Top 20 Storylines of the 2009-2010 AUS Season. Part 1

Simon Farine's Tigers were painfully mediocre in the AUS this season.

The first of a 4 part series counting down the top 20 storylines in the AUS this past year.

20. Dalhousie Tigers Men’s Basketball: Epitome of a Middle Tier Team.
The defending AUS champs may have been the most average team in AUS basketball history. The Tigers were an outstanding 11-1 vs. the bottom tier of the conference, and an equally dismal 1-7 vs. the upper tier featuring CBU, X, and SMU.
To their credit, the Tigers did lose a heartbreaker to the Huskies at home, and then rebound to beat SMU 72-59 a week later at the Tower. However, Dalhousie was a woeful 0-6 vs. the Capers and X-Men, each loss by double digits.
In an interview last week on CKDU Sports, Head Coach John Campbell said that toughness and athleticism will be the focus of recruiting for next season. (http://live.haligonia.ca/halifax-ns/sportsblogs/173-sports-video/9743-john-campbell-of-the-dalhousie-tigers.html)

On a positive note, senior Andrew Sullivan was named the 2010 CIS Ken Shields Award Winner for outstanding student-athlete and community service.

19. The Slightly Meteoric Rise of Dalhousie Tigers Hockey.
Considering the Tigers had been the worst team in the country over the previous five seasons, missing the playoffs by 1 point this year was a huge success for Pete Belliveau and his revamped Dalhousie team.
Belliveau brought in a bevy of new players in his first recruiting class but lost his prize catch weeks before training camp when Maxime Tanguay decided to play AHL hockey instead of hitting the books.
The Tigers played with a great deal of grit and toughness but lacked any kind of scoring punch. Benjamin Breault came on board in January and provided an immediate boost to the offence, sparking a late January run that had the Tigers in control of their own destiny for a playoff spot.
But the team lost a pivotal game with seventh place Moncton at the Dalhousie Memorial Arena, followed by 4 losses in a row to finish the season allowing the Aigle Bleu to overtake them for the last spot.
With another solid recruiting class, the third year coach Belliveau should be able to finally get the Tigers back to the playoffs.

18. Huskies Back on Top of Women’s Volleyball
After a 2 year hiatus the SMU Huskies women’s volleyball team returned to the top of the AUS conference. Led by dynamic all Canadian Kerri Smit (http://live.haligonia.ca/halifax-ns/sportsblogs/173-sports-video/9071-kerri-smit-of-the-saint-marys-huskies.html), the Huskies caught fire at the perfect time. SMU would not drop a set in their last 3 matches of the season, including playoff victories over Acadia and St FX at the Tower.
Smit and Ali Beaver were named first team all stars.

17. The Decline and Rise of Dalhousie Women’s Basketball
After losing several key players and the retirement of coaching icon Carolyn Savoy, rookie Head Coach Anna Stammberger found herself with a freshman backcourt that struggled mightily vs. the pressure of opposing defences.
The Tigers finished the first term with a record of 1-6, looking horrible in the process.
That’s when April Scott, seemingly playing for the 5th time since 1997, and Alex Legge, fully rehabilitated from a devastating knee injury, returned to Tiger’s land and buoyed the team to a 9-4 second term record.
The Tigers quickly went from a team that looked like they wouldn’t make the playoffs to a team that was becoming a favourite to play in the AUS championship. Stammburger suddenly found herself with a nine player rotation that included crafty guards, athletic rookies, and the best trio of posts in the AUS.
Despite the momentum shift, the Tigers lost a pivotal game to SMU at the Dalplex in late February that gave them the 4th playoff seed and a meeting with the powerhouse CBU Capers in the AUS semi finals. The Tigers gave a valiant effort but came up short bringing to an end the outstanding careers of Scott and the Girdwood twins, Laurie and Leah.

