Axewomen open regular season as U SPORTS No. 3 ranked squad
The pressure is on for the Acadia Axemen basketball team this season as hosts of the 2018 U SPORTS Final 8 Men’s Basketball Championship.
And they seem to be handling it quite fine.
After last year’s heart-breaking loss to Dalhousie in the AUS semi-final game, the Axemen know that what they want is within reach. Sticking to the game plan and some help from returning veterans could be the recipe for success.
The loss of two veterans from last season, including AJ Simmonds and Kyle Arsenault, has been smoothed over by the addition of past veterans Rhys Larry and Thomas Johnson.
Larry, a 6’9” forward, will complement 6’9” forward Erik Nissen - an AUS All-star last season. In 2014-15, Larry’s last season, he averaged 10.3 points per game and pulled down 9.7 rebounds per game.
As noted, Erik Nissen will return for his fifth and final season. A summer that included Nissen’s play on Team Canada at the 2017 Summer FISU games should be a catalyst for an expected impact season. Nissen averaged 18.1 points per game and led the Axemen with 9.7 rebounds per game during the 2016-17 season.
Key returners in the back court include guards Ben Miller, Trevon Grant, Nick De Palma and Mitch Tempro. In preseason play, Miller and Grant have been the ones with most playing time, yet De Palma and Tempro have produced off the bench.
De Palma, who finished
While the 2016-18 season was somewhat a disappointment for the Axewomen basketball team, it was only that because of a close loss to Cape Breton in the AUS women’s basketball final.
That disappointment has not sat well with most of the Axewomen, including several veterans who have returned for their final year wearing the red and blue of Acadia.
In preseason play, the Axewomen posted an 8-1 record, losing only to the 2018 U SPORTS championship Disappointment as Acadia Axemen lose to Dalhousie in AUS semi-finals. Pictured are Kyle Arsenault and Ben Miller.
second in 3-point shots made of 53-124, will highlight the perimeter game once again.
Up front, Jerome Mugambi had significant playing time in the later part of the season, host Regina in Acadia’s first game of the Calgary Cup in early October. Ranked as the No. 3 team in the U SPORTS Top Ten preseason ranking, the Axewomen are expected to turn some heads as they have done so in exhibition play.
Phenom Paloma Anderson returns for her final year of eligibility with Acadia. The 2015-16 AUS Most Valuable Player of the Year, Anderson has led the AUS in scoring for the last two seasons including last year’s 22.8 points per game. In exhibition play this season, Anderson
averaging 17 minutes and just under four rebounds per game. Thomas Johnson, who last played during the 2015-16 season, averaged 20 minutes per game and just under four rebounds has averaged 19.3 points per game.
Also returning as fifth year seniors are Chanel Smith, Katie Ross and Allie Berry. Smith, who was an AUS All-star last season, was second in team scoring with 14.8 points per game average, while Berry was one of two leading rebounders for the Axewomen with 6.9 rebounds per game and 10 blocks last season.
While the veteran lineup will be key to the Axewomen’s success this season, the performance of third year forward Kelsey Rice and sophomore guard Haley Mcdonald are important for the Axewomen. Rice was Acadia’s leading rebounder in only her second season, while Mcdonald was vital off the bench.
“It’s experience again. It’s funny, I have been around the AUS championship games a few times. Some on the losing ends and some on the winning ends. I think you have to lose there to win there. I think we are learning from that experience just by seeing we have eight of our returners stay here in the spring and summer and find work in Wolfville so they could stay here and train. We are seeing the evidence of that right away,” said head coach Len Harvey when asked what he needs to carry over from last season to this season. per game.
New faces to the lineup include Mason Middaugh, Eli Kraushar and Brett Speedy. Middaugh had several impressive preseason games that included 11, 13 and 10 points versus Calgary, Mcgill and Laval, respectively.
“Those three guys we think can make some impact for us in different roles right away. They’ll fit into some roles for us throughout the season,” commented head coach Kevin Duffie.
