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Men’s hockey team scores three straight goals in final period in win against U of T

by Lucas Reyes
written by Lucas Reyes
The Rams men’s hockey team celebrates its first goal against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues at the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Nov. 25. (Zehra Raza/On The Record)

After failing to capitalize on a big shot advantage in the first two periods, the Rams scored three straight goals in the third to steal a 3-1 home ice victory over the Toronto Varsity Blues Thursday night.

They were led by first-year forward Kyle Bollers, who scored the game-winning goal.    

The first goal for either side wouldn’t come until 14 minutes into the second period when Varsity Blues’ first-year forward Danny Katic found the puck in a scramble in the crease and knocked it in.   

Despite going scoreless in the second, the Rams had 20 shots on goal, almost matching their season high of 22 in a single period. They finished the game with a 45-22 shot advantage.

The Rams finally found the back of the net just over seven minutes into the third, when fourth-year forward Gregory DiTomaso scored on a slot shot to tie the game at one apiece.

Moments after the goal, teddy bears fell onto the ice from the stands with people throwing them in hopes of winning a pair of Toronto Maple Leafs tickets. 

The teddy bears were sold on the third floor of the Mattamy Athletic Centre, with all proceeds going towards the Salvation Army and CTV’s Toy Mountain campaign.   

With the game tied 1-1 and less than three minutes left in regulation, Bollers scored his fifth goal of the season to give the Rams the lead. 

First-year forward Elijah Roberts brought the puck up along the boards and passed it to Bollers, who tucked it over the shoulder of Varsity Blues’ third-year goalie Alex Bishop to win the game.  

“We were peppering the goalie all game,” said Bollers. “Our line was flying, everyone was flying. And to finally put it past [Bishop] was unbelievable.”

He extended his team-leading goal count to five on the season. He scored twice in the Rams’ win against Lakehead on Nov. 13.  

The Varsity Blues pulled Bishop for an extra man advantage in the final minute. With 20 seconds left in the game a slapshot directed at the Rams’ net hit the post.

The Rams took the puck the other way, and third-year forward Jacob Kamps iced the game with an empty-net goal.  

The Varsity Blues have struggled protecting the net this season, allowing 19 goals in five games. 

Rams’ head coach Johnny Duco gave credit to the team’s analytics co-ordinator, Larkin Lee, for the third period turnaround.

“[Lee] and his team do a tremendous job behind the scenes, really mapping out where we’re having success, and where we may be looking to make some adjustments,” he said.

The Varsity Blues and the Rams will face off four more times this season. 

The Rams wrap up the first half of the season against the Brock Badgers this Saturday, Nov. 27, at the Seymour-Hannah Centre in St. Catharines.

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Rams women’s hockey team loses first game of the season

by Simone Gavros
written by Simone Gavros
The Rams women’s team attack the University of Toronto Varsity Blues zone in the second period at the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Nov. 19 (Simone Gavros/On The Record)

The Rams women’s hockey team lost 4-1 against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC) on Nov. 19. 

The loss comes after a nearly two-week break since their winning weekend against the York Lions, when the Rams scored eight goals in two games. 

“I think we beat ourselves in some situations and put ourselves in some difficult spots,” said head coach Lisa Haley after Friday’s game. “They had a few goals off of odd man rushes and I think against a good quality team, you really have to avoid that.”

The Rams started off strong in the first period, but ran into a stingy U of T defence. 

The Varsity Blues scored their first goal six minutes into the game. Shortly after, with two U of T players in the penalty box, the Rams tried to tie up the score but could not find a weak spot in the Varsity Blues’ defence.

Then, with seven minutes left in the first period, U of T scored again to make it 2-0.

Second-year forward Mia Morano scored the Rams’ first and only goal of the night in the second period. 

“It kind of gave us more confidence with the puck and we started to get going,” said Morano. “It was good to establish some momentum.”

Moments after the goal, a shower of teddy bears fell onto the ice from the stands with people throwing them in hopes of winning a pair of Toronto Maple Leafs tickets. 

