Latest posts (RSS 2.0)Going into the winter break, I figured it’s time to take a look at how some of the Gaels’ teams are doing so far. Without further ado, here are my thoughts about how their seasons are going.
Men’s volleyball
This team came into the year with perhaps the highest expectations placed on them, driven by last year’s OUA championship banner (in fact, the only banner Queen’s won last year) and their top ranking in the Athletics and Recreation Review. With only a couple of losses to graduation and a strong rookie class, all of the pre-season signs pointed to another stellar year for the Gaels. However, it’s been a difficult season for them so far. Hindered by key injuries, namely to libero Stu Hamilton and outside hitter Dan McCrae, and gruelling road swings, the team is 6-4 going into the break and in a three-way tie for fourth in the OUA. The Gaels have been close several times though: three of the losses (to the McMaster Marauders, the Guelph Gryphons, and the Western Mustangs) have been in five-set matches. Other encouraging signs come from Coach Willis’s recent comments that the Gaels played better than they had all season in their last couple of matches. The team will be playing in a Florida tournament against American schools this winter, which should not only help them stay sharp, but also force them to elevate their game. With an easier travel schedule in the second half, and hopefully a few less injuries, they should still be able to contend for the OUA title.
Women’s volleyball
It seems to be a transition year for this program, with new head coach Joely Christian taking the reins and a strong stable of incoming rookies. I’ve been very impressed with Elyssa Heller’s play so far, and fellow rookies Colleen Ogilvie and Lorna Button have also made solid impacts. There are also several good second-year players, including last year’s OUA East Rookie of the Year Louise, Christiane Taylor and Ellen Gray. However, the team’s youth (they only have one fourth-year player, Jennifer Willis, and no fifth-year players) has shown so far: they’re 2-7 after nine games, and four of their losses have been in straight sets. They should improve a bit later this year as the new players become more familiar with OUA volleyball, but this team’s real test will be if they’re able to translate their young talent into success in the next few seasons.
Men’s basketball
I took in the men’s basketball team’s 94-71 win over Lakehead Saturday night and was very impressed with most of what I saw. They had a tough 92-81 loss to McMaster the night before, but rebounded with a good performance against the Thunderwolves. The Gaels have a good balance to their lineup, which combines strong perimeter shooting from the likes of Baris Ondul (six of eight from beyond the three-point arc Saturday) and Nick DiDonato (four of five on threes) with some good inside play from Mitch Leger and company. Leger particularly impressed me, as he was able to nail 24 points, including a 10 for 10 night from the free-throw line, despite a below-average performance from the field. The team also was able to step it up in the fourth quarter, as they only led by five going into the final frame. They’re 5-3 going into the break, good enough for fourth in the OUA East. I don’t think they’re too likely to threaten the
8-0Carleton Ravens this year, but they should have a decent chance against most of the other Ontario teams.
The great thing about this team is their youth: Ondul’s in his third year of eligibility, while Leger’s only in his second, and many rookies such as DiDonato, Jon Ogden, Tim Boyle and Travis Mitchell are also making their presence felt this year. As Mike brought up at the game Saturday, recruiting tends to go in cycles: a good season by a team frequently aids their off-season recruiting, which in turn assists next year’s on-court performance, explaining why Carleton has been so dominant in men’s basketball over the last several years. Hopefully, this team will be able to finish strong, attract some more quality recruits to their solid young core and pose a serious threat to the OUA powerhouses within the next few seasons.
Women’s basketball
It has been a tougher start for the women’s team than the men’s, as they’re 3-6 after nine games. That’s still good enough for fourth place in the OUA East, though, which demonstrates the clear disparity in this league. Three of the eastern teams (the Ryerson Rams, the Ottawa Gee-Gees and the Royal Military College Paladins) are still winless, while Guelph has a better record than Queen’s despite being last in the OUA West. There are some bright spots for the Gaels, still, as they’ve seen good performances from young players such as rookie Brittany Moore, who put up 19 points in Saturday’s 80-57 win over Lakehead. Unlike women’s volleyball, though, this team is pretty veteran-heavy, so there are more expectations on them this year. Hopefully they’ll be able to turn it around in the second half.
Men’s hockey
The men’s hockey team is a respectable 8-7-2 at this point—good enough to lead the OUA Mid-East Division. All of the other division leaders (the Brock Badgers, the Université de Québec à Trois Rivières Patriotes, and the Western Mustangs) have 12 wins, though. The Gaels have received great goaltending from the duo of Ryan Gibb and Brady Morrison, but offence has been more of a concern: the team averages 2.41 goals per game, but gives up an average of 2.88. The 17 points of their leading scorer, Brady Olsen, aren’t even enough to be in the OUA Top 20 (although he is tied for 14th with 10 goals), and the offence falls off dramatically after that. Team captain Jeff Ovens and Jon Asselstine are both tied for second in team scoring with only 12 points, which makes it likely this team is going to have to count on offence by committee in the second half (Hmm: strong goaltending, decent defence, and problems scoring: reminds me of another team I like to support).
On the plus side, Ovens is leading by example with a solid performance this year: he’s continued his strong defensive play while chipping in some key goals. Rookies like Mike Bushby, Jon Lawrance and Marcus Halcro have also been doing pretty well. The Gaels will be in a tight fight for the division championship with the University of Toronto Varsity Blues (8-8-1) and the RMC Paladins (7-8-2) in the second half: hopefully, they’ll be able to hang onto their lead and take the division.
Women’s hockey
So far, the season has been a bit of a letdown for the women’s hockey team, OUA silver medallists last season. They’re currently 6-8-3 and in a three-way tie for fifth in the OUA. The slow start is perhaps attributable to the adjustment period under a new coach (Rob Lalonde), but they’ll have to turn it up in the second half if they want to compete with the better teams in the OUA like Laurier, Toronto, and Guelph (26, 25 and 24 points respectively). At times they’ve received strong offensive performances, such as in a 7-6 Nov. 23 win over Guelph, but they’ve struggled to score consistently lately, as seen by this past weekend’s 3-1 and 4-1 losses to Windsor and Western. Liz Kench has been one of the standouts so far, with her 20 points putting her second in OUA scoring. Most of the questions surrounding this team are on the defensive end, however, as their 2.80 goals against per game are fifth-worse in the OUA. With luck, they’ll be able to pick it up in the second half and get back to last year’s form.
Awesome link I found (from the Junior Hockey Blog): Perhaps what the Golden Gaels’ marketing department really needs is a little more cowbell?
Another good link for those interested in Gaels’ athletics: Neate Sager’s blog, with frequent postings about how the various Gaels’ teams are doing.
