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Great teams are able to turn any loss into a lesson.
Though a disappointing 74-64 loss against the Ryerson Rams last Wednesday night ruined the McMaster Women’s Basketball team’s perfect record, the Marauders were able to get back into a winning mindset this past weekend when they welcomed the Toronto Blues to Burridge Gym.
With a gym full of fans, the Marauders headed back into their locker rooms with an 87-79 win against the Toronto Blues.
When both teams first met this pre-season, the Marauders took that win by over 30 points.
This game was a tougher competition between the Marauders and the Blues.
At the end of the first quarter, both teams were tied at 22 points. The game slowly changed in favour of McMaster as the halftime score was 48-40.
In the final quarter of play, second-year guard Linnaea Harper helped strengthen McMaster’s offense. The second-year forward led the team with 24 points and ten rebounds. Because of her great performance, Harper was named a Pita Pit Athlete of the Week.
Another noticeable mention goes to second-year guard Hilary Hanaka, as she scored 15 points and is continuing to find her rhythm after time off the court due to an injury.
Danielle Boiago and Rachael Holmes were also able to put points on the board, adding 19 and 15 respectively.
While the team walked out of that game with a win, only 19 of the team’s 87 points came from the bench. As the season goes on, fans can hope to see more opportunities for bench players to produce and that is crucial for the team’s development and success. The season will only get more competitive for a team fighting for an OUA banner.
Currently ranked fourth in the nation, the talent of this young team can definitely take them back to the number one spot they held just weeks ago.
With the team holding a record of three wins and one loss, it aims to continue its winning streak on the road as McMaster plays Queen’s and York this weekend.
Photo Credit: Jon White/Photo Editor
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For McMaster Women’s Rugby, the last two years have been a dream. A dream that has become a reality for a program still getting used to championship status. The program has back-to-back OUA banners under the leadership of a head coach in only his second year with the program.
Having already made a name for themselves in the world of Canadian university women’s rugby, it is not surprising that the Marauders have often held a comfortable lead against the majority of their opponents this season. Winning a game is one thing, but dominating teams by more than 60 points is another, and is a very telling sign of the quality and skill of this program.
It is no doubt that the national recognition of the program has gained a bigger following of fans and rugby faithfuls. Many might not be too familiar with the program years before the championships. Playing on the team for five years, fullback Rina Charalampis has seen the program develop in calibre and confidence.
“I saw the program change a lot. I think that we pride ourselves on being a program that is not well known. Trusting in our system is critical and we are always trying to go over our mindset. We set a goal on offense and defense. When we reach that goal, we are able to move forward,” said Charalampis.
Ending the regular season with four wins and one loss, the team’s most competitive and emotional game took place in front of a large crowd at Varsity Field when the Marauders took on the Guelph Gryphons for a game deciding the home of the OUA banner and another shot at a national championship. For some players on the team, it was their first time playing an OUA championship game. For others, this OUA championship game would be the last of their athletic career at McMaster.
Defending a title can be difficult and nerve-wracking, but the team took that pressure, turned it into a positive and used it to their advantage.
After an intense competition, McMaster was named the OUA champion for the second year in a row with a final score of 21-13.
The celebration after the final whistle was blown was one of humility and real emotion.
“In our game against Guelph, we were down at one point but we were only down in the sense of the score and not ourselves,” said Charalampis.
The Marauders made an appearance at last year’s CIS Championship and finished second. The team has been preparing for another chance at national victory for a year. Every practice, regular season win and emotion-filled game will boil down to this weekend in Kingston for the 2015 CIS Women’s Rugby Championship.
“We were definitely hungry. After last season ended on Sunday in Guelph, we were already hungry to start for next year. We had a few weeks off and went right into training. Our mindset was we wanted to be back in the exact same position playing in that CIS final. That is exactly what we wanted and nothing was going to stop us.”
Photo Credit: Karen Stepien
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For a second year in a row, the McMaster Women’s Rugby team is making an appearance at the OUA playoffs. Another banner in the David Braley Athletic Centre does not seem so far fetched for a team that has played remarkably all season.
Ending the regular season with four wins and one loss, the team is ranked first in the Russell Division and third nationally.
This year, the squad is defending the title against the Guelph Gryphons, who are ranked first in the country and held a perfect record of 5-0 this season.
Both teams are quite familiar with one another as they competed last year for the OUA banner. Last year, the Marauders defeated the Gryphons with a final score of 19-10.
The Marauders will not have home pitch advantage come Oct. 31 as they travel to Guelph looking to repeat history.
