In the opening round, held in Timmins: …………………………………………………… The Elgin Rideau District Lions dumped the North York Nelson A. Boylen Skyhawks 55-29 as Laura Roantree scored 21 and nabbed 12 boards, Courtney Gamble 12, along with 8 steals, and Missy Stenzl 11, along with 9 assists. Tashawna Higgins led Boylen with 25. Brittney Miller added 4. The Lions led 30-16 at the half. “The Boylan team didn’t have much structure,” Lions assistant Ron Stenzl told the Kingston Whig-Standard. “It was almost like playground ball to them. We pressured hard at the outset and got a pretty good lead. There were quite a few [opposing] coaches in the stands, so we didn’t want to show too much.” …………………………………………………… The Port Hope Trinity College Bigside dumped the Kapuskasing District Kolts 52-29 as Kelsey Wilcox scored 25 and Laura Trim 11. Ally Tremblay led Kapuskasing with 15. Megan Gereghty added 6. …………………………………………………… The 3rd-seeded Rockcliffe Ashbury Colts crushed the South River Almaguin Highlands Secondary Highlanders 63-22 as Bess Lennox scored 20 and Katherine McIssac 9. W. Brown and R. Theberge each scored 8 for Almaguin. Ashbury led 35-4 lead at the half. “We prepared by playing boy’s teams the last few days and that made a difference for us. We were ready for the tempo and our pressure worked early. We’re off to a good start,” coach Andy Sparks told the Ottawa Citizen. …………………………………………………… The Kenora St. Thomas Aquinas Saints defeated Notre Dame 40-32 as Megan Derouard scored 12 and Jessica Trent 10. Lindsay McGregor led Notre Dame with 15. Kristen MacDonald added 5. …………………………………………………… The Harrow District Hawks defeated Manitoulin 35-30 as Ashley Huston scored 9 and Beth Hedges 7. Kaitlyn Watson led Manitoulin with 9. Maria Diebolt added 7. …………………………………………………… The Timmins O’Gorman Knights defeated the Barrie E.S. Catholique Nouvelle-Alliance Les Tornades 45-29 as Joelle Dufour scored 13 and Cindy Dupras 9. Laurie Smyth led Nouvelle-Alliance with 12. Jenevieve Wojcicki added 8. …………………………………………………… The Parkhill North Middlesex Marauders defeated the Kitchener Rockway Mennonite Flames 42-24 as Laura Michielsen scored 11 and Brittany Wagner 10. Lindsay Fast and Lydia Minkarious each scored 4 for Rockway. …………………………………………………… The Hamilton Hillfield-Strathallan Trojans whipped Ste. Marie 57-26 as Brinley Klievik scored 14 and Linda Suleiman 9. Michele Cummings and Lynn Julien each scored 5 for Ste. Marie. …………………………………………………… The London District Christian Pioneers defeated Mississauga 59-8 as M. TenBruggencate and Hannah Roukema each scored 11. Channelle Hart led Mississauga with 4. Bipan Tiwana and Rehannah Khan each added 2.
In second round action: …………………………………………………… The Kapuskasing District Kolts dumped the South River Almaguin Highlands Secondary Highlanders 36-28 as Ally Tremblay scored 12 and Megan Gereghty 11. R. Theberge and E. Venner each scored 8 for Almaguin. …………………………………………………… The Kitchener Rockway Mennonite Flames dumped Ste. Marie 37-18 as Lydia Minkarious scored 15 and Lindsay Fast 4. N. Desjardins led Ste. Marie with 6, while N. Desjardins added 4.
In third round action: …………………………………………………… The Elgin Rideau District Lions thrashed the Kapuskasing District Kolts 57-15 as Courtney Gamble scored 16 and Missy Stenzl 14. Megan Gereghty led Kapuskasing with 7. Melissa Stewart and Ally Tremblay each added 4. …………………………………………………… The Harrow District Hawks crushed the Kenora St. Thomas Aquinas Saints 61-29 as Ashley Huston scored 15. Meg Goldon and Andreana Lane each added 13. L. Degagne led Aquinas with 11. Jessica Trent added 8. …………………………………………………… The Parkhill North Middlesex Marauders dumped the Barrie E.S. Catholique Nouvelle-Alliance Les Tornades 32-11 as Laura Michielsen scored 14 and Morgan Rossiter 10. Sophie Albert led Nouvelle-Alliance with 4. Jenevieve Wojcicki added 3. …………………………………………………… The Hamilton Hillfield-Strathallan Trojans defeated Mississauga 51-13 as Sarah Matthews scored 11 and Linda Suleiman 10. Bipan Tiwana led Mississauga with 5. Channelle Hart added 4. …………………………………………………… The Port Hope Trinity College Bigside dumped the North York Nelson A. Boylen Skyhawks 53-27 as Kelsey Wilcox scored 19 and Temilola Sobowale 13. Tashawna Higgins led Boylen with 19. Kim Augustine added 6. …………………………………………………… The 3rd-seeded Rockcliffe Ashbury Colts dumped Carleton Place Notre Dame 53-15 as Catherine McIssac scored 18 and Elaine Richardson 12. Kristen McDonald led Notre Dame with 6. Lindsay MacGregor added 5. The Colts dominated from the start. “They went to a triangle-and-two and put two players on Bess (Lennox) and she was held to two points. But the rest of the team scored 51. They all just made shots. The other kids are coming along nicely, which is much to our advantage right now,” Colts coach Andy Sparks told the Ottawa Citizen. …………………………………………………… Manitoulin whipped the Timmins O’Gorman Knights 45-21 as Kaitlyn Watson scored 11 and Deana Debassige 10. Alisha Luxton scored 6 for O’Gorman. Paula Clarke added 5. …………………………………………………… The London District Christian Pioneers crushed the Kitchener Rockway Mennonite Flames 50-30 as Hannah Roukema scored 14 and Anita Schipper 10. Heather Schellenburg led Rockway with 9. Lydia Minkarious added 8.