16. The Year of the Guard in the AUS.
How good was the AUS men’s basketball conference this year at the guard spot? Look at this list.
Cristian Upshaw- St.FX. AUS MVP. 20 ppg.
Joey Haywood – SMU. 23 ppg. 3rd Leading Scorer in the CIS.
Simon Farine – Dalhousie. 22 ppg. 4th Leading Scorer in the CIS
Mark Mclaughlin – SMU. 17 ppg.
Jimmy Dorsey- CBU. 17.5 ppg. and AUS playoffs MVP.

The above list doesn’t even include Mike Anderson who averaged 18 ppg. for a horrible UNB team, Will Silver of X , maybe the best pure point guard in the conference and the guy who really set the table for the X-Men defensively, nor Casey Fox, the dynamic scoring guard of the Axemen and son of local basketball legend Mickey.
In the end it was the athleticism and scoring of the Capers and X-Men guard combos that prevailed, and Dorsey of the Capers stealing the show at playoffs in Cape Breton.
But what a treat it was to watch high scoring and athletic backcourts on nearly every team in the conference go to battle night in and night out.

Halifax Martial Arts Expo A Huge Success

While battling elements like the beautiful weather over the weekend, The 1st Halifax Martial Arts Expo went off as a success. Over hundreds of attended packed the Halifax Multi Purpose Center over the two day festivities. While there may had been some small rough patches, the final product went well and spoke for itself.

“It was really scarey coming in. No one had done this before and it had been doubtful by a lot of people because of the time of year,” says promoter Ryan Staples.

“I am looking at this as a success right now from the fact that we build something that is going to last. Everyone has come in and seen what it is all about and you got to be here and understand what is going on with the demonstrations. That is the biggest selling point of this. I think its a success over that it happened, it went through and the word is spreading. I think it is only going to grow from here.”

Over the weekend, people seen about a dozen schools ranging in over 20 styles of martial arts that saw the basics like Brazilian Jiu Jistu and Maui Thai Kickboxing to styles that are not usually seen in the public eye like Kenpo Karate and Capoeira. Besides martial arts there were also mma clothing stores, supplement companies, fitness gyms and video game centers. Demonstrations did rule the center stage with different schools showcasing there talents. Even one school did a black belt ceremony for one of its students at the end of Saturday's show. While the academies enjoyed themselves over the weekend, they seem most happy about spreading the word.

“It's not so much generating interest then it is promoting the martial arts,” says Ray McKinnon, Owner of Bushido Kai Martial Arts.

“We have people come up to our table but its also other martial artist who have come by to visit. The idea was the public would come in and sign up for martial arts lessons and some have. This is only the first one. I'd say by the second expo when they have it. We'll get out more and it will grow bigger and bigger.”

While a number of school were at the event, there will still some schools from the Halifax area that could not make it to the event due to scheduling conflicts. More academies will be there when Rampage Promotions puts on the next event, which they are planning at this time to do so in September. While the weekend went off without a hitch, organizers still want to try and make it bugger and better next time around.

“You know what, I have kind of gone around and gotten more supports from the people who are here saying were with you on this for building it and will most likely be here next time,” says Ryan Staples.

“ A couple of other clubs that didn't get a chance to make it, time of year was an issue. They saw what it is and said you know what, this is awesome, You set up is great and we see what your doing and count me in next time. I know its going to grow bigger that way. We will expand a bit more into other businesses like mma gear, more supplement and fitness companies.”

If you want to find out more information or to keep up to date when the expo will officially take place, you can join there facebook group by typing in The Martial Arts Expo.

Derek Leblanc is a freelance Sports Journalist and Mixed Martial Arts enthusiast living in Halifax.

NHL Drops The Puck

NHL Not Suspending Matt Cooke a Cruel Joke.

