REGULAR SEASON
EAST | WEST | ||||||||||
Laurentian | 17-3 | 24-6 | John Campbell | Western | 16-5 | 22-12 | Bob Delaney | ||||
Toronto | 16-4 | 25-8 | Michele Belanger | McMaster | 15-6 | 22-15 | Theresa Burns | ||||
Queen’s | 12-8 | 17-16 | Dave Wilson | Waterloo | 14-7 | 15-19 | Tom O’Brien | ||||
Ryerson | 11-9 | 15-16 | Sandy Pothier | Brock | 13-8 | 23-14 | Chris Critelli | ||||
York | 9-11 | 14-16 | Bill Pangos | Laurier | 9-12 | 11-17 | Stu Julius | ||||
Carleton | 7-13 | 10-19 | John Scobie | Guelph | 7-14 | 11-18 | Angela Orton | ||||
Ottawa | 2-18 | 3-23 | Angie McLeod | Windsor | 4-17 | 6-24 | Georgia Risnita | ||||
Lakehead | 2-19 | 2-26 | Bob Main | ||||||||
Playoff non-qualifiers:
Carleton Ravens: Julia Angeloni, Jennifer Bond, Wendy Cowden, Dasa Farthing, Dawn Germain, Kyra Lajoie, Anne McDonnell, Kristen Petrushka, Megan Robb, Robyn Strain, Sandra Veledar, Laura Walker, Jennifer Zymantas, coach John Scobie
Lakehead Thunderwolves: Karen Barry, Caitlin Crooks, Robyn Degray, Dana DiCasmiro, Jennifer Galloway, Sarah Galloway, Tara Henschel, Marissa Hudolin, Katerina Martinovic, Erin Mathieu, Lisa Schermerhorn, Lisa St. Onge, Michelle Doucette, coach Bob Main
Ottawa Gee-Gees: Lisa Bergin, Nadia Brenko, Sophie Caron, Kristin Davis, Moronike Laleye, Genevieve Laroche, Kim Mathieu, Kristen Moyle, Anthonia Ogundele, Nancy Pellerin, Danice Topolinsky, Jodi Whyte, Christy Wilson, coach Angie MacLeod, assistant Murray Shoup
Windsor Lancers: Collette Beadow-Carter, Caroline Draudt, Karen Hearn, Lisa Henry, Karie Jackson, Samantha Leclair, April Lounsbury, Kristen Morrison, Cheri Mulcaster, Trisha Remark, Shelly Rock, Marissa Roskamp, coach Georgia Risnita
York Lions (then the Yeowomen): Tania Chappell, Susy Dabovic, Tara Dow, Marla Gladstone, Shawna LaBonte, Shannon Patterson, Maya Popovic, Marie-Jolie Rwigema, Jillian Shelley, Nastassia Subban, Jovana Topisirovic, Kelly Vernelli, coach Bill Pangos
In the East semis, Ryerson stunned top-seeded Laurentian 56-48. The Voyageurs had won 17 straight in regular season play before losing their final three league contests. Their woes continued in the playoffs and they struggled with four-seeded Ryerson, who they’d beaten twice during the regular season. The Rams forced 21 turnovers and rattled the Voyageurs with their half-court pressure and grabbed 10 boards in pulling the upset. Clare Beatty led Laurentian with 19 points and 7 boards. Tierney Hoo had 9 points and 5 rebounds. Brianne Henry scored 8. The Voyageurs (coached by John Campbell) also included Caitlin Blackadder, Christal Blanchard, Cara Dodsley, Lindsay Malott, Carolyn Plummer, Alison Remy, Kate Walker and Symone Wilson.
In the other East semi, Toronto dumped Queen’s 75-69. Toronto quickly took a five point lead and withstood several Gaels challenges before Queen’s point guard Casey Pratt hit a buzzer beater to give the Gaels a 36-34 lead at the break. The Blues broke it open midway through the second half when they hit three successive three-pointers and added a couple of quick transition buckets to take a 15 point lead. Although Queen’s cut the lead to two with four minutes to play, they were sunk when Jen Jackson picked up her fifth foul. Toronto rebuilt an eight-point lead before Erin McDiarmid nailed a pair of back-to-back three-pointers to trim the margin to two. But Toronto iced it at the line. McDiarmid finished 29 points, including 3-3 from the arc. Jen Jackson added 15 and Heather Box 10. The Golden Gaels (coached by Dave Wilson) also included Jennifer Bittner, Kyla Burwash, Erin Cressman, Amy Goodday, Andrea Hanson, Alexa Holm, Nathanie MacNeil, Casey Pratt and Lindsay Rogers.
