Varsity Update - October 4, 2010
Men's and Women's Volleyball
League play has yet to begin, but the Mohawk volleyball teams have both served notice they are ready to go.
The Mountaineer women successfully defended their crown and the men garnered silver in the 8th Annual Overkill Volleyball Kickoff Tournament at London's Fanshawe College October 2-3.
The women went undefeated in pool play, defeating Seneca 2-0, Georgian 2- 0 and Cambrian 2-1. The Mountaineers knocked off St. Clair 2-0 in the semi final and then had to rally in the championship match to defeat Cambrian 24-26, 25-23, 15-13.
Jen Knowles was named the tournament MVP and Jenna Gignac was a tournament all-star.
Coach Sean Pellow described it was a good development weekend as everyone received playing time and some areas of strength were identified along with some areas that will need some work. "Overall, I was pleased with the progression of our team play over the weekend, said Pellow. "I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish over the next two weeks as we prepare for the Sheridan tournament and the start to our season."
The Mohawk men went 2-1 in pool play, blanking both Georgian and Cambrian, before losing two straight sets to Seneca. The Mountaineers bounced back to top St. Clair 2-1 in the semi final. Host Fanshawe downed Mohawk 25-18, 19-25, 15-13 in the gold medal match. The Mountaineers had two tourney all-stars in Zac Schulz and Phil Youngblut.
Mohawk head coach Matt Schnarr said his outfit showed some inconsistencies. "For a youthful lineup at times they showed they are ready to play at this level and at other times, not so much. But we have a very talented young team with an exciting future."
Men's Soccer
After a so-so start to their season the Mountaineer men's soccer team has turned in some impressive efforts. After drawing their first two games, they reeled off three consecutive wins, including a tight 1-0 victory over Redeemer October 1 in Ancaster.
The Mountaineers had a noticeable territorial advantage right out of the gate, but missed a handful of early scoring chances. In fact, with the Royals playing better as the game wore on, the visitors were not able to make a breakthrough until 67 minutes when Simon Garcia pounced on a loose ball to score from close range with what turned out to be the game's only goal. It was Garcia's second marker in just three games. Branden Agro and Andrew Kennedy shared the shutout for the Mountaineers, who entered this week in third place in the West Region with a 3-0-2 record.
Mohawk head coach Richard Bennett said his team is definitely playing better and passing the ball around with alot of creativity. But he added, "We still had missed opportunities with our final touch, our final pass. I'm satisfied with the team's effort, but we have to be sharper when it comes to our decision making."
Women's Soccer
The Mohawk women's soccer side improved to 3-1-1 in the West Region, with a comfortable 3-0 triumph over Redeemer in Ancaster Oct. 1.
The Mountaineers got on the board quickly through Jaclyn Halliday and her first tally of the season. They then doubled their advantage approaching the half hour when Ashley Hagen scored her fourth goal in the past four games. Marissa Oddi put the final nail in Redeemer's coffin when she got her third of the season early in the second half. The shutout went to Alyshia Smith. Mountaineers' coach Renzo Castellani said he told his players not to take the opposition lightly. "We came out well and really dominated. We could have had more. Our defense was superb and played the offside (trap) very well." Castellani even praised the referee for allowing the teams to play. With the win, Mohawk starts the week in a three way tie for third place.
Rugby
The Mohawk men's rugby team was just barely ahead after the first half, then turned it on in the second 40 minutes to whip the Fleming College Knights, 63-17 in Peterborough October 1. It was the third straight win for the defending OCAA Division 1 champion Mountaineers. Joel Clarke, Eric Moyer and Josh Moore each scored two tries, while Phil Jackson, Adam Davidson, Riley Cronsberry and Alan Murphy had one try apiece. Chris VanSickle converted five of the tries and added a penalty goal. "It was a rough first half, said Mohawk coach Alex Paris, "but the team worked hard in the second."
Women's Fastball
The women's fastball team got behind early, battled back, then dropped a 7- 6 verdict to Seneca in North York October 2. The Sting jumped out to a 5-0 lead, but the Mountaineers scored five themselves in the 5th inning to tie the count. The teams then traded runs before Seneca scored another run to pull out the victory.
Despite the close result, the Mountaineers woes continue. After winning their first two games of the season, they dropped the next seven, including four the past week. On a cold and wet September 27, Conestoga jumped out to a 6-0 lead and coasted 7-3, while St. Clair whipped an injury riddled Mohawk squad 10-1 and 5-0 on September 29. Mountaineers' head coach Brian Weller said, " We were so strapped for personnel that we had just one substitute and Jessica Roloson had to pitch both ends of the doubleheader."
Exhibition Men's Basketball
The Guelph Phoenix, a club team made up of athletes, many of whom played in Canadian University, the United States, or Europe, showed its collective skill with a 91-67 win over Mohawk in an exhibition men's basketball game at the Fennell Gymnasium October 2. It was raining three pointers from the top guns for the Phoenix, as Kyle Julius hooped 36 points and Jay Mott added 17.
Nick Fadayel led the Mountaineers with 21 points. Aminu Bello scored 12 and Tyrone Berry had nine. Guelph led 47-34 at the half. Head coach Brian Jonker said he was happy with the effort, but conceded there was alot of room for improvement. "It didn't help that we played most of the game without a point guard, said Jonker. "Jermaine De Costa did not dress because of a bad ankle. Travin Cain also rolled his ankle early in the second half. We will get better."