The teddy bears were sold on the third floor of the MAC with all proceeds going towards the Salvation Army and CTV’s Toy Mountain campaign. 

Team outscored 4-1 by University of Toronto
All the proceeds made from the teddy bear toss goes to the Salvation Army and Toy Mountain campaign. (Simone Gavros/On The Record)

The Varsity Blues tried to add to their score after the Rams’ first goal but fifth-year goalie Rachel Seeley saved the shot. 

Seeley became the program leader in saves with the 23 she made Friday.

“She’s a living legend amongst our women’s hockey program with what she’s done,” said Haley. “Very, very proud of the development and how hard she’s worked to reach her full potential and she’s a real backbone for us.”

With just seconds left in the second period, the Blues scored again, bringing the score to 3-1.

The Rams fought hard to catch up to the Blues in the third period. Despite their efforts, the Blues scored their fourth goal of the night with nine minutes to go in the game. 

Although the team could not secure a victory, Haley said she saw some positives in the team’s performance. 

“I guess the positives are our penalty kill, and the determination of our group is still there. And we’ll bounce back from this. There’s no doubt we’ll be ready for Wednesday.”

The Rams hope to shake off their loss when they head to North Bay to play the Nipissing Lakers on Nov. 24 at 7 p.m.

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Rams AthleticsSportsStudentsTopTop storiesVolleyball

Men’s volleyball team sweeps York Lions in home opener

by Bree Duwyn
written by Bree Duwyn
First-year outside hitter Lucas Yang serves the ball during the second set against the York Lions on Nov. 13 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre. (Donald Higney/On The Record)

After dropping their first two games in Kingston against the nationally ranked Queen’s Gaels, the Rams trounced the York Lions in front of a full crowd at the Mattamy Athletic Centre. 

The Rams spent all week preparing for the game, according to interim head coach Niko Rukavina.

The focus was on digging and defensive drills after last week’s dismal showing at Queen’s. 

“When you lose games, it’s almost a bit more motivation to work on specific stuff,” he said.

It seemed to work: The Rams held the Lions to under 20 points in all three sets — even keeping them to 14 points in the final set. 

The Rams served four service aces, leaving the Lions to struggle to orchestrate three plays in a row.

Two came from second-year middle Alex King, while first-year outside hitters Jacob Walker and Lucas Yang had one each.  

While the Rams struggled to finish sets off against Queen’s, Yang said the team learned from the mistakes and kept consistent against the Lions. 

“They didn’t get on too many runs, and we got on a lot,” he said. 

Yang had eight kills in the game, closely trailing Walker, who had a game-leading 14. 

Yang credited third-year setter Saad Shaikh with spreading the ball to every player on the court, which helped Yang and Walker capitalize on one-on-one opportunities. 

It was “awesome” to play in front of Rams’ supporters, said Walker.

This was his first time.

The first-year student never had the chance to play in front of fans due to the cancellation of OUA-sanctioned activities during the 2020-2021 school year.  

“The fans helped us out so it was just a good thing,” said Walker. “It was fun being with the guys, it was a good team win.” 

It was clear that the fans were just as excited to watch the game as the Rams were to play.

The crowd went crazy when a York player accidentally punched a stray ball into the stands, smacking a wall and narrowly missing fans’ faces.

Rukavina said it was nice to be back at the MAC.

However, he said the team sometimes got a little too excited.

“It was almost like I wanted to control the excitement a little bit,” said Rukavina. “Sometimes when you’re playing at home, and it’s a new team, you can get a little bit overexcited.”

Still, he said his team handled themselves well and it was nice to clinch a win in front of friends and family.

The Rams face the University of Toronto Varsity Blues on Saturday.

The Varsity Blues are currently ranked fourth in the league. 

“I’m looking forward to the challenge, as they’re a more veteran team,” said Rukavina. “They’re not going to let up as easily… It’s definitely the challenge of playing one of the better teams in our league, another Toronto rival.”