While the team prepares for the championship title, the success of the team has brought numerous OUA awards.
The team’s performance on a grand scale has allowed the opportunity for individual recognition.
Five Marauders have been named to the Russell Division all-star team: Cindy Nelles, Emily Ricketts, Colleen Irowa, Katie Svoboda and Abi Moody.
Individual awards have also been given to Cindy Nelles, the recipient of the Most Valuable Player award. Fifth-year fullback Rina Charalampis is the recipient of the Community Service Award for her contribution to McMaster Athletes Care and other community initiatives.
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With the start of the 2015-16 season around the corner for the McMaster Women’s Basketball team, a new challenge has shown up for the ladies. It goes far beyond points on a score sheet or standings in their division and it is a test that will show their strength and resilience for a team that plays with their heart on their sleeves.
For 22 seasons now, head coach Theresa Burns has helped push her team to greatness. Under her leadership the team has won OUA championships and made CIS national appearances. Burns has also been named OUA West Coach of the Year and CIS Basketball Coach of the Year for her hard work with the team.
While Burns was often busy dealing with challenges on the court, one of her greatest struggles was battling breast cancer. After overcoming her first diagnosis years ago, during a routine mammogram this summer, Burns learned that the cancer had returned.
Though the team was given the news by Burns during the summer months, the support they give each other when the season starts will be important for a team that wants to make a national championship appearance.
Coming off an improved 15-4 record last season, the team’s morale is high. This new season will feel different than past ones without Burns on the sidelines calmly cheering her team on.
“You hear it all the time that the best life skills you learn are through sport. There are going to be roadblocks but it is how you get through them that matters most. To have a locker room full of girls that are all going through the same situations makes it easier for us to rely on each other,” said captain Danielle Boiago.
With Burns currently undergoing treatment, the squad is currently looking to assistant coach, Anne Marie Thuss, who is in constant communication with Burns filling her in on the team’s growth and the progress made in the gym.
“They are extremely strong women and have continued with the process that coach Burns has laid out for them,” said Thuss.
Though Burns’ absence in Burridge is noticed, her expectations for the team are still present and the work ethic has remained the same on the court. Practices and lifts haven’t changed, and the hunger for a team with potential is untouched.
Teams come together on the court with the common goal of winning, but this Sunday, Oct. 4, the McMaster Women’s Basketball team will take part in the CIBC Run for the Cure: to bring awareness to the lives affected by breast cancer and to help fight for a cure.
McMaster basketball alumni, friends, families and the McMaster community have supported Team TB (Theresa Burns) with more than $15,000 currently raised, showing just how much of a positive impact she has had on so many lives.
“The run is a small way for us to do something for a person that has done so much for us,” said Boiago.
The McMaster campus is no stranger to breast cancer initiatives. McMaster Athletics hosts Think Pink week, dedicated to breast cancer awareness. It is always a success on campus and brings people together through the love of sport and the awareness to find a cure for breast cancer. This past year’s basketball game was special as guard Siobhan Manning scored a season-high 15 points, months after her mother was diagnosed with the disease.
Though Burns is not able to be in the gym with her team at the moment, the things she has taught her players on and off the court will be the push needed for them to strive for excellence. From basketball plays and drills to life lessons and wise words, Burns has taught her players how to succeed on hardwood and in life.
“Coach is a fighter in every sense of the word. She has taught us to put 110 percent effort in everything that we do but more importantly to believe in our abilities as athletes and as people,” said Boiago.
As the season starts in just a few weeks, the team is aware of the support they have from their coach, whether she is on the sidelines or watching from home.
Photo Credit: Yousif Haddad
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The 2015-16 season is underway for the McMaster Women’s Rugby team.
After their performance last season, a banner has now found its spot on the wall of achievements in the David Braley Athletic Centre acknowledging the hard work of the team. Claiming the program’s first-ever OUA title and an appearance in the national final has given the team a great reputation on campus.
Though the spirits of the team were high going into the first game of the regular season, it ended in a 15-14 loss for the Marauders against the Queen’s Gaels in Kingston. Late penalty trouble spoiled the chances for the team to head back to Hamilton with a win.
When both teams met last year, the Marauders won by a single point over the Gaels.
“The whole team was very confident. We came off of a really good season being second in Canada. Our game plan was to play hard and be connected on defense,” said Colleen Irowa, a third-year player.
Looking forward, Head Coach Shaun Allen recognizes that improvements need to be made.