The NHL is a fast paced, hard hitting, energy filled game that deserves respect. Other sports are hardnosed (American football and Aussie rules football to name 2) but hockey is at speeds that are incomparable. The athletes are in shape and their bodies in tune with bruising and sore bones.
That being said, these athletes are constantly beat up and tired. It’s just a fact. Their bodies take a beating and any ex NHL’er will tell you their knees hurt or their hands will never be the same and my personal favorite, “my back is a mess”. It’s a price to pay but after a career is over the player smiles and thinks “wow that was fun”.
Hitting is part of the game. Two players face to face hitting one another reminds me of warriors in battle; spirit versus spirit, muscle versus muscle and mind versus mind. It’s a beautiful thing. There is something majestic about two willing combatants, risking life and limb for personal reasons and for entertainment reasons. For the most part, the players are fine with face to face hits, face to face collisions and are against blind side or cowardly hits. The big hit is more exciting to me than fights.
Hits that are legal and that are violent are downright artistic.
I use to do it and it doesn’t hurt as much as you think. The one hitting usually doesn’t get hurt and the one getting hit does; too bad so sad. For the most part, the gear guards you and no one gets injured. People get hurt when the hit is on the head. People get hurt when the hit is unexpected and near the head. As said before even the dirtiest player will tell you hitting someone that isn’t able to protect themselves is ‘greasy’ and should be abolished. It’s true, oh, it’s true. Even the Tiger Williams’ or Tie Domi’s of the NHL have ethics.
The NHL needs to change the attitude of the players so they understand their consequences of their actions on the ice. Players know there are no punishments per say for a nasty hit and so if a player truly hates that other player, he doesn’t care if he hurts him. The hitter shrugs his shoulders and thinks he will take his chances with a suspension so long as he gets that player back for whatever he did earlier in the game.
The way to make the players care is through changing attitudes and developing discipline. Hits will continue to occur, but it will sure cut them back.
In Korea a person is charged based upon the damage they do in a fight. So even if you started the fight but don’t win you are not as guilty. If you beat the other person up real bad, you are charged more severely. You are responsible for your actions even in a heated moment. This restrains individuals from going beyond reasonable force. Food for thought NHL.
This brings me to a short point about the Matt Cooke situation. I can name three recent hits that were nasty blind side hits that warranted some sort of suspension. The reason? They were greasy, dirty, cowardly hits that were fueled by disrespect.
Many players will tell you that respect is not a part of the game anymore. Players don’t like one another and don’t respect their opponent’s bodies and health.
I sound like a broken record as I wrote about Patrice Cormier a while back and respect was the major issue their too. Certain players have disdain for their opponent and will do whatever it takes to hurt them. Matt Cooke, unfortunately, is one of these players. He has very little respect for his himself and his actions, not to mention his opponent.
The NHL has dropped the puck on this one. There have been many straws that have broken the back of the camel; Richards, Cooke, Hunter, Stevens, Kessler blah blah etc etc.
I should be able to remember great goals and great games, not dirty hits that nearly ended or ended careers. In a man’s game where being macho is as important as being skilled, the NHL is the biggest wimp ever. They can’t/won’t control their own league and own game due to what? Red tape? Pressure from the NHLPA?
Wannh…whine…boo hoo. Suspend him already! He tried to hurt Savard. He hit his head flush and with no body contact whatsoever. No warrior attitude, no honorable actions.
Why is the NHL being so lax?
The same reason the players commit dirty hits; no respect for the players.

Steve Betts is the colour commentator for Dalhousie Tigers hockey on ssncanada.ca and a regular contributor to Haligonia Sports.

Derek Leblanc On the Martial Arts Expo in Halifax

When going around the Halifax area it is hard to find the right gym for yourself if you want to train in martial arts. Well if your having that trouble one place will be able to help you out. The Halifax Martial Arts Expo will be taking place March 20-21st at the Halifax Forum. The event idea came from an unlikely source.


“I train in Kenpo Karate and I have for a couple of years. Since I own a promotions company, my trainer came to me and said I want to get some advice on what I should do to market to get more members to the school,” says Ryan Staples, The Expo organizer.


“I thought about and I said I have done radio advertising, I have done newspaper and I have done this and that and everything is really expensive and you don't know if your going to hit your target market. I thought about and said how did I sign up. It was because he let me come in. It was through word of mouth on how I found out about them. I came in checked it out and I was blown away with what I saw. I thought can he do this in front of a lot of people. It clicked right there and you know this is what a lot of martial arts schools could do because it is so hard to find them.”