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Rams AthleticsSportsStudentsTopTop storiesVolleyball

Rams women’s volleyball team drops home opener versus York

by Severina Chu
written by Severina Chu
The Rams set up an attack on the York Lions at their home opener on Nov. 13. (Donald Higney/On The Record)

The Rams women’s volleyball team dropped its home opener at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, losing 3-1 to the York University Lions on Nov. 13.

Coming off of two losses last weekend against the Queen’s Gaels, the Rams hoped to turn things around in their first regular-season game on home court.

Head coach Dustin Reid said there was plenty of excitement. 

“So many people here watching that we haven’t seen in a long time: friends, family and some real great supporters of our program,” he said.

Despite some tense rallies and good plays from the Rams early on in the first set, they couldn’t finish their attacks.

With the Lions building momentum and taking advantage of the Rams’ defensive holes, the team lost the first set 25-18.

The Rams picked up the pace in the second set.

An ace from third-year setter Lauren Wong and back-to-back kills from fifth-year right side hitter Cailin Wark helped the Rams take the second set 25-21.

However, the Lions were able to capitalize in the third on another slow start from the Rams.

The team couldn’t break through the Lions’ solid defence,dropping the set 25-12.

“We gave them too many opportunities and they got on some good runs,” said Reid, giving credit to York’s team “for how they served and attacked.”

Coming into the crucial fourth set, it was important for the Rams to get points early on to regain their confidence back.

They came out of the gate with strong attacks, leading to an early 8-2 lead.

However, a surge from York forced the Rams to call a timeout when they got down 10-9.

It was a tight final few minutes as serve possession went back and forth.

The Rams got to match point with an ace from Wong but couldn’t manage to hold on with consecutive kills from the Lions’ star players: third-year open hitter Olivia Kim and second-year open hitter Jessica Reynold, both with assists from fourth-year setter Chiara Da Silva.

The Rams dropped the fourth and final set 26-24. 

“We missed an opportunity,” Reid said, “It wasn’t like we played our best or anything, but we had a chance to win the match and we didn’t take care of the ball when we needed to.”

The Rams have a week to recoup and prepare before they next face the University of Toronto Varsity Blues on Saturday at the Goldring Centre.

The Varsity Blues are the third-ranked national team in women’s volleyball.

“I think the good news is we can probably play with a little more freedom and not be so concerned about making mistakes,” said Reid. ”We just have to keep growing as a group.”

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Rams give up 105 points to Queen’s in second straight loss

by Kahfeel Buchanan
written by Kahfeel Buchanan
The Rams now sit 0-2 after losing their first two games to start the 2021-22 season. (Curtis Martin/Ryerson Rams)

The Rams men’s basketball team lost its second straight game to the Queen’s University Gaels Sunday, falling 105-100 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre after jumping out to a 14-2 lead in the first quarter.

The Rams had held Queen’s to 87 points in the season opener Friday night.

“We can’t give up 100 points in a game, we can’t give up 90 points in a game,” said head coach David DeAveiro. “That’s been our Achilles heel so far in the first part of the season.” 

After rushing out to a 12-point lead in the first, the Rams turned the ball over seven times in the remaining five minutes of the quarter.

“I think it’s more of a communication thing,” said first-year forward Aaron Rhooms. “As a group we’re pretty close. It’s a matter of communication and sometimes there’s a lapse in terms of a switch here or there.” 

The Rams struggled with ball security all night, turning the ball over 24 times to Queen’s 16.

“Sometimes guys are trying to do too much and that leads to turnovers,” said DeAveiro. “I think a lot of it has to do with trust. You build trust the more you play with people,” 

The Rams seemed to be in control of the game at halftime as first-year forward Kayode Fakomi’s breakaway dunk tied the game at 48-48 with just over a minute left.

The Rams ended the half on a 13-2 run and led 53-50 at the half.  

But the Rams offence was not able to keep pace with Queen’s as they scored 28 points in the third quarter and 27 in the fourth. 

