Capers back on the court

Cape Breton Capers men’s and women’s basketball teams open AUS season this weekend

The Cape Breton Capers men’s and women’s basketball teams will kick off their 2018-19 Atlantic University Sport regular season this weekend.

The teams will begin the year on the road with both Capers clubs playing the Dalhousie Tigers today and Sunday in Halifax.

The women’s team enters the new season after finishing second in the AUS standings last year with a 13-6 record. The club was eliminated from the AUS championships by No. 3 seed UPEI Panthers in the semifinals last March.

The Capers will have a number of returning players including Cape Breton’s Hannah Brown (North Sydney), Toni Bianchini (Groves Point), and MacKenzee Ryan (Glace Bay)

The club will have four rookies including New Waterford’s Rhianna MacDonald.

Cape Breton’s men’s team enters the new season after a disappointing 2017-18 season, which saw the club post two wins and 18 losses and finish last in the eight-team standings with just four points.

The Capers will have a familiar face behind the bench this season. Matt Skinn, who had previously coached the Capers for four seasons, will return after leaving the club two years ago for an assistant coaching job in Western Canada.

Skinn was hired by the Capers in April when the club parted ways with former head coach David Petroziello.

The Capers will have a number of returning players this year and added Cape Breton players Jason Callaghan of Sydney Noah Dunn of Port Hood, and Liam Macdonald-Stapleton of Sydney.

Cape Breton and Dalhousie will meet today with the women taking the court at 6 p.m., followed by the men at 8 p.m.

The teams will wrap up the weekend series on Sunday with the women playing at 1 p.m. and the men at 3 p.m.

Following these games, the Capers will return to home court for their home opener on Nov. 10 against St. Francis Xavier University.