Langara Falcons - Year in Sports 2024

THE YEAR IN SPORTS | 2023/2024

The Year in Sports 2023 – 2024

PACWEST PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Men’s Basketball – 4th

Men’s Soccer – 3rd

PACWEST ALL-STARS

Kayleigh Beaubien, Women’s Soccer

Alex Paul, Women’s Soccer

Wiz Chavula, Men’s Soccer

Taku Ota, Men’s Soccer

David Rodriguez Zegarra, Men’s Soccer

Moeiz Athaya, Men’s Basketball

Royce Sargeant, Men’s Basketball

PACWEST PLAYER OF THE YEAR

David Rodriguez Zegarra, Men’s Soccer

PACWEST COACH OF THE YEAR

Marc Rizzardo, Men’s Soccer

CCAA ALL CANADIAN

David Rodriguez Zegarra, Men’s Soccer

Royce Sargeant, Men’s Basketball

The Teams 2023 – 2024

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Head Coach

Alvin Prasad

Assistant Coaches Carly Dhanda, Jeremy Holland, Benjamin Chabbert

PACWEST League Record

2-7-3

PACWEST Final Team Standing 4th place

PACWEST Athletes of the Week Kayleigh Beaubien, Alex Paul (x2)

PACWEST Provincial All-Stars Kayleigh Beaubien, Alex Paul

CCAA Athlete of the Week Alex Paul

MEN’S SOCCER

Head Coach

Marc Rizzardo

Assistant Coaches Claudio Bartolomeo, Kons Vasic, Kevin Monk, Devon Gautreau

PACWEST League Record 6-4-2

PACWEST Final Team Standing 2nd place

PACWEST Championship 3rd place

PACWEST Athlete of the Week

PACWEST Provincial All-Stars

PACWEST Player of the Year

PACWEST Coach of the Year

CCAA Athlete of the Week

CCAA All-Canadian

David Rodriguez Zegarra

Wiz Chavula, David Rodriguez Zegarra, Taku Ota

David Rodriguez Zegarra

Marc Rizzardo

David Rodriguez Zegarra

David Rodriguez Zegarra

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Head Coach Cameron MacGillivary

Assistant Coaches Jessica Castillo

PACWEST League Record 5-19

PACWEST Final League Standing 7th place

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Head Coach Cassidy Kannemeyer

Assistant Coaches Chris Schneller, Denver Sparks Guest

PACWEST League Record 13-11

PACWEST Final League Standing 3rd place

PACWEST Championship 4th place

PACWEST Championship All-Stars Royce Sargeant

PACWEST Athlete of the Week

Moeiz Athaya, Royce Sargeant (x5)

PACWEST Provincial All-Stars Royce Sargeant (1 st Team), Moeiz Athaya (2nd Team)

CCAA Athlete of the Week Moeiz Athaya, Royce Sargeant (x2)

CCAA All-Canadian Royce Sargeant

Feb 10, 2023

Vancouver, BC – Alvin Prasad has been named head coach of the Langara Falcons women's soccer program as announced today by Sean Shook, Manager, Athletics and Campus Recreation

"We were impressed with Alvin's experience, energy, and vision for the program," said Shook. "As a former Falcon he has deep roots to the campus as both a student and national champion athlete.

Since 2015 Prasad has been coaching with Fusion Football Club. He has coached both girls and boys sides in the BC Soccer Premier League. Prasad has also held coaching positions with Streetball FC (Gothia Cup Champions, Sweden) and Vancouver Football Club.

After graduating from Richmond High School, Prasad played three years for the Falcons. A defensive stalwart, Prasad was part of back-to-back CCAA National Championship-winning men's soccer teams during 1999 and 2000.

"It means a lot to come back to the place that provided so much for me in my collegiate years," said Prasad. "Creating a positive environment and space for the student athletes to both excel academically and on the field is most important. I look forward to getting to know the group and starting the process."

The Falcons will open the 2023 PACWEST season on September 9.

Langara Falcons name Alvin Prasad as Head Coach of the Women’s Soccer program

April 14, 2023

Vancouver, BC – snəweyəɬ leləm Langara College is excited to welcome Cassidy Kannemeyer as the new head coach of the Langara Falcons men's basketball program.