In the East final, Toronto dumped Ryerson 60-45 as Holly Pagnan and Paula Romkey each scored 16. Nancy Armour added 15, along with 10 boards, and Vanessa Richardson 6, along with 12 boards. The Blues played with energy, guard Jacqueline Armour told the Varsity. “I think it’s just the motivation of going to nationals. Tonight it was like ‘This is ours, we gotta go [to nationals].’“ The Blues opened the game with a 9-0 run, relinquished four points and then ripped off a 13-3 run. “We wanted them to really come out like gangbusters,” said coach Michelle Belanger. “You really don’t know what they’re going to throw at you, because they’re so athletic. I thought we matched up better with Ryerson. They don’t have much of a post game and our post game is pretty tough. They played relentless defence last night [against Laurentian], so I was a bit concerned about their pressure defensively. We wanted to make sure it was a good team effort. Our strength is anybody can score on any given night. We don’t have just one scorer.” The Blues defence contained the Rams to 19-67 (.280) from the field and 1-12 from the arc. The Blues hit 24-58 (.410) from the floor, 11-14 (.460) from the line, outrebounded Ryerson 47-30 but committed more turnovers, 20 to 16. Ryerson played without all-star Tamara Alleyne-Gittens. Karina Navarro led the Rams with 10. Jen Schinnour added 10 and Kathy-Ann Grizzle 6.
In the West quarterfinals, Brock dumped Wilfrid Laurier 58-37 as Nickie Thompson scored 18 on 3-6 from the arc, and Stacey Farr 17. Brook took command with a 18-3 run to open the second half. Thompson told the St. Catherines Standard that “we were sort of panicking when we caught the ball (in the first half). We just needed to relax and see what was open and I think that was the difference. … A lot of it has to do with having more confidence. The thing is that I’m letting the game come to me and not forcing things.” Badgers coach Chris Critelli said “in the playoffs, coaches come out with some tricky defences and it took us a while to figure it out. Finally, one team will rise to the occasion and in the second half, we busted out.” The Golden Hawks (coached by Stu Julius, assisted by Ann Weber and Karen Cameron, student assistant coach Adam Petersen, student trainer Jasmine MacDonnell) included Dee Channer, Sarah Donkers, Beth Dragan, Rebecca Franssen, Kathryn Lockey, Christa Lodge, Katie McCool, Stefanie Nadalin, Kate Richardson, Robin Roszell, Rebecca Williams and Sarah Zagorski.
In the other West quarterfinal, 3rd-seeded Waterloo edged 6th-seeded Guelph 66-61. The Warriors opened with a 22-6 run but the Gryphons rallied to knot the score at 25 before Waterloo took a six-point lead into the lockers. The Gryphons rallied to within three down the stretch but the Warriors iced it from the free throw line. Warriors point guard Kristen Eisner, who scored 15 and dished 5 assists, told the Imprint said she was in a “tough battle” with Guelph playmaker Anne Mari Ssemanda. “Guelph played really well.” Julie Devenny scored 19 and nabbed 10 boards. Kristen Eisner added 15. Ssemanda scored 24 to pace the Gryphons. Leanne Rowthorn added 14, along with 9 boards and 3 assists. Warriors coach Tom O’Brien said Eisner’s leadership proved the difference. Eisner told the Kitchener-Waterloo Record that “it’s not a role (scoring) that I like to be in but I’ll do what I have to do to win. Tonight, I had some really good opportunities. … We struggled a bit at the end but we fought through that bad stretch.” The Gryphons (coached by Angela Orton, assisted by Skye Angus, Dean Huyck and Mary Beth Valeriote, and trained by Catherine Cabral and Gillian Connelly) included Cathy Bazinet, Jaclyn Beitz, Margaret Davies, Bridget Kamp, Kate Macpherson, Vanessa Maxwell, Kristin McCollum, Jennifer Murphy, Meredith Owen, Laurie Stevenson, Shellie Boudreau, Maggie Davies and Carly Zuke.