Last year’s playoff run was cut short in a nail-bitter semi-final loss to Dalhousie, where a late game lead led to disappointment. The experience from the playoff loss and six losses of eight points or less during the regular season has shaped this year’s drive for an AUS championship.
“I think our experience is going the help in league play on how to win some games. We were in a lot of good games last year. We won some close ones and we lost some close ones, especially late in the year. We hope to take some of those experiences, moving forward and figure out how to win. Win in the quarter court in crunch times and big games. We have a group that has that experience in close games,” noted Duffie, when asked about what the Axemen need to carry forward from last season.
The Axemen open the regular season this Saturday night at 8 p.m. against the visiting Memorial Sea-hawks. Both teams play for a second game on Sunday starting at 3 p.m.
Newcomers this year include standout CEGEP Division 2 MVP Rachel Clouâtre-trudeau. A member of the Geants de CEGEP Saint-jean-sur-richelieu, Clouâtretrudeau won both Regionals and Provincial Division 2 titles in 201415 and 2015-16 seasons with the Geants.
“She has been fantastic. She had some high scoring games. She has been great. She’s a CEGEP kid, so she is a little bit older and fits in right away,” said Harvey.
Other new faces to hit the court for the Axewomen in exhibition play include Atlantic Canadians Miranda Crawley (Halifax, N.S.), Taylor Tolliver (Cole Harbour, N.S.), Kaisen Mackinnon (Cole Harbour, N.S.) and Claire Ayotte (Perth Andover, N.B.). Sarsha Cadle, from Melbourse, Australia will add some size as a 6’1” forward.
“Honestly, they have all played well in different games and have shown positive moments in practice or in games. We have been quite happy with our freshman class so far,” noted Harvey.
The Axewomen open the regular season this Saturday evening at 6 p.m. against the visiting Memorial Sea-hawks. The Sea-hawks will have a two-game stand at Acadia with game two on Sunday at 1 p.m. Chase the Ace is back! Middleton Curling Club’s popular Friday night of socializing, mixed with a little game of chance, is starting back at the beginning – with a full deck of 52 cards and a pot of $1,000 plus (the percentage for the evening).
This fundraiser has continued to support the youth programs in the club since it began several years ago. Curling is the most accessible sport for students due to the low cost of participating. Many sports require specialized equipment even at the most basic level - but not curling.
For students, the gear required is a helmet and clean sneakers. With the money from Chase the Ace MCC has purchased sliders (that fit over the sneakers) and brooms in sizes that are appropriate for young curlers.
The Little Rocks begin with the “Lite Rocks” which were purchased as a memorial to late president Bob Marshall, a keen supporter of new curlers.
No student curler needs to come with any preparation other than the sneakers, helmet – and warm clothing. There may not be any “weather” inside the club, but it is chilly on the ice.
This coming year the funds from Chase the Ace will be used to refurbish the junior brooms with new heads, among other things. In this way, the community contributes to youth sports and active, healthy living.
Youth co-ordinator Dawn Spidle has a busy year planned for her curlers. Youth registration has already been held, attendance is up, and the program is off to an energetic start. On Saturday a group of Little Rocks and Juniors are attending a developmental camp at Glooscap Curling Club in Kentville to learn more about sweeping, sliding, and balance.
Spidle will have teams in two “away” tournaments this year, plus there are plans for a “homeand-home” style exchange of hosting but with four clubs involved – Windsor, Kentville, Berwick, and Middleton.
Each month one of the clubs will host an event so that student curlers will have the opportunity to play against curlers that are not in their weekly classes and in a setting that gives them the feel of a more competitive game. Middleton is first up with hosting duties, and the other clubs will come to MCC on Saturday, Nov. 13.
The youth programs continue to grow and expand at MCC. This year will see the start of the Nova Scotia Curling Association Little Rock and Junior badge program, designed to promote student curlers through eight levels of achievement as they increase their curling knowledge and skills. Badges will be awarded at the successful completion of each level.
MCC is lucky to have the time and energy of the volunteers running these programs, and the support of the community in its fundraising.
Information always available at www.middletoncurlingclub.com