"Cassidy has an extensive post-secondary coaching background with a proven track record as a recruiter and program builder," said Sean Shook, Manager, Athletics and Campus Recreation. His ability to make connections and build relationships with recruits, student athletes, and the campus community will make a tremendous impact.

Kannemeyer joins the Falcons after serving as the lead assistant coach at the University of Fraser Valley the past two years.

"I am thrilled for the opportunity to join the Falcons," said Kannemeyer. As a Langara alum, I know the long tradition of excellence with the men's basketball program. I look forward to building a championship culture both on and off the court."

During the 2022-23 season, Kannemeyer helped lead the Cascades to the Canada West playoffs for the second straight season. Prior to that he was the head coach at Capilano University for six seasons and also spent five seasons as the lead assistant at Quest University.

A graduate of Gladstone Secondary, Kannemeyer continued his education at Langara College before finishing his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of British Columbia.

Langara Falcons name Cassidy Kannemeyer as Men’s Basketball Head Coach

September 19, 2023

Alex Paul was outstanding for the Falcons as they travelled to Nanaimo to take on the VIU Mariners. She was a scoring threat all weekend, ensuring that she was always in a position for her teammates to find her. Her strong offensive play was on full display Saturday, getting numerous shots on net capitalizing on multiple opportunities, scoring three of the Falcons four goals and helped lead the charge for the Falcons’ first regular season victory in over three seasons.

Alex Paul named CCAA & PACWEST Athlete of the Week (Week 2)

October 17, 2023

David Rodriguez Zegarra was instrumental for the Falcons this weekend against the Capilano Blues. The third year Falcon and newly named Captain of the team showed skill and leadership with incredible touch on the ball to find open space fueled the Falcons to an undefeated weekend. On Saturday, down 0-1, David scored on two separate penalty kicks, first tying the game, and then capitalizing on the eventual game winner. Then on Sunday, he matched his effort with two more goals against the host Blues. Not seen on the scoreboard were the numerous scoring opportunities his vision and creativity opened up for his team.

David Rodriguez Zegarra named CCAA & PACWEST Athlete of the Week (Week 2)

October 17, 2023

Leading from the wing, Falcons Captain Kayleigh Beaubien’s two-way play has been strong all season and was on full display this weekend against the Royals. She positioned herself in the right places at the right times for the Falcons and scored twice on Sunday. Her first goal of the game came from a great through-ball from teammate Alex Paul, tying the game. Less than 10 minutes later, she scored on a quick strike against two Royals defenders, leading to the game winning tally.

Kayleigh Beaubien named PACWEST Athlete of the Week (Week 6)

October 24, 2023

In a bid to extend the Falcons season, Alex Paul left it all on the pitch for the Falcons in the final week of regular season play. On Saturday, she was brilliant against the Mariners, recording her second hat trick of the season. All of Alex’s tallies came in a versatile fashion. The first goal came through a wonderful pass from teammate Amber Wells. Her second goal was just two minutes later, off a solo effort, after she created a turnover on the Mariners backline. Her final goal came from cleaning up a rebound after teammate Kayleigh Beaubien forced the Mariners keeper to make a great save. Alex continued to be a scoring threat and defensive backbone for the remainder of the weekend, helping the Falcons hold the Blues to only one goal.

Alex Paul named PACWEST Athlete of the Week (Week 7)