The event will feature gyms from the Halifax area and other parts of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick as well. Some of the gyms that have signed up are Bushido Kai, Kenpo Karate, Clinch Martial Arts just to name a few. Viewers will able to watch demonstrations put on by these gyms from everything like Maui Thai, to Karate, to wrestling. While some gyms may usually be quiet and don't want a lot people in, the community has seem to embrace this.


“I have gotten a lot of great support,” says Staples.


“I have a good number of schools coming now. I was hope to get absolute every school involved in this is what I am getting at. We have gotten a pretty good response from it. We have even gotten gyms, fitness facilitates etc that are pretty on board with the idea of it and getting involved. Organization, I have been planning this for close to a year now so most of it was pretty much down. It was just kind of executing everything and contacting these schools. I think the toughest part was to even find where these schools are at and get actual contacts.”


While this may be new to people in the Halifax area, this type of conventions has seen a fair bit of success in other cities with the Mixed Martial Arts expo that have taken place in Toronto and other major cities. The idea is different with Staples. The motto for this expo is where traditional meets modern and where all gyms will get a chance to showcase there skills. Cost will be $5 at the Multi Purpose Centre with the doors open from 9-6 on Saturday and 10-6 on Sunday. For more information you check out there facebook page by typing in Halifax Martial Arts Expo.

Derek Leblanc is a freelance Sports journalist living in Halifax.

Huskies Nearly Go Worst to First; Lose to CBU in Final

Justine Colley Scored 20 points in a Losing Effort for Saint Mary's.

It only took 2 years for Scott Munro to drastically change the fortunes of the Saint Mary’s Huskies women’s basketball team. Over the weekend the Huskies were trying to do the unthinkable, going from last place in 2009 to AUS champions in 2010.

The defending champs had other ideas.

The powerhouse Cape Breton Capers held off a valiant Saint Mary’s team, playing their third game in three days, to capture their second straight AUS banner, their 4th in seven years.

The Capers were led by 5th year senior and AUS MVP Kelsey Hodgson, scoring 24 points and outdueling Huskies super frosh Justin Colley, to win 69-57 in front of the hometown crowd in Sydney.

Capers coach Fabian Mackenzie, honoured over the weekend with his third AUS coach of the year award, nearly had his first undefeated season in his already illustrious career. CBU’s only loss of the season came to UNB on a February Saturday night in Fredericton to a Varsity Reds team that would eventually fall short of a playoff spot.

Mackenzie took over a Capers program in shambles over 10 years ago and has turned it into one of the best in the country, slowly overtaking Memorial as the standard for the AUS conference.

Scott Munro took over a talent depleted Saint Mary’s team in 2009 and suffered some major growing pains as he tried to put his personal stamp on the program. The Huskies finished 2-18 in Munro’s first season, as the rookie coach focused on creating a winning atmosphere before hitting the recruiting trail after the disastrous campaign.

That’s when he landed the most sought after recruit in the country; a player who was garnering a lot of interest from division 1 programs in the United States.

Justin Colley.

Colley was the prize catch in a stellar recruiting class that brought immediate legitimacy to the Huskies program. Colley averaged 21 points per game on route to garnering AUS rookie of the year and a first team all conference selection.

Colley created a dynamic backcourt combined with 5th year senior Kelsey Daley, leading the Huskies to a 12-8 record, highlighted by a six game winning streak down the stretch. Saint Mary’s defeated Acadia 64-63 and Memorial 77-56 to advance to Sunday’s final.

It was the Huskies first trip to the final in 4 years. Ironically, the Huskies lost to the Capers in 2006, Daley’s first season. Daley would not get back to a championship game again until this past weekend, beginning and ending her storied career with championship game losses.

But the biggest storyline in a game that was ripe with drama was the official arrival of Colley as a force in the AUS. In a classic battle of future vs. present, Colley and Hodgson went back and forth all game long, giving us one last look at the brilliance of Hodgson, and a glimpse into the

greatness of Colley.

Although the game had to reach its inevitable conclusion, there is good news for Halifax hoops fans; Justine Colley has 4 years left.