In the quarterfinals, the Elgin Rideau District Lions crushed the Harrow District Hawks 63-33 as Melissa Stenzl scored 25 and Laura Roantree 9. Beth Hedges led Harrow with 12. Meg Golden added 7. “It was a real fast-paced, physical game,” said Rideau assistant coach Ron Stenzl told the Kingston Whig-Standard. “Harrow was a good team but just didn’t have the bench to run with us. We threw all 11 players at them, pressed the whole game and also ran an up-tempo offence. We got them into foul trouble and that made the difference for us.”
The Hamilton Hillfield-Strathallan Trojans defeated the Parkhill North Middlesex Marauders 38-32 as Brinley Klievek scored 11 and Catherine Parsons 9. Laura Michelsen led North Middlesex with 12. Emma Rempel added 10.
The Rockcliffe Ashbury Colts dumped the Port Hope Trinity College Bigside 45-26 as Bess Lennox scored 19 and Katherine McIssac 18. Kelsey Wilcox led Trinity with 9. Brenna Swift added 7. “We were a bit sluggish at the start. It was only 4-1 after the first quarter. But the kids showed composure. We were up eight at halftime and went on a 14-0 run to start the second half to take command,” Colts coach Andy Sparks told the Ottawa Citizen.
In the last quarterfinal, the London District Christian Pioneers whipped Manitoulin 49-18 as Hannah Roukema scored 13 and Lori Weesjes 11. Ashley Jewell led Manitoulin with 10. Maria Diebolt added 3.
In the semi-finals, the Elgin Rideau District Lions whipped the Hamilton Hillfield-Strathallan Trojans 49-26 as Melissa Stenzl scored 20. Tricia Laming and Becky Murray each added 9. Melanie Mirza paced Hillfield with 14. Brinley Klievek added 6.
In the other semi, the Rockcliffe Ashbury Colts defeated the London District Christian Pioneers 37-30 as Bess Lennox scored 24. Elaine Richardson added 6. Hannah Roukema paced London with 10. Alaina Vangoor added 9. “We defended superbly,” coach Andy Sparks told the Ottawa Citizen. “Bess shut down their leading scorer, who didn’t get a basket. Basically, we never trailed. It was tied at half-time 16-16.”
In the bronze medal match, the London District Christian Pioneers dumped the Hamilton Hillfield-Strathallan Trojans 52-30 as Hannah Roukema scored 14, Anita Schipper 12, Alaina Vangoor 23, Lori Weesjes 12 and Rachel Oudman 2. Catherine Parsons paced Hillfield with 13. Brinley Klievek added 8, Linda Suleiman 6 and Sarah Mathews 3.