Scoring Leaders

Scoring Leaders

Goalie Leaders

Women’s Soccer

2023 Season

Men’s Soccer

2023 Season

PACWEST Conference Championships

Top Goalkeeper Vanessa Chung Douglas

Top Defender Pak Tung Tsang Douglas

Top Midfielder Aynsley Hurtado Capilano

Top Forward Anna Klaver-Valdez Douglas Tournament MVP Vanessa Chung Douglas

Douglas

Press Release

October 25th, 2023

RE: 2023 PACWEST Soccer Awards

From: André Tee, Sports Information Director 2023-24

Men’s Conference All-Stars

Tommy Millar Capilano University

Brandon Lecce Capilano University

Benjamin Beaulieu Douglas College

Dominik Hajdecki Douglas College

Burhan Waisy Douglas College

Wizas o Chavula Langara College

Takumi Ota Langara College

David Rodriguez Zegarra Langara College

Vasilios Bagiopoulos Vancouver Island University

Travis Brown Vancouver Island University

Michael Heppelle Vancouver Island University

PACWEST Men’s Player of the Year David Rodriguez Zegarra Langara College

PACWEST Men’s Rookie of the Year Dominik Hajdecki Douglas College

PACWEST Men’s Coach of the Year Marc Rizzardo Langara College

PACWEST Men’s Mike Bartram Fair Play Award Capilano University

CCAA Men’s All-Canadians are announced at the CCAA Championship Banquet

Women’s Conference All-Stars

Alanah Dulong Capilano University

Aynsley Hurtado Capilano University

Julia Peyton Capilano University

Maya Smith Capilano University

Kya Cleto Douglas College

Isabelle Dobbin Douglas College

Pak Tung Tsang Douglas College

Kayleigh Beaubien Langara College

Alex Paul Langara College

Saki Meshida Vancouver Island University

Hannah Rose Vancouver Island University

PACWEST Women’s Player of the Yea r Saki Meshida Vancouver Island University

PACWEST Women’s Co-Rookie of the Year Anna Klaver-Valdez Douglas College

PACWEST Women’s Co-Rookie of the Year Jami Hartwich Vancouver Island University

PACWEST Women’s Coach of the Year Bobbie Taylor Vancouver Island University

PACWEST Women’s Mike Bartram Fair Play Award Vancouver Island University

CCAA Women’s All-Canadians are announced at the CCAA Championship Banquet

November 8, 2024

On Friday night, Langara found themselves down 53-43 to the visiting Bearcats when Roye Sargeant was called upon to help fuel the Falcons come back. His ball pressure, rebounding, and facilitation on the offensive end brought the Falcons back from the double-digit deficit. In the fourth quarter, his veteran savvy was on full display, managing the game clock to help the Falcons secure the victory. Statistically, it was a well-rounded game for the senior guard, scoring 10 points, grabbing six rebounds, dishing out six assists and three steals. Then on Saturday night, the game came down to the wire with Royce doing everything he could to keep the Falcons in it. He scored 44 points, shooting 48% from the field, as well 12 for 12 from the free throw line. He added seven rebounds, an assist, and a whopping seven steals.

Royce Sargeant named CCAA & PACWEST Athlete of the Week (Week 4)

New personnel on basketball squad Men get a new coach, women a new roster



By LOUIS BERGERON

Despite a poor start to the season, the Langara Falcons women’s basketball team is hoping to turn things around by getting their new players up to the collegiate level.

The team, led by second-year Langara coach Cameron MacGillivary, has six new players out of 13 total. They lost all four of their games so far this season.

“I think it has hindered us to begin with, because the toughness. We’re lacking a lot of toughness right now. We’re getting outworked constantly.

So we’ve had players that had success in high school, but I think some people haven’t turned it up to the next level,” MacGillivary said. He said he has set up a mentoring system for the young Falcons, pairing them with the veterans.

“We put the returners with the new rooks. So give each player a kind of connection. Some people have formed a great bond,” said MacGillivary.

Third-year Langara player Julia Sprott said she agrees with the coach’s methods, saying she and the other returning players are eager to help their new teammates.

“I think that this year we have a

lot of systems in place, organization and a lot of structure, and I think that’s just helpful with connecting our team together,” said Sprott.

The men’s basketball team, which has gone 2-2 so far this season, also has new players and a new coach.

Cassidy Kannemeyer was hired in April to lead the Falcons.

“It’s very fulfilling and I love being in charge,” said Kannemeyer.

He was previously lead assistant coach at Fraser Valley University and then head coach at Capilano University. With an arts degree in history from UBC, Kannemeyer began coaching on community teams before becoming a college level coach. He said he was inspired by many coaches throughout his career, was enamored with being a coach, and loved making lifelong connections with the people he encountered along the way.