In the West semis, Brock won a game at Western for the first time since 1983 in stunning the top-seed Western Mustangs 74-72 in a game played at Thames Hall rather than at Alumni Hall. Brock took advantage of the court’s small dimensions and shot .550 (6-11) from the arc. Nickie Thompson led Brock with 18 points and won their seventh straight game. Stacey Farr added 15, Vanessa Bozza 10 and Amie Laasen 10. Bozza added 8 boards and 7 assists, while Thompson had a season-high six steals. The Badgers led by as many as 10 in the second half but Western rallied to tie it before Brock iced the win at the line. Brock held Western rookie Julie Lamparski to just four points on 0.7 from the floor. Western shot a mere 3-11 from the arc. Joanne Chehade and Lindsay Kennedy each scored 13 for Western, while Alana Juzenas paced the Mustangs with 20. The Mustangs (coached by Bob Delaney, assisted by Don Coleman) also included Cheryl Atkinson, Tina Cinicolo, Michelle Crowley, Chelsea Elwood, Jennifer Grebeldinger, Julie Lamparski, Sarah Lercara, Rebecca McColl and Charlene Tortosa.
In the other West semi, second-seeded host McMaster dumped third-seeded Waterloo 52-45. The Warriors took a 7-0 lead with some tough defence. But McMaster rallied to take a 12-11 lead on a three by Heather Gowan eight minutes into the affair. They extended their lead to 21-13 but Waterloo rallied back with a 10-0 run. McMaster led 25-23 at the half. Alana Shaw hit a bucket to open the second half as McMaster patiently built a seven-point lead. Waterloo rallied to within 43-42 with five minutes to play but McMaster again built the lead to seven and held on for the win. Marauder Katie Coulson told the Hamilton Spectator that “we wanted very badly to get in (the CIAU) tourney) by the front door. A four-game losing streak is not something we’ve experienced. We got our composure back tonight. … I look like a hero tonight but everyone else did such a good job.” Coulson notched 14 boards, 9 assists, 5 steals and 4 points for McMaster. Sarah Cameron scored 11 and had 12 boards. Christin Dickenson scored 10, Alana Shaw 9 and Sue Burr 6. Kristin Moore and Heather Gowan each scored 6 off the bench. McMaster shot 19-59 from the floor, 3-11 from the arc and 11-21 from the line. They grabbed 40 boards, had 13 assists, 23 turnovers, 1 block and 13 steals. Leslie Mitchell led Waterloo with 12 points, 6 boards and 2 steals. Amanda Kieswetter scored 9, Julie Devenny 8, Kristen Eisner 2 and Meghann Clancy 2. Annabelle Manalo had 6 off the bench. Leslie Futter added 4 and Erin Jaffray 2. The Warriors (coached by Tom O’Brien, assisted by Craig Nickel and Andrea Thomson, manager Sharon Rich, manager Heather Ball, therapist Jennifer Kil, therapist Melissa Findlay) also included Melissa Berg, Carrie Brown, Nicole Consitt, Katie Doyle, Melissa Famme, Casie Kergan and Kate McCrae. The Warriors shot 18-50 from the floor, 5-12 from the arc and 4-6 from the line, while grabbing 38 boards, handing out 16 assists, committing 29 turnovers, blocking 7 shots and having 14 steals. Warriors coach Tom O’Brien told the Imprint that his squad was limited because of injuries to Casie Kergan (knee) and Kate McCrae (concussion). “It hurt us not having those two.”
In the West final, Brock upset McMaster 73-47 as Stacey Farr scored 26, Nickie Thompson 13 and Erin Gauthier 13. The Badgers broke the game open early in the first half and romped. They took an 18-11 lead although Mac clawed to within 18-17, Brock responded with 13 unanswered points to put the game out of reach. Brock led 37-22 at the half. Controlling the boards and continuing to out-shoot the Marauders, Brock ran away with the win. Badger Nickie Thompson told the Hamilton Spectator that “we just started playing very well in the last five or six games. We’ve had the weapons but we just started getting it going.” Stacey Farr added 11 boards to along with her 26 points. Vanessa Bozza grabbed 10 boards while scoring 3 points. Genille Clifford scored 4. Cassie Tatham hit 8 off the bench while Amie Laasen scored 6. Brock shot 28-51 from the floor, 3-8 from the arc and 14-21 from the line while grabbing 43 boards, handing out 22 assists, committing 25 turnovers, blocking five shots and stealing the ball 13 times. Farr told the St. Catharines Standard that “if they took us lightly, how unfortunate. I thought we might not have enough steams, but when you win, you get energized.” Badgers coach Chris Critelli said “right now, we’re on such a high. We just blew them away.” Sarah Cameron led McMaster with 15 points and 9 boards. Alana Shaw scored 5, Katie Coulson 4, Susanne Burr 2 and starter Christin Dickenson was held scoreless. Kristin Moore scored 8 off the bench, Sarah Sterling 6, Kristine Salmon 4, Amy Dodd 3. McMaster shot 15-59 from the floor, 0-7 from the arc, 17-32 from the line and grabbed 34 boards, handed out 11 assists, committed 19 turnovers, had 3 blocks and 12 steals.
