Gaiters basketball 2023 outlook

Owen Kitzan, Sports Editor » thecampus.sports@gmail.com

Gaiters basketball 2023 outlook

Micah Della Foresta - Staff Writer

Both Gaiter squads had early returns to practice in the midst of the holiday season. The women arrived on Dec. 27 to begin preparing for their 2023 RSEQ and national championship push, heading into the semester with an undefeated 6-0 league record and a second overall national ranking. The men arrived back on the same day but instead in Montreal, for two matches at L’Université du Québec à Montréal. They are set to play Lakehead University on Dec. 28, and the University of Calgary on Dec. 29. The Gaiters started off the Olga Hrycak Classic with a statement win, taking down Lakehead in a fast-paced game in which Bishop’s won by a score of 96-91. Through aggressive play and continuous intention to push the ball in transition, they were able to beat the #9 U Sports nationally ranked team at their own game. Tiernan McDougall led the way with a breakout performance, contributing a game-high of 25 points, doing so efficiently, in just 23 minutes of playing time. McDougall’s prowess was coupled with another strong performance from Rowan Halpenny, who provided pace and rim pressure, supplying the squad with 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. Also notable was Charles-André Robert who had 15 points and 9 rebounds. The following day, the team matched up against the Calgary Dinos, a consistent contender in the Canada West, who were set to be a physical challenge for the Gaiters. The team found themselves in an early deficit, but were able to head into the second half with an even score of 36-36. It remained a close match throughout the last two quarters but the men ultimately succumbed to strong execution down the stretch by the Dinos, falling to a final score of 70-63 for Calgary. Étienne Gagnon had a career-high of 30 points and 9 rebounds, shooting 1323 from the field. Ambs Mathé also contributed with 9 points and 6 rebounds. The women had a productive winter camp, getting into the gym twice a day, incorporating consistent athletic development training with film sessions and technical meetings in preparation for a critical second semester for the team and the program. With five senior players, a 3-time First Team All-Canadian, Amaiquen Siciliano, two more All-Stars, Jael Kabunda and Victoria Gauna, as well as the reigning RSEQ defensive player of the year, Jennifer Louis, the women are in an incredible position to make a serious run in the second half of the season. They are poised to be serious contenders on the provincial and national stage. On Jan. 6, the team traveled to Québec City to face off against the Laval Rouge et Or who they had previously beat earlier in the season by a margin of 9 points. This time, they were set to start without integral player Victoria Gauna due to an injury. She has been averaging 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds thus far this season. Also out was Sandra Mbekou, who has been a consistent role player for the team. In a neck and neck, back and forth game, it all came down to a final shot for the Gaiters with only a few seconds left on the clock. A strong defensive possession by Laval and a miscommunication by Bishop’s would lead to Laval being able to close out the game and take down the Gaiters by only 1 point. The Gaiters were led by Amaiquen Siciliano with 20 points, a double-double from Jael Kabunda with 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Katerina Stoupas who flirted with a double-double, pouring in 9 points and 13 boards. Associate Head Coach Rod Gilpin commented that: “our biggest concerns are getting our transition defense sorted out, and rebounding at both ends.” The team looks to take care of both and return to the hardwood strong and in full force after the bye week. The men subsequently followed at 8 p.m. The Gaiters came out strong, leading the game by a score of 19-12 after the first period. The Rouge et Or responded accordingly, closing the lead and maintaining a close match for the rest of the way. Despite Bishop’s grabbing 25 offensive rebounds, crucial mistakes in the clutch minutes from the Gaiters, including untimely fouls and turnovers, would result in the team failing to maintain the lead and fall to the opposing team by 3 points. Étienne Gagnon, the fourth highest rebounder in the country, proved again his dominance on the glass, obtaining 19 in the game alongside 19 points. Rowan Halpenny also went to work again with 19 points and 7 rebounds. The team now sits at a record of 2-5 and is focused on continually developing the detail-oriented aspects of their systems that have proved to be critically important and defining so far in the 2022-23 season. Next up, the Gaiters will play Concordia University in a back-to-back series starting in Montreal on Thursday, Jan. 19. Their first home game of 2023 is Saturday, Jan. 21 in Mitchell Gym. The women’s game will start at 6 p.m. and the men will follow at 8 p.m.

