is returning to Ottawa? If you missed out on the ticket package lottery, don’t fret. The ‘Priority Draw’ consisted of full-tournament packages for each of TD Place Arena and the Canadian Tire Centre (CTC). The prices for the CTC package, which will host all of Canada’s games, start at $900 per seat and rise to $2,550 per seat. At TD Place, where Canada will not play a single game, the package starts at $440 per seat and rises to $708. Single-game tickets will come out at a later date and will also begin to hit the resale market in the coming months.