“We let ourselves down with too many fundamental errors and too many penalties. We need to build more width and depth in our attack so that we can go harder at the defensive line and create space.”
The Marauders are currently ranked fourth in the CIS Top 10 ranking.
With practices five days a week, this team is hungry for another OUA title and another chance to play on the national stage.
“We are going to go to nationals,” Irowa stated confidently.
Time will be the deciding factor, but one loss at the beginning of the season is not telling of the future.
This team has shown that they are competitors with the success they had last season and are looking for a similar storyline this year.
“Our hope is that we can establish a style of play that is overwhelming for our opponents and can allow our players to express themselves on both attack and defense,” said Allen.
The team will hope to shake off their first loss as they continue play on the road this coming weekend, facing the Waterloo Warriors on Saturday, Sept. 19.
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With injuries hindering the success of the women’s soccer team for seasons in the past, the youth and health of the team shows a promising future for the Marauders.
17 first year players and more than half of the roster has been added, and a fresh group of athletes have been injected into a team that had playoff dreams cut short at the hands of injuries.
Three regular games into the season and a current record of 2-1-1 shows that these Marauders are willing to compete and will have the chance to to do just that.
Co-captains Taylor Davis and Sophia Ymeka are playing in their last year of eligibility and add years of experience to the defensive back line.
Aug. 29 - McMaster vs. Waterloo TIE 2-2
With the first season game, the McMaster women’s team looked promising. McMaster led 2-0 with points on the board from Jessie Faber and Maila Carboni. Carboni, a rookie striker, got her first OUA goal in her debut in maroon and grey. The Marauders regulated most of the 90 minutes of play before the Warriors answered back with two goals of their own in the 85th and 87th minute.
Both teams split the points, and neither came out with a victory.
Aug. 30 - McMaster vs. York LOSS 0-1
Though McMaster’s defence remained steady throughout, a goal in the 49th minute of play saw the Lions get back on the bus with a win.
Sept. 5 - McMaster vs. Windsor WIN 1-0
The Marauders’ first win this season came at home as they competed against the Lancers. The goal was made by the first-year striker Maila Carboni.
Sept. 6 - McMaster vs. Brock WIN 1-0
It was a flawless winning weekend for the McMaster soccer team as they beat the visiting Badgers. The only goal of the day came from first year Alexandra Riganelli in the 26th minute of the game.
With games scheduled almost every week for the next few weeks, the team will have to keep their health a priority for a shot at making it to playoffs. It is still early in the season and the team’s performance will decide their own fate.
The team will hope to continue their winning streak as they travel to Toronto to face York on Thursday, Sept. 10. Kick-off starts at 5 p.m.
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For the first time since the 2009-10 season, the McMaster women’s volleyball team are division winners.
The landscape of the OUA has changed a couple times in the past six seasons, with the provincial league being one whole division in the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons. This season, the OUA reverted to a two-division style: the OUA East and OUA West.
Mac’s OUA West title didn’t come easy, for a couple different reasons. The Marauders had to retool after losing their highest usage player and their setter. Those players were instrumental to McMaster’s OUA title win.
Even the division-winning game was dramatic; McMaster was down two sets to the defending division champions, the Guelph Gryphons. Behind Joanna Jedrzejewska and Lauren Mastroluisi, the Marauders rallied and beat Guelph in five sets to solidify their division title.
The real benefit from the OUA West division win? Mac will host the OUA Final Four as long as they win a quarterfinal game in playoffs.
Teams that host the OUA Final Four have had successful track records in recent years – three of the past four hosts have made it to the OUA championship game.
Mac will look to repeat as conference champions, but have to grind through the rest of their regular season.
They will have a test against 11-6 Queen’s before taking on RMC, the team with the worst record in the OUA.
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It was a storybook tale for what could have been a heavy night. Siobhan Manning dropped a season-high 15 points during a breast cancer awareness event, just months after her mother was diagnosed with that very disease.
The story begins back in November. Bernadette Manning, mother of McMaster women’s basketball guard Siobhan, was diagnosed with breast cancer. The news shook Manning, but she was not alone.
The women’s basketball team is no stranger to breast cancer. Head coach Theresa Burns was diagnosed with the disease and beat it – she’s been cancer-free for nine years. Manning had support from her coach and teammates during the tough time and continued to play.
Then came the Think Pink game against Waterloo. The CIS launched a breast cancer awareness campaign in 2007, pairing with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Nearly all CIS basketball teams host the event. Some universities wear pink jerseys, while others teams outfit themselves with pink accents like wristbands, socks and shoelaces.
