UPEI kicks off Panther Sport season
Student athletes for the 2010-11 season were welcomed at a unique kick-off event September 7 by UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan; Director of Athletics, Ron Annear; media; and members of the Panther Sport community.
Athletes from the varsity teams-Men's Soccer, Women's Soccer, Field Hockey, Swimming, Women's Rugby, Men's Hockey, Women's Hockey, Men's Basketball and Women's Basketball - gathered at McMillan Hall for a chance to meet one another and get acquainted with coaches and staff of UPEI's Department of Athletics.
Annear said, 'The event is a great gathering opportunity to demonstrate to our student-athletes our support of them, and the great community support we have.'
Coaches, along with team captains, were introduced to those in attendance and gave previews of what the season will hold for their sport.
Men's Soccer
The 2010 season looks exciting for the UPEI Men's Soccer team, with the experience from last year's run to the CIS championship in British Columbia.
Led by the return of AUS all star, Jimmie Mayleh and rising stars, Jarod Murphy and Logan Dawson, the Panthers will be fast, skillful and exciting to watch. Josh Vessey will captain the team and provide important veteran leadership both on and off the field.
Newcomers, Brett Hogan, Andrew Hayers, and Keiran Dutton will also be looking to have a big impact in their first year. Another player looking to make his mark in the AUS will be Adam Lowther who had to sit out last year while recovering from a broken leg.
Field Hockey
With a strong group of returning players and an eager crop of rookies, the UPEI Field Hockey team is looking forward to another successful season. During a pre-season tournament in Montreal, the rookies showed that they are ready to contribute. Kristy Wu from Calgary, Alberta and Nicole Babineau from Riverview, New Brunswick have joined the squad as well as Islanders Eliza MacLauchlan, Jenna McLellen, Stephanie MacKinnon, Hilary Waugh, Leanne Doiron, Michelle Clow and Jenna Matheson.
Veterans Lydia Ellis, Amy Rawlinson, Ellen Dixon, Kathryn Hay and Erica Ross are taking on new leadership roles and are looking forward to the challenge. 2009 Rookie of the Year, Marina MacAulay, and sophomore Lacey MacLauchlan will be filling big holes left by graduating players.
The season will kick off at UNB on September 24-25 with the final tournament being held at UPEI on October 16-17.
Women's Rugby
The UPEI Women's Rugby Team is looking forward to the 2010 season. This team is ready for a new start and is fortunate to have excellent veteran players returning, including Ashley MacIntyre and Kaitlin Richard.
The combination of veterans and rookies leads the coaching staff to believe that this can be the season to rise in the standings. Having played two pre-season exhibition games in Quebec, including a loss to McGill and a victory over Bishop's, the team is in good shape and prepared to start off their season.
Swimming
UPEI Swimming is looking to continue the success of 2009-10 season this coming year. AUS Champion Eric Beaton will be back in the pool striving to defend his crown while Rookie of the Year, Sydney Morley, will also be back to make her mark in year two of her career. Several new recruits will soon be in the pool looking to secure a spot on the Varsity squad.
Men's Hockey
Head coach Forbie MacPherson is confident that the UPEI Men's Hockey team will build upon last year's strong finish to see the Panthers be a strong AUS contender in 2010-11.
With new recruits Guggenberger, Fraser, Malone, Cameron, and Boyle combined with returning CIS Rookie of the Year, Jared Gomes, and fifth-year star Cory Vitarelli, UPEI will be strong both offensively and defensively. The mix of former MJHL, OHL and AUS players will add a tremendous amount of depth and versatility to the UPEI line-up.
UPEI's season home opener is October 15 when they host University of New Brunswick.
Women's Hockey
The UPEI Women's Hockey program welcomes no less than ten rookies into their lineup this year: Anja Weisser from Germany, Shelby Lyons and Christine Kelly from New Brunswick, Daryl Kress and Ferran Brown from Alberta, Kristen Visser from Victoria, PEI, Lyndsay Oaks from Nova Scotia, Brooke Taylor Payne from Northwest Territories, Issy Lefebvre from Ontario, and Jessica Rosenbaum from Manitoba.
Returning scorers include Kelsey O'Donnell, Sue Cortilette, Amanda Armstrong, Jenelle Mackenzie, and team captain, Amber Gaudette. Both goalies Bailey Toupin and Kristy Dobson return for their second year and will look to continue the strong success that the team had last year. ‘Team Defense' will be led by last year's Team MVP, Jaime Lynn Donaldson, along with returning players Kristen Nash and Alicia Betts.
Defensively the team looks to continue to improve on its success from last year. With the added addition of some offence, the team looks to finish stronger, especially on odd-man situations.
Men's Basketball
With over half of the roster staying on the Island in the spring and summer months to train, all of the incoming and returning UPEI Men's Basketball student athletes are focused and prepared to bringing a defensive-minded, up-tempo style to the hard-court this season. This year happens to be the 25th anniversary of the Panthers' first AUS Championship in 1985-86.
The pre-season will see the return of UPEI's Mickey Place Memorial Tournament October 15-17, where UPEI will host York University, Brock University, and the University of New Brunswick. The team is then on the road for tournaments at McGill and St. Francis Xavier universities- excellent opportunities for the team to gel and integrate the addition of at least half a dozen new faces, including transfers from Maryland, Ontario, and Quebec, and high school recruits out of Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.
The home opener for Men's Basketball is November 19 when UPEI hosts University of New Brunswick.
Women's Basketball
This year's roster will feature plenty of new faces mixed in with the familiar faces, ranging from across the country, with student-athletes from Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, and of course, Prince Edward Island. The team is looking forward to merging the different skill sets of these young athletes into a competitive team on the court.
This will not be the tallest or biggest team in the league and will need to make good use of strong shooters at nearly every position. At the other end of the floor, the Panthers take great pride in their defense and plan to be one of the best defensive teams in the conference.
With only one fourth-year player, it is likely that the young team will experience some growing pains but there is no doubt they have the right character and work ethic to move in the right direction of rebuilding the Women's Basketball program.
Women's Soccer
"Make the playoffs, win the AUS, win the CIS" are the stated goals of this year's UPEI Women's Soccer team. Eighteen returning players, including nine starters from the 2009 team which lost the AUS final on penalty shots, provide much optimism for coach Mike Redmond, now in his seventh season, along with assistants Clarence Frizzell, Kim Swan, Janelle Blanchard and goalkeeper coach Trent Hayes. Adding to the optimism is the knowledge that UPEI is hosting the CIS championship November 11-14 in Charlottetown.
Redmond has been busy putting the athletes through sessions twice a day in preparation for exhibition games in Fredericton where they defeated University of New Brunswick, 3-0, and tied McGill, 1-1.
Experience and depth will be keys to the success of the team. Four returning AUS all-stars in key positions (keeper, centre back, centre midfield and centre striker) are an indication that the expectations for this team are high.