The game was in striking distance for the Rams until late in the fourth quarter when Queen’s third-year guard Cole Syllas was fouled by second-year guard Tom Dumont on a made layup.

Syllas drained the free throw and made it a 103-97 game with 20 seconds left.

Rhooms and second-year guard Tyler Sagl lead the Rams in scoring with 22 points each. 

Rhooms said that DeAveiro has been a supportive coach so far in his first two OUA games this season. 

“I get my confidence from my team and coach Dave [DeAveiro],” said Rhooms. “He’s been really supportive and let me know that I can make an impact right away. I have confidence in myself and confidence that we can really do something here.”

Fourth-year guard Cameron Bett led Queen’s in scoring with 25 points. The Queen’s bench also had a strong night, scoring 52 points. 

DeAveiro said that the team will be focusing on the defensive side of the ball before the team makes the trip up to North Bay to play the Nipissing Lakers on Nov. 12 and 13. 

“It’s all about defence. We can talk about offence all we want, but you have to be able to stop teams from scoring, and we haven’t been able to do that so far.”

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Rams women’s hockey team wins second straight game at home opener

by Simone Gavros
written by Simone Gavros
The Rams celebrate a goal against the Varsity Blues in 2020 (Christian Bender/Rams Athletics)

The Rams women’s hockey team defeated the York Lions 4-2 at the team’s home opener at the Mattamy Athletic Centre Saturday night.

The Rams have beat the Lions twice in a row, handing York a 4-1 loss Friday night. 

Fans in the stands came ready to cheer on the team for the first time since the pandemic upended the previous season.

Buzzing off of their win on Friday, the Rams’ energy was high. 

“It’s our home opener and we got a lot of people out and it’s exciting for the girls,” said lead assistant coach Haley Irwin. “We talked about controlling our emotions before the game, and I think we used our energy well.” 

The team started off strong in the first period, having possession of the puck most of the time, leading to two early goals from the Rams. 

Only a minute and a half into the game, fourth-year forward Brooklyn Gemmill scored the first goal, her second of the season. 

“Our coach told us before the game to come out with energy and that’s exactly what I tried to do,” said Gemmill on scoring the first goal of the season on home ice.

Second-year defender Abby DeCorby swooped in and scored the Rams’ second goal in the top left of the net just before the 10 minute mark of the first period. It was her first goal of the season.

Just when the Rams thought they were in the clear to end the first period with a substantial 2-0 lead, fourth-year Lions forward Courtney Gardiner scored the team’s first goal of the game, cutting the lead to 2-1.

Near the end of the first period, the Rams hit the crossbar on a power-play attempt.

The second period started off slower than the first but the Rams were set on keeping their lead alive. 

Without missing a beat, Rams’ fifth-year forward Lauren Nicholson scored not one but two goals during the second period, bringing the score to 4-1. Nicholson has three goals this season. 

With the second period nearing an end, the Rams played hounding defence while the Lions had possession of the puck.

By the third period, the crowd got wild, cheering on their team to finish strong. The Rams did not score, but the Lions got their second goal of the night, with seven minutes left. 

With the team not playing again for almost two weeks, Irwin stressed the need to keep the winning momentum going. 

“We got to look at the things in the areas that we can get better at and make sure we’re doing those things in practice, making sure our compete levels [are] staying high and making sure our girls stay focused,” Irwin said. “We’ll take the weekend off next weekend but we won’t take our foot off the gas.”

The Rams will play the University of Toronto Varsity Blues on Nov. 19 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre. 

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Rams men’s basketball team struggles in fourth quarter, drops home opener

by Donald Higney
written by Donald Higney

Jaaden Lewis settles the Rams’ offence at the end of the third quarter of the men’s basketball team against the Queen’s Gaels. (Donald Higney/On The Record)  

The Rams men’s basketball team squandered a seven-point fourth quarter lead, losing to the Queen’s Gaels 87-81 Friday night at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.    

The fourth quarter started well for the Rams, as first-year guard Ankit Choudhary was fouled on a three-point attempt, sending him to the free throw line where he made all of his shots.  