During warm-ups for Mac’s Think Pink event, Marauder players wore pink t-shirts with the Marauder logo on the front and text on the back: “I’m playing for _______.” Mac wrote that they were playing for Mama Manning, a touching moment for a family that has dealt with a tumultuous few months. And although it was just a regular season match-up, the pre-game feel was not the same.
“The mindset was different. It was more than a game for our team. In past years, it’s been more than a game, but this year especially, it was really close to home,” said Manning. “I was ready to play for what the game represented.”
Forwards Clare Kenney and Linnaea Harper were sidelined with injuries, opening a couple spots in the starting line-up. Siobhan Manning got her first start of the season and the second of her career.
Manning took the opportunity and made the most of it. She opened the game with a three, confidently pulling the trigger and splashing a shot from the right wing.
“One of my teammates, ironically enough, came up to me and said ‘let the game come to you,’” said Manning. And she did just that.
Playing with a ton of confidence, Manning led the team in minutes played (35) and finished third in scoring. Mac beat Waterloo, 81-67. Coming into the game, the Health Sciences student was averaging 13.5 minutes per contest and 3.2 points per game. To the casual observer, it was a surprise. The coaching staff was not taken aback by the performance.
“Sho has had some good games for us this year. She’s been steady, but that was one of the best games I’ve seen her play,” said Burns.
“We knew she was capable with that. She put a lot of work in over the summer … she had definitely added to her game. It was a matter of time for her to put it all together and she did it on Saturday.”
Now, Manning’s mother has already completed one surgery, but radiation therapy awaits. Siobhan has learned how to cope with the situation, but she admits that she struggled at the beginning.
“The first game where I saw my mom come in, I looked into the crowd and I just started tearing up,” said Manning. “But as time has gone on, not that it’s become normal, I’ve reflected and learned how to deal with. It’s just become the way it is and we’re going to get through it together.”
Following the game, Manning says her mother gave her a hug and was “speechless.”
The Think Pink game and Manning’s stand-out performance provided the family and team with a feel-good moment during one of the more difficult times the group will face. You can’t find that in a box score.
The McMaster women’s basketball team’s game plan has always been simple: run. From the moment the warm-ups come off to the last seconds of the fourth quarter, a momentum is kept that revolves around speed and agility. For the players to run fast and play long minutes, it is training that helps to set the tone.
In his first year working at McMaster, Ben Bahrami, head Strength and Conditioning coach of the McMaster women’s and men’s basketball teams does what he can to assure the players remain active while competing on the hardwood. Though adjusting to a new school meant forming fresh relationships with players and coaches, the program has been allowing Bahrami to continuously grow.
“The athletes are very motivated and involved. It’s a good thing that we are busy and I love it,” said Bahrami.
Having a six-day program in the off-season and workouts two to three times a week during the season, Bahrami and staff give nutritional advice and train the basketball teams in recovery. In the event of an injury, alternate programs are created for athletes that will still allow them to take part in team lifts. No program is ever set in stone and exercises are made to fit the individual’s needs in order to maximize fitness.
From what the athletes eat, to the pre-game warm-up and post-game cool-downs, the Strength and Conditioning Program is holistic and helps strengthen all aspects of a student-athlete’s life. Three lead coaches will work alongside interns from the McMaster Kinesiology program. Those groups are responsible for working with different McMaster varsity teams to accelerate the growth of players and keep them healthy.
Under the leadership of coordinator Steve Lidstone, Mac’s Strength and Conditioning program is solidifying its spot as one of the best university programs in the country.
“Strength and conditioning is huge for injury prevention, for performance and for team culture. With sports like basketball, their seasons are very long and the athletes’ bodies would break down if this program didn’t exist,” said Bahrami.
Twice a week, players fill out a fatigue survey sent directly to their inbox that is completed as soon as they wake up. Players answer questions on a scale that asks about stress levels, sleep quality and mental wellbeing. Along with direct face-time with coaches and trainers during post-game stretches and talks, McMaster has many ways to cater to the players on the team.
Several tests are done throughout the year assessing factors like body composition and strength and focus is placed on recovery from the high-intensity portion of training.
“The numbers go up because our athletes are amazing. They are going to get stronger.”
With a shot at playoffs nearing, modifications in the program will be introduced to the players with a greater emphasis put on the individual’s strengths. Programs are flexible and always keep in mind the players’ health.