In the Wilson Cup final, host Toronto defeated Brock 69-66 as Vanessa Robertson scored 16, while nabbing 11 boards, Holly Pagnan 14 and Vanessa Nobrega 14. Brock led 39-36 at the half on a late trey by Vanessa Bozza. The Badgers led 63-58 with 2:52 to play. But the Varsity Blues took the lead on a jumper by Rachel Franssen, while Vanessa Richardson notched a key steal and hit four points down the stretch to pull out the win. Toronto hit 22-61 from the floor, 22-31 from the line and 1-15 from the arc, while garnering 37 boards and 15 turnovers. Stacey Farr led the Badgers with 21, while nabbing 12 boards. Nickie Thompson added 14, Amie Laasen 11 and Vanessa Bozza 8. Thompson told the St. Catharines Standard that “losses help you become a better play. We needed some big shots and at times, we didn’t get theme. Badgers coach Chris Critelli said “I think we showed signs of fatigue.” The Badgers hit 26-71 from the floor and 13-19 from the line, while garnering 47 boards and 20 turnovers.
After the season, Alex Overwijk resumes the reins of Carleton, switching head and assistant coaching positions with John Scobie, who’d been at the helm for two years. Overwijk graduated from Carleton in 1989 and began coaching the Ravens in 1994. Under Scobie’s two-year tenure, the Ravens finally returned to the post-season playoffs.
The co-bronze medalist Ryerson Rams: Tamara Alleyne-Gittens; Karina Navarro; Jen Schinnour; Kathy-Ann Grizzle; Tanya Callaghan; Jodie Collins; Alexandra Dzigda; Uchechi Ezurike; Miryana Golubovich; Stephanie Hart; Ashley Keohan; coach Sandy Pothier
The co-bronze medalist McMaster Marauders: Sarah Cameron; Alana Shaw; Katie Coulson; Susanne Burr; Christin Dickenson; Kristin Moore; Sarah Sterling; Kristine Salmon; Amy Dodd; Laurie Augustin; Shannon Cope; Pinky Gaidhu; Heather Gowan; Fiona Cheng; Heather Gowan; Katie McIntyre; Sarah Sinasac; coach Theresa Burns; assistant Kelly Dunham; assistant Anne Marie Thuss
The runner-up Brock Badgers: Krysten Adams; Vanessa Bozza; Genille Clifford; Angela DeFrancesco; Stacey Farr; Erin Gauthier; Amie Laasen; Larkin Lamarche; Danielle McGhee; Laura Piccini; Cassie Tatham; Nicki Thompson; Fiona Tozer; Jen Wilson; coach Chris Critelli; assistant Glenn Alphonse; assistant Karen Reinhardt; assistant Tish Jeffrey; assistant Tracey Swift; manager Amy Mayville; trainer Karen Millar; trainer Sarah Garskey; SID Shawn Whitely; athletic director Lorne Adams
The champion Toronto Varsity Blues: Jacqueline Armour; Catherine Chorney; Jennifer Coens; Kristen Cullen; Stephanie Donahue; Rachel Franssen; Denise Heckbert; Lina Jaglowitz; Stephanie Kolanos; Vanessa Nobrega; Holly Pagnan; Vanessa Richardson; Elanna Robson; Paula Romkey; coach Michele Belanger; assistant Jim Henderson; assistant Cathy Casey; assistant Bet Naumovski; therapist Deb Chin; trainer Michelle Sun; athletic director Liz Hoffman