In response the Gaels went on a 16-0 run. The Rams did not close out on shooters, allowing fifth-year Gaels guard Quinton Gray to hit two three-pointers. Fourth-year guard Cameron Bett and third-year guard Cole Syllas also hit a three each for Queen’s. 

The Gaels had a nine-point lead with just over six minutes left in the game before third-year Rams guard Marcus Upshaw made a jump shot and second-year guard Mouhamed Ndiaye split a pair of free throws, bringing the deficit to six points. 

The teams would trade three-pointers courtesy of Gray and Choudhary before first-year Queen’s forward Brandon Aultman was sent to the free throw line, knocking down both. Gray would hit another three, extending the lead to 11 points for the Gaels.  

Second-year Rams guard Tyler Sagl answered with his first and only basket of the night, cutting the lead to eight points with just over two minutes left in the game. Queen’s called timeout. 

Rams assistant coach Mario Celebre said that during the timeout the team talked about applying pressure on the defensive side of the ball, and then finding good quality shots on offence. 

“At that point, you probably only have four or five possessions on the offensive side of the ball left in the game; you probably need a score on all to come out with the victory,” said Celebre. 

Out of the timeout Bett sunk another three, bringing the lead back to 11. Ndiaye was sent to the line again, making both of his free throws. First-year forward Aaron Rhooms was fouled on a jump shot with 54 seconds left in the game, giving him a chance for a free throw that he made. 

The Rams were able to force a miss from the Gaels, but Sagl took a contested three on the other end after being open briefly. The Gaels grabbed Sagl’s miss and kept the ball for the remainder of the game, marking the Rams first loss on the season after missing over a year and half of OUA basketball due to COVID-19.  

Sagl finished the night shooting one for 10. After the game he stayed on the court to put up more shots after his poor shooting performance. 

Shooting on the other end of the court was Choudhary, who came off the bench and led the Rams in points with 26, which he scored in only 24 minutes.  

Choudhary said that when his three-point shot is falling he does a better job of creating for his teammates as well as taking more difficult shots. “I’m just trying to really figure out the perfect balance for that in order to be even more effective,” said Choudhary.  

He said the team needs to do a better job of sharing the ball offensively. The Rams had only 13 assists on 78 attempted shots. 

The Rams also went ice cold from three, only making six compared to the Gaels’ 13 successful threes. 

“Today was a game that was super winnable,” said Choudhary. “We shot ourselves in the foot by not playing how we normally play. We went away from what we’re supposed to be doing. It’s on us, and it’s unfortunate.”   

Despite the loss, Celebre was impressed by what he saw from Choudhary and first-year forward Rhooms, who had 19 points for the Rams as a starter. 

“From what we’ve seen thus far, they don’t play like freshmen, they shine in big moments,” said Celebre.  

Celebre said that in order to beat the Gaels two days from now the team needs to compete better on defence and move the ball on offence. 

“That really wants to be your identity going forward.” 

The Rams will play the Queen’s Gaels again at the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Nov. 8. 

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Dodig steps up for Rams, leads women’s team to home opening win

by Donald Higney
written by Donald Higney
Marin Scotten leads the Rams on a fast break at the end of the first half of the women’s basketball team against the Queen’s Gaels. (Donald Higney/On The Record)

The Rams women’s basketball team overcame a five-point deficit in the final minutes of the fourth quarter to earn their first win of the season, beating the Queen’s Gaels 68-65 Friday night at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.   

With less than three minutes remaining in the game, third-year forward Rachel Farwell shot a jumper coming from a nice pass from third-year guard Tiya Misir, bringing the Gaels lead down to two points. 

Misir then stole the ball on the Gaels’ ensuing possession. The ball ended up in fourth-year guard Stefanija Mrvaljevic hands, who then passed it to an open Mikaela Dodig. The fifth-year guard tied up the game at 65 points apiece.  