Having multiple resources available for McMaster athletes, the willpower of the staff and the consistency of different programs within the athletic department suggest that the Strength and Conditioning program will only get better. “We are able to bring people in and work together. We are succeeding in the culture that Steve [Lidstone] and the coaches have created,” said Bahrami.
Ongoing communication between head varsity coaches and their Strength and Conditioning coaches is important in guaranteeing success and good health on and off the court.
Head coach of the women’s basketball team, Theresa Burns says, “strength and conditioning is a part of everything we do.”
Paying attention to the weaknesses of the team and finding solutions in practices while pushing physical boundaries during team lifts has only helped sharpen the Women’s Basketball team’s quick style of play. In games where players play big minutes, preparing the body is crucial.
Rookie Hilary Hanaka and third-year guard Danielle Boiago know all about big minutes. Hanaka is ranked third, while Boiago is ranked fifth in the OUA for minutes played per game. Averaging 33.9 and 33.7 minutes a game respectively, a fundamental fitness plan helps in keeping these players running up and down the court without a sign of short breath or fatigue.
“You can’t play a fast game with players that don’t have that kind of foot speed or fitness. I think we are a little quicker in all of our positions now, our fitness level is very good,” said Burns.
The cohesive and seamless link between varsity teams and programs such as Strength and Conditioning foster development in a player’s skill set.
“He [Bahrami] has to take a lot credit for the team’s success this year because your athletes can’t do what they do on the court without that base of fitness,” said Burns.
Juggling a full-time student course load and the demands that come with being a student-athlete can be difficult but the support available to players like Hanaka have made the transition from high school basketball to the university level a lot easier to handle. Working a schedule around academics, a program is made with team members in mind.
“We are able to bring our full potential on the court,” said Hanaka.
“The games are a lot more demanding and very fast paced,” she said, comparing it to her high school experience. “With conditioning, it’s one notch up.”
As fans, it is easy to only see one aspect of the game. While watching a double header at Burridge, it could be hard to understand the amount of work that goes on off the court for our players to yield the results that are witnessed. A team’s success is the result of all of the little puzzle pieces being brought together.
It is through the presence of programs like Strength and Conditioning at McMaster that coaches can continue to test the abilities of our athletes and what they are capable of. Because of the combination of experienced staff, great facilities and the care given to McMaster student-athletes, this program is unmatched in most universities in the country.
“Our athletes are so well supported. Being a McMaster athlete is pretty special and a big part of the special feeling is knowing how well supported you are,” said Burns. “There is nothing standing in your way. Nothing.”
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By: John Bauer
The McMaster women’s volleyball team came into the 2015 portion of their season looking to build off of a strong first half, and even stronger National Invitational Tournament in Toronto.
Though it was not always pretty, through the first three games of their January schedule, they have done just that.
The team visited London, Ont. for a match with the Western Mustangs on Jan. 10, in a game where they had to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The team found themselves in an early two-set-to-one hole, and were taken to game point in the fourth set.
“We did not get the start we wanted to in the first set. We adjusted but it came down to the fourth set with Western having game point,” said outside hitter Rebecca Steckle. “We came into our circle and we looked each other in the eye and we knew we were not going to let them have that set. We fought for every point, and came together after each one whether we won or lost it and said to each other ‘the next one is ours’ – every time.”
The result was a convincing comeback in the set, and game, as the Maroon and Grey took the match 17-25, 25-12, 18-25, 30-28, 15-12. Joanna Jedrzejewska and Taylor Brisebois led the scoring with 18.5 and 18 points, respectively.
The team would secure a straight-sets victory in Windsor the next day, then head to Brock on Jan. 17. This game would also go to five sets, but a monster 22.5 points from Jedrzejewska would win the day.
While being taken to five sets by sub-.500 teams is not ideal for an OUA contender like McMaster, the players do not see it as a problem.
“Those were some of the most important games we have played all season,” said Steckle. “These kinds of games are the ones that allow you to learn who you are as a team. They force you to look your teammates in the eye and say to each other ‘we have this, we can do this.’ And we did it.”
Brisebois agreed with that sentiment.
“The five set matches are great learning experiences for us because they push us to the limit and we really have to fight in the end to come out on top. Our assistant coach made a good point the other day l that when it comes down to it we are playing for each other and the fight is in our own hands not anyone else’s.”
Next up for the team are visits from York and Nipissing this weekend. While the team is no doubt hoping for some shorter matches down the stretch, they will not shy away from adversity. In fact, Brisebois welcomes it.
“I’m excited to see what other struggles our team will overcome during the last few games of the season.”
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