Written by: Cody Baugh
Women’s Basketball
The women’s basketball team picked up a crucial four points in the first week of AUS play after the Christmas break. Dalhousie was in action twice, dropping their first game of 2016 to the Saint Mary’s Huskies on Wednesday evening, but rallied back to beat the StFX X-Women in a four-point game on Friday night.
Saint Mary’s got the best of the Tigers on Wednesday night at the Dalplex with a 65-56 win and now hold a 2-0 lead in the season series. Despite a 10-point lead at half, the Tigers could not fend off the second best team in the AUS.
Rachel Coward led the Huskies on a 13-3 run to open the third quarter and knot things up at 34 aside. In the fourth quarter, the Huskies came out firing once again opening up a 57-49 lead and never looked back en route to a 65-56 win.
Tessa Stammberger put up 22 points alongside six rebounds while, it was Coward leading the way for the Huskies with 16 points.
Stammberger was it again on Friday night putting up 30 points in the Tigers 69-57 defeat of the X-Women. It was a closely contested game until the Tigers were able to go on a 9-0 run in the fourth quarter.
The X-Women started off strong opening up a 7-2 margin in the opening stages of the game. Dalhousie chipped away at the lead eventually cutting it to 19-18 after one quarter of play.
Christina Brown hit a baseline three to give the Tigers their first lead of the game at 22-21. The two teams would battle back and forth until the fourth quarter where Stammberger hit two three balls that sealed the four points for the Tigers.
Next weekend the Tigers will be on the road playing the UNB Varsity Reds in a two-game set.
Men’s Basketball
After a huge win at the Rod and Joan Shoveller Memorial Men’s Basketball Tournament, beating the Saint Mary’s Huskies in the championship game, the Tigers were back into AUS regular season action hosting the Huskies on Wednesday night. Coach Plato’s team could not repeat the result from Sunday, falling 80-64 to the Huskies.
The Tigers may have been feeling the effects of a championship hangover as the Huskies had their number in this one. It was a close first half, which saw the Huskies come away up 39-34.
Things went south for the Tigers in the third quarter as the Huskies outscored the home side by 17 points, putting the game out of reach.
Marquis Clayton and Brian Rouse were dominant for Saint Mary’s putting up 23 and 20 points, respectively. On the Tigers side of ball the usual offensive threats couldn’t find their touch, as it was Jordan Aquino-Serjue coming off the bench with a team high 12-points.
On Friday night, the Tigers were back to top form dismantling the StFX X-Men 82-67. The four points moved Dalhousie in to top spot in the AUS for the time being and now sit in a four-way tie for first place in the conference.
Jarred Reid was virtually unstoppable in the first quarter grabbing the opening nine points for the Tigers. Two late free throws by Devonte Provo gave the X-Men a 16-15 lead after the first buzzer.
Sven Stammberger drained back-to-back three balls opening up a 33-29 Tigers lead in the second quarter. Dalhousie took a 37-34 lead into the third quarter.
Tigers point guard, Ritchie Kanza Mata took over the game in the second half recoding all of his 13 points as well as four of his 10 assists. On the strength of Kanza Mata’s play, Dalhousie opened up a 60-47 lead at the end of the third quarter.
There was no contest in the fourth as the Dalhousie lead was never in question.
The Tigers displayed their versatility and depth on Friday night with five players scoring in double digits.
The boys will be in action next weekend as they play the UNB Varsity Reds who are tied atop the AUS with the Tigers.
Men’s Hockey
Head coach Chris Donnelly and the boys were tasked with back-to-back games over the weekend against the UPEI Panthers and UNB Varsity Reds. The Tigers only managed to come away with one point as they suffered a 4-0 loss to the Varsity Reds and a 2-1 OT loss to the Panthers.
It wasn’t the start to 2016 that the Tigers were looking for as Dylan Willick scored a hat trick for the Varsity Reds on Friday night. Willick opened up the scoring in the first period just under seven minutes into the game.
After the Varsity Reds tally in the first period, it looked as though the Tigers could skate with UNB but things unraveled in the second period as the Varsity Reds put up three goals including a shorthanded marker.
Wendell Vye came in for relief for starter Corbin Boes who was chased after the fourth Varsity Reds goal.
It was a much better effort on Saturday night for the Tigers who managed to grab the all-important first goal against the Panthers. Andrew Wigginton notched his second of the season off a scramble in front of the UPEI net, putting the Tigers up 1-0 halfway through the first.
Ryan MacKinnon countered for the Panthers on the power play with a wrist shot from the blue line beating Corbin Boes in second period. The 1-1 deadlock would hold as this one needed overtime.
The Panthers prevailed in the extra frame with Mason Wilgosh scoring the game winner in the final two minutes of the 10 minute period.
Corbin Boes stopped 37 shots in the losing effort.
The Tigers will look to right the ship on home ice Friday, January 15 against the Varsity Reds.
Women’s Hockey
The women’s hockey team was in action twice this past weekend but was unable to come away with a win. On Saturday, Moncton took down the Tigers 2-0 and Sunday it was St. Thomas beating the Tigers 4-1.
Moncton came out flying as Marie-Pier Corriveau and Marie-Pier Arsenault scored within the first 10 minutes of the game. The 2-0 lead established early on would hold for the remainder of the game.
Emilie Bouchard stopped 27 shots in her shutout performance while Mati Barrett stopped 26 in the Tigers cage.
On Sunday at Grant-Harvey Centre, Lauren Henman led the Tommies to 4-1 victory with a hat trick.
It was Paige Jackson starting thing off scoring just under two minutes into the game for the Tommies.
Henman netted two power play goals in the second period to put the Tommies up 3-0 at the second intermission.
Corinne Desjardins managed to get the Tigers on the board halfway through the third period on the power play. Henman completed the hat trick scoring on an empty net with 1:35 remaining.
Dalhousie, now 6-8, will faceoff against Saint Mary’s on Wednesday, January 13 at the Halifax Forum.