Coming out of their timeout the Gaels drew up a play for fourth-year guard Emma Weltz, who missed her jumper. Mrvaljevic came down with her ninth rebound of the night.  

Queens fourth-year forward Julia Chadwick was able to steal the ball back but the Rams were able to force a miss from Gaels fourth-year guard Laura Donovan.  

With 44 seconds left in the game Dodig hit another three from a pass from Mrvaljevic, giving the Rams a three-point lead.  

“I just knew I was open and shot the three,” said Dodig. “It ended up going in. I honestly wasn’t thinking much.” 

Dodig said that sometimes it’s better not to think about the big shots when they happen. 

“It was just in the flow of the game. It felt pretty effortless.” 

It was the last basket scored for either team, but it wouldn’t come without suspense. On the last possession of the game the ball ended up in Donovan’s hands but the referee ruled her out of bounds, thanks to hounding defence from fourth-year guard Marin Scotten.  

Both Scotten and Dodig played the entire game. Dodig said that it felt great because she was having fun on the court contributing to the team. 

“Especially having a whole year off, I’ll take playing the whole game any day.” 

The game marked the first time the Rams returned to the court for league play after intercollegiate sports were shut down due to COVID-19.

Head coach Carly Clarke said that she trusts Dodig and Scotten as veterans to play big minutes when the team needs it.   

She called Dodig “an anchor” in reference to her shot and her defence on the last possession of the game. 

Dodig led the team in scoring with 25 points. She made four threes, more than the entire Queen’s team. Farwell contributed 16 points in 27 minutes, and Scotten had 13.  

The Rams struggled to stop the Gaels from scoring in the paint, allowing 46 points. Clarke said that Queens ran many different types of plays near the basket which threw the team off. 

The Rams started with a smaller lineup, with the six-foot third-year forward Farwell taking the opening tip for the Rams. The smaller lineup helped the team to play in transition, scoring 20 points off of 20 defensive rebounds. 

They were also active on the offensive glass, bringing down 16 compared to Queen’s nine.  

The teams last faced each other in the 2019-20 OUA quarterfinal, which the Rams won 74-59.

Even though the women’s team got the win Clarke expressed how happy she was to be back playing basketball at the MAC. 

“It has been a long time, but at the same time it also feels like we never left. Everything here is still the same. When we’re playing the game, it feels the same. It’s just a great feeling.”  

Up Next: The Rams will travel to North Bay to play the Nipissing Lakers on Friday, Nov. 12.

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Deep and versatile Rams women’s basketball team ready to compete for national championship

by Donald Higney
written by Donald Higney
Rams’ Marin Scotten on defence in the OUA Critelli Cup Championship versus the Brock Badgers. (Christian Bender/Rams Athletics)

It’s been over a year and a half since Rams varsity basketball has been played at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.

The last game was a provincial championship between the Rams women’s basketball team and their division rivals, the Brock Badgers. 

The team went into the game ready to defend home court after their most successful season to date, winning a record 18 games and finishing first in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) central division.

A second Critelli Cup under head coach Carly Clarke’s guidance was all but a given. 

Unfortunately, the Badgers’ third-year centre Sam Keltos had other plans. She exploded for 42 of Brock’s 84 points, helping the team win its first provincial championship since 1983. 

Despite the loss, the Rams still qualified for national championships in Ottawa, but the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers proved to be too much in the end.

The Rams lost by five points in the national quarterfinals. They played a consolation game against the University of Calgary, marking the end of an otherwise successful season. 

Since then, some players believe the pandemic has washed away the disappointing end of the 2019-20 season.  

“I think it’s completely gone,” said Marin Scotten, a fourth-year guard for the Rams. “It was just so long ago [and] so much has happened… We’re living in an entirely different world.” 

The Rams team also looks different this season. Four of the eight players who played in the provincial championship are no longer on the team. 

Former starting point guard Hayley Robertson signed professionally in France, and then signed on as an assistant coach with the Waterloo Warriors.

The Warriors also hired longtime Rams assistant coach Jessica Roque to be their head coach. 

