Best of the best
Cape Breton Capers varsity clubs release all-decade teams for 2010s
SYDNEY — As the calendar changes to 2021, the Cape Breton Capers varsity clubs are looking back at a memorable decade for the university’s athletic department.
After national championship medals, regional championships and memorable moments, each of the school’s clubs recently named their alldecade teams for the 2010s.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
The program had its ups and downs during the decade, but the more memorable moments came in 2010 and 2013 when they captured Atlantic University Sport championships.
The 2013 edition of the Capers was impressive, finishing the regular season with a 19-1 record.
Mid-decade, the program struggled to find the win column. The club posted an 0-20 record in 2016-17 and a 2-18 record in 2017-18, before returning to the AUS playoffs in 2018-19 and 2019-20.
During the decade, the club had various key players including Jimmy Dorsey, who won back-to-back AUS most valuable player awards in 2011-12 and 2012-13. Dorsey was also a two-time U-Sports first-team all-Canadian as well as a fourtime AUS first-team all-star.
Dorsey, Meshack Lufile, Paris Carter, Osman Omar and Paul Watson were named to the team’s first all-decade team, while Sean McCormick, Kenny Jean Louis, Scott Jaspers Fayer, Cedric Kasongo and Sydney’s Kelson Devereaux were given second team honours.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
The Capers women claimed three AUS titles during the decade with victories in 2010, 2011 and 2017. The club also won a national bronze medal in 2011.
The decade was highlighted by various local basketball players on the team, including Marion Bridge’s Alison Keough, who’s the university’s all-time leading scorer as well as the program’s alltime leading rebounder. She’s also the AUS all-time leading rebounder.
Keough received multiple honours over her career with the program including back-to-back first-team all-Canadians in 2016-17 and 2017-18 along with an AUS most valuable player award in 2016-17. She was also a fourtime AUS first-team all-star.
Hannah Brown of North Sydney was the league’s MVP in 2018-19. She earned backto-back AUS first-team allstar honours in 2017-18 and 2018-19, helping the club win the league title in 2017.
MacKenzee Ryan of Glace Bay has found success with the program and was named to the AUS rookie all-star team in 2017-18.
Keough, Brown, Colleen Keane, Kari Everett and Jahlica Kirnon were named to the first all-decade team, while Ryan, Tanira McClurkin, Valentina Primossi, Natacha Roach, Nicole Works and Stephanie Toxopeus were part of the second team.
“We looked at individual success and weighed it with the impact on team success,” said Capers head coach Fabian McKenzie of the selection process. “If our team was a body, Colleen Keane, during her time here, was the heart.”
MEN’S SOCCER
The program won five AUS championships during the decade (2012, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019) while capturing the program’s first national championship in 2017.
Along with the national title, the team would add to its national collection with a silver medal in 2018 and a bronze medal in 2019.
Since 2017, the Capers haven’t lost a regular season game, posting a 31-0-5 record. They finished first overall in the AUS four of the last five seasons, including the past three seasons.
The team had a number of standout players during the decade including AUS most valuable players Andrew Rigby (2011), Ian Greedy (2013), Justin Maheu (2014) and Peter Schaale (2018 and 2019).
The club has also produced professional players including Schaale, Cory Bent and Isaiah Johnston, all of whom played in the Canadian Premier League in 2020.
During the time frame, head coach Deano Morley captured three AUS coach of the year awards (2014, 2017 and 2018) as well as two U Sports coach of the year honours in 2017 and 2018.
Schaale, Bent, Rigby, Greedy as well as Ben Jackson, Sandro Rajkovic, Euan Bauld, Jack Simpson, Charlie Waters, Justin Maheu and Keishen Bean were named to the all-decade club.
The Capers didn’t name a second team, but listed seven honourable mentions including Marcus Campanile, Jason Massie, Daniel Pritchard, Shayne Hollis, Stuart Heath, Caelan Budhoo and Andrew Murphy.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Under the direction of head coach Stephen (Ness) Timmons, the Capers program continued its well-known success with six AUS titles in the decade (2010, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019).
Along with the Atlantic championships, the team also won national silver and bronze medals in 2017 and 2018 respectively.
The team finished first overall in the AUS standings five times (2012, 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2018).
The decade also brought key contributors to the Capers program including Karolyne Blain, Tamara Brown, Chelsea Currie and Ciera Disipio to name a few.
Blain was a three-time AUS most valuable player and currently holds the record for most goals (53) as a member of the program. Meanwhile, Disipio won three-straight AUS MVP awards from 2017 to 2019.
The decade also saw Timmons win three AUS coach of the year awards (2012, 2013 and 2017) along with two U Sports coach of the year awards (2012 and 2017). Timmons will enter his 25th season as the club’s head coach this year.
Blain, Disipio, Brown, Currie, Alyssa Armstrong, Robbyn McNeil, Allison Bell Davies, Robyn Novorolsky, Keona Simmonds, Fatou Ndiaye and Lizzy Trottier were named to the first all-decade team.
“Ciera (Disipio) is the best striker of the ball we have had in this program,” said Timmons.
Becky Hanna, Kennedy Curry, Ally Rowe, Amelia Carlini, Kara MacKinnon, Erin Freeman, Maddy Lavers, Rachel Leck, Alyssa Kavanaugh, Katherine Mills and Tiffany O’Donnell make up the second team.