Dance Club fundraising for competition

Jada Van Der Linde- Contributor

The Bishop’s University Competitive Dance Team has started off the new year by launching its annual 50/50 fundraising event on January 6. With just $10 you stand the chance to win one of two $500 cash prizes! The dancers are raising funds for the Be U competition in Mississauga, ON, where they will be representing Bishop’s University in March. The dancers have been preparing for this competition since October of 2022. They are in the studio every Sunday (all day) and every Monday night. They compete in multiple dance styles including jazz, contemporary, hiphop, and ballet. Yet, the competition stage is not the only place where you can find these talented dancers. The hiphop team supports a number of hockey and basketball games during quarters and halftimes, so expect to see some of these dancers performing this season! You can support the dance team by participating in a simple draw. Contact any member of the competitive dance team, choose how many squares you would like to purchase and pick your lucky number(s). It is that easy! The winners are selected at random with the help of a random name generator, so everyone has an equal chance to win. Of course, the more tickets you buy, the higher the probability of winning. However, you do not need to buy many tickets to win. The winner from the last 50/50 fundraiser only purchased a single ticket and won the $500 cash prize! Here are a few thoughts by the dancers regarding the upcoming competition:

I’m really excited about bonding with the team and spending time getting to know each other better in a high stress environment. - Makayla Foster Coming from a small island, I never had the opportunity to attend a dance competition and it’s crazy that we’ll be competing in a few months. I never thought I’d actually take part in one. - Lisa van der Spaan Photo Courtesy of Jacob Guite

Owen Kitzan, Sports Editor » thecampus.sports@gmail.com

Gaiters women’s hockey: game recap & season update

Owen Kitzan - Sports Editor

In their first game of the second semester the Gaiters women’s hockey team came up short against the University of Montréal Carabins, posting a 6-2 loss on the road. This brings the team’s record to a very respectable 8-3-3 to begin their sophomore campaign as a member of U-Sports. The two goals in the loss were recorded by Neleh Vigneau Sargeant and Justine Turcotte, with both of them also registering an assist and their linemate, Maude Pépin assisting on both of the team’s goals. Unfortunately, the Gaiters ran into a red hot player on the other end of the ice with the Carabins Audrey-Anne Veillette recording four goals in the game. The Gaiters turned away 24 of 30 shots while the University of Montréal let in two goals on 22 shots in the hard-fought battle.

The Carabins have seemingly had the Gaiters’ number to start the year, with the Carabins taking all three of their contests with Bishop’s to date, with an overtime and one-goal win earlier in the year. In what should be some exciting hockey, the two teams will face each other two more times this year, giving Bishop’s the chance to rewrite the script and finish off strong in the five-game season series. In other team news, captain Marie-Camille Théorêt was named to the World University Games to represent Canada on an international level in December. With 11 points through 14 games coming from the blue line as well as regularly recording top minutes for the Gaiters, it is no wonder she was selected to play for team Canada. The tournament was held in Lake Placid beginning Jan. 11, with a game against Slovakia. With her selection, Théorêt becomes the first Gaiter to represent team Canada at an international tournament in women’s hockey. This is an honorable achievement and we wish her the best of luck in the tournament. With eleven regular season games remaining, you can guarantee that the team will be looking to continue their strong beginning to the season. Eight of those games will be held at home at the Jane & Eric Molson arena. The Gaiters will be taking on the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees on the road Jan. 13, followed up by their next home game Jan. 15 at 3:30 p.m. against the Carleton Ravens.

Photo Courtesy of Emma McGregor

BU Snow: An inside look

Kieran Pike- Contributor

Originating in 2006, the Bishop’s University Ski Club, also known as BU Snow, is a popular club at Bishop’s known for bringing awareness to fun University-community gatherings, great ski pass deals for numerous ski hills, and hosting as well as creating fun events for the ski community year round. Selected through an application process, the ski club has seven members of the executive board who are all responsible for working closely with the SRC to make the annual rail jam at Winterfest a reality, but that is not all they do. The executives are also responsible for making new merchandise items like the BU Snow sweaters and stickers, maintaining tight relationships with ski hill staff and event coordinators, and thinking of fun new events as well as bringing those ideas to fruition. The club even offers ski and snowboard wax and sharpenings for $15 behind the scenes for the Bishop’s ski community with a speedy turnaround time. During their weekly meetings, the executives go over the previous minutes from the past meeting, the progress of planning events that were previously discussed, and the current standing of the treasury. Once completed, they then bring up new topics and goals to discuss such as exclusive merchandise for Winterfest, what the process of making new events will look like, how information about events will be effectively communicated to the Bishop’s community and what external companies or groups may be needed to make the event a success. Once they have defined what they need to do and the best way to do it, the executive members divide up the roles among themselves so it is easier to achieve their goals in a shorter period of time. Most projects require many hours of research and collaboration with other brands, companies, and groups. Currently the ski club is working hard planning for the upcoming gear swap on Jan. 21 from 12-4 p.m. at the Optimist Park skatepark. They are also making sure that the 2023 Winterfest is going to be a time to remember, with some creative new Winterfest-inspired exclusive merchandise and an amazing rail jam filled with great times and fun memories. Keep an eye out for news and updates about upcoming events on their Instagram and their Facebook group chat @bu_snow.