With their departure comes nine new players to the team this season with a variety of different backgrounds.   

“I think we’ve been fortunate to attract more great players to our program,” said Clarke. “We’ve got a lot of depth and versatility this season.”

Coming from the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) conference, the Rams added two-time AUS all-star guard Mikaela Dodig last year, who is poised to fill a big role this season.

Dodig played four seasons with the University of New Brunswick.

Dodig said the transfer from the AUS to the OUA is almost like playing in a new league, but she’s been working with the team since the end of July to prepare for the season. 

While Clarke was at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with the national women’s basketball team, Dodig and her teammates worked with assistant coaches, starting with individual skill work and then moving to competitive drills.   

The Rams also added Nyamuoch Teny and Eve Uwayesu, two fourth-year guards who transferred from the University of Windsor. 

Coming from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the Rams added second-year guard Kaillie Hall from Bowling Green State in Ohio and third-year guard Tiya Misir from Long Island University in New York.   

Hall has drawn attention from her teammates, especially for her defence and her active, offensive playstyle — either driving hard to the basket or cutting at the right time to get a good look. 

“In terms of adding value, it’s just everyone’s goal to show up and do their job,” said Hall. “I think when we all collectively do that, really great things will happen.”

Hall, Misir and first-years Haley Fedick and Jayme Foreman stepped up in a big way during the team’s close win against Brock in the pre-season.

With numerous key players not playing due to injury management, the Rams squeaked out a one-point victory against the Badgers. 

The new additions to the team also played a big role in a win against the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, the defending national champions.

The Rams were down by 10 in the first quarter, but eventually pulled out a nine-point victory.  

The team went undefeated in the pre-season, also beating the Western University Mustangs and the Warriors, a homecoming for Roque and Robertson. 

“One thing I’ve learned about our team is that we’re extremely tough and we don’t give up easily,” said Misir. “We fight through everything. We’re very resilient and we’re extremely competitive. I feel like we bring that every day in practice, no matter what it is.” 

Misir said when they play intense defence, it translates to their offensive play, with a high pace in transition.  

“Our guards are really fast and everybody’s sprinting down the floor really fast. Even our bigs are quick. Once we attack we get it out to our shooters, and we’ve been knocking them down.”    

The Rams have a lethal shooting attack with dynamic duo Scotten and third-year forward Rachel Farwell.

Farwell and Scotten were number one and two respectively in the three-point percentage bracket in the OUA.  

Farwell has also impressed during the pre-season, playing some minutes at the centre spot after the departures of Bronwyn Williams and Emma Fraser this year.

With her ability to guard bigger players defensively and to stretch out the Rams offence with her shooting, she will be a key contributor this season. 

One of the most important players this season will be Scotten. She returned to the team after graduating with a Bachelor of Journalism in June.   

Scotten said she felt uneasy not knowing when her last game was going to be and wanted to give basketball and her teammates a proper goodbye. 

“Everything felt really incomplete ending on that final year,” said Scotten.  

This season will feature a new league-based structure for basketball, with two divisions comprising nine teams and a reduced 16-game regular season.

Each team will play each other twice. 

Clarke said the changes in the schedule do not affect how the team will prepare because the OUA had previously changed formats regularly before the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the Rams will have more time to prepare for opponents and recover from games. 

The Rams will play Queen’s, Nipissing, and Ontario Tech in the first half of the season, with the majority of those games happening on the road in North Bay and Oshawa.

After they return from the holiday break, they will play their final 10 games against the University of Ottawa, Laurentian, Carleton, York and the University of Toronto. 

With the return of varsity basketball, Clarke is happy to be back to balance the long-term goal of winning championships with the day-to-day activities of the team. 

“Our team always has sights on competing for a championship, but I think the big goal is just to really enjoy and be grateful for the opportunity to be back because it’s been so long,” said Clarke.

The Rams women’s basketball team will be returning to the MAC on Friday night for its first game of the season against the Queen’s Gaels.

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