In the championship final, the Rockcliffe Ashbury Colts nipped the Elgin Rideau District Lions 34-33 as Katherine McIssac scored 15 and Bess Lennox 11. Melissa Stenzl led Rideau District with 9. Laura Roantree added 8. The Colts captured the crown when centre Bess Lennox rattled home the winning bucket with eight seconds to play. Ashbury’s win gave the Colts their second provincial title in three seasons. They won Triple-A laurels in 2001. “It’s so exciting. We just worked really hard all season. This was a tough game and it just came down to the team that really wanted it more,” Lennox, who scored 11, told the Ottawa Citizen. “It was all about who had the heart,” added Katherine McIsaac, who paced Ashbury with 15. McIsaac said the Colts were planning to play ‘We are the Champions’ all the way through the long bus ride home. “We were preparing for this all season. It came down to who wanted it more and who was going to play tougher defence.” Coach Andy Sparks said the title was a fitting reward for the Colts effort and dedication through the season. “It was a very good end to the year for this group of girls, a very positive finish. We’re all very proud of them. We’ve got a lot of parents up here doing a whole lot of cheering.” Lions assistant Ron Stenzl told the Kingston Whig-Standard “this is without a doubt the toughest loss I’ve ever been involved in. The game plan was to press them and tire them out but Ashbury did an excellent job of keeping their composure and not turning the ball over.” A Missy Stenzl lay-up with 50 seconds to play had put the Lions ahead. Ashbury missed a shot and the Lions regained possession. But with 25 seconds remaining, Stenzl was called for over-and-back, setting the stage for Lennox’s winner. Roantree said “it was a heartbreaking loss, but we played well and have nothing to be ashamed of. This is, and will be for years to come, a memorable season for all of us.” Lions coach Sean Christy said “my heart goes out to our girls. At the beginning of the season, we set a high goal of playing in the championship game. When you set such high goals, nothing else satisfies.” The Lions finished 41-4 on the campaign. Ashbury had almost missed the tournament because of an administrative oversight and an ensuing mountain of bureaucratic red tape. The Colts were initially denied entry into the draw as a result of a bizarre sequence of events that commenced in September when National Capital Secondary Schools Athletic Association athletic coordinator Ken Souliere failed to notify OFSAA’s head office in Concord that the NCSSAA would be sending a representative to the Single-A (schools with enrolments under 500) provincials in Timmins. A distraught Souliere says he errantly believed Ashbury had elected to compete at the Double-A, rather than Single-A level, so he filed paperwork declaring that the NCSSAA was “declining” a berth in the ‘A’ draw. “There was a miscommunication on my part,” says Souliere. “It was a mistake and I feel sick to my stomach about it.” In and of itself, the blunder shouldn’t have prevented the NCSSAA from fielding a representative as last-minute fiddling has often accommodated such mistakes in the past. But OFSAA gave away the NCSSAA’s berth to the Georgian Bay Secondary Schools Association, thus allowing both the GBSSA champion and runner-up entry into the draw. OFSAA assistant director Steven Sevor says it would now be “unfair” to either require the GBSSA’s runner-up to play-off against Ashbury for a berth or give up that berth to the NCSSAA. “In fairness, we went through due process and awarded the GBSSA their second entry and they’ve prepared to go and made their travel plans.” So too did Ashbury, having booked hotels and chartered a bus, while having many parents scheduled time off work to watch their daughters in competition. Similar bureaucratic bungling in the past has also been overcome by last-minute expansions of an OFSAA draw to 18 from 16 teams. But Sevor says that’s not possible this year because Single-A tournament convenor Louis Clausi of Timmins has informed OFSAA the draw cannot be expanded because there are “only two available gymnasiums in the Timmins area and four would be required for an 18-team draw.” But OFSAA began twisting some arms and the Colts one day later got into the draw. The NCSSAA agreed to foot the bill as tournament convenor Louis Clausi was eventually able to discover two more gyms within Timmins city limits, allowing expansion of the draw to 18 teams. Appreciative OFSAA executive-director Colin Hood and assistant directors Steve Sevor and Jennifer Taylor, who’d been twisting arms all day, awarded Clausi’s host North Eastern Ontario Athletic Association a third berth in the tournament to fill the 18th spot, in exchange for the last-minute headache of re-jigging the draw and hiring additional officials. Should additional costs accrue, for such things as gym rentals, banquet settings and referees’ fees, the NCSSAA has agreed to absorb the financial blow. But with two additional teams in the draw adding $300 apiece for entry fees and the likelihood of higher attendance because of the presence of a third local team, a financial loss isn’t expected. “It could there’ll be no increased costs because they may turn a profit. But if there are, we’ll pay them, within reason,” said NCSSAA athletic co-ordinator Ken Souliere. Hood said OFSAA was able to persuade tournament organizers to expand the draw by helping to track down gym space and asking them “to put themselves in Ashbury’s position. How would you feel? We know adults have made mistakes. But can you (do something)?” “We’ve been through this process before and we exhaust all possibilities. We look at everything we can to make things happen,” Hood added. “We’re still concerned about the NCSSAA and their decisions and how it happened. We’ll deal with those (administrative issues) after the fact and try and come up with some solutions. That’s for the future. The most important thing now is that these kids are going.”
The bronze medalist London District Christian Pioneers: Hannah Roukema; Anita Schipper; M. TenBruggencate; Lori Weesjes; Alaina Vangoor; Rachel Oudman;
The silver medalist Elgin Rideau District Lions: Courtney Gamble; Maren Hamilton; Trish Laming; Rochelle Lake; Becky Murray; Jenna Roantree; Laura Roantree; Drea Scotland; Natica Smith; Missy Stenzl; coach Sean Christie; assistant Ron Stenzl
The gold medalist Rockcliffe Ashbury Colts: Bess Lennox; Katherine McIssac; Elaine Richardson; Stephanie Delvecchio; Krista Zeidan; Kathryn Christie; Monica Kajouni; Taylar Reid; Jackie Sanderson; coach Andy Sparks