“I like being part of something to that team environment, and being the leader of that environment,” said Kannemeyer. The Falcons lost their most recent game last Saturday against the Columbia Bible College Bearcats 97-92.

“Our strategy changes week to week based on who we’re playing,” said Kannemeyer.

Falcons soccer regroups after loss in playoffs

A penalty kick puts an end to the men's season

 By

LOUIS BERGERON

After a strong regular season, the Langara Falcons men’s soccer team ended their nationals hopes after a 1-0 defeat to the Vancouver Island University Mariners in the first round of the PACWEST playoffs.

Going into the next season the Falcons roster will be looking a little different.

The Falcons will have to do without their all-star midfielder Taku Ota next season as he heads back to Japan.

The team will not be undermanned heading into next season.

Long-tenured coach Marc Rizzardo said the Falcons have a multitude of players knocking at his door, including a new Japanese talent Ota helped to recruit.

It was a successful regular season for the Falcons. Starting the first few games of the season with a series of losses and draws, the team led by Rizzardo rallied back to finish second in the PACWEST standings.

The highlight of the season was the improvement of winger David Rodriguez Zegarra.

“He’s had an outstanding three years here. He’s been very, very good for us and just gotten better and better,” said Rizzardo.

But the Peruvian winger didn’t come to Langara as good as he is now. Moving to Canada during the COVID pandemic put on hold Zegarra’s soccer improvement.

“My first year I was actually a sub, I barely played,” Rodriguez Zegarra said.

The team retained about half of last year’s players. Kannemeyer faced the challenge of recruiting new players to fill out this year’s roster.

“You have to put your time in recruiting, it takes countless hours to get at least 15 players,” said Kannemeyer.

Dominque Bakuteka, a firstyear player for the team, is excited to get the season going. He hopes the Falcons can win their first few home games.

“The team is working hard to win it all,” he said.

Josh Kagande, a second-year Falcons guard, is happy with the amount of training and coaching he has received so far. He enjoys the freedom he gets from his new coach and feels comfortable playing on the team.

“It’s been kind of nice to see them flourish in their own ways,” said Kagande.

Kannemeyer has a prior relationship with the women’s basketball coach MacGillivary, who was one of his assistant coaches when Kannemeyer coached at Capilano.

MacGillivary was able to vouch for Kannemeyer when he applied for the Langara job.

Both teams will be playing against Douglas College on Friday.

This season, Rodriguez Zegarra scored seven goals in 11 games, making him the second most prolific scorer in the league.

His efforts this season landed him the PACWEST Player of the Year award.

“It wouldn’t be possible without my teammates. This is a team game, they gave me the opportunity to show myself,” Rodriguez Zegarra said.

The Falcons’ left-back Wizaso Chavula and midfielder Taku Ota were also named as PACWEST All-

Stars alongside Rodriguez Zegarra.

Rizzardo was named PACWEST Coach of the Year for the ninth time in his career.

Confidence was high going into The PACWEST playoff semifinals were held at the end of October in Nanaimo at Vancouver Island University.

In their match, the Falcons suffered from a penalty around the 20-minute mark and were unable to recover in time to tie the game.

“I thought the team played well most of the time and I’m disappointed,” said Rizzardo.

The Falcons found themselves on the receiving end of a penalty kick early in the game after the referee ruled there was contact between two Falcons defenders and the VIU attacker with the ball. Despite a valiant effort by goalkeeper Blake Charlesworth, the Falcons were powerless to prevent the VIU Mariners from scoring the winning goal.

“None of us agreed with the call,” said Rizzardo.

Rizzardo and his players said it looked as if the Mariners forward had fallen on his own due to no fault from any of the Falcons.

“It might have been a little bit questionable. He did handball it before the penalty happened,” said Connor Thompson, Langara Falcons defender.

The Douglas College Royals defeated the Mariners to claim the PACWEST playoffs finals. After a 1-1 tie in regular play, the Royals went on to beat the Mariners 5-4 in a penalty shootout.

PACWEST

TOP GOALSCORERS 2023

1. Dominik Hajdecki

The Douglas Royals forward notched 10 goals in 11 matches.

2. David Rodriguez Zegarra

The winger from Langara had seven goals in 11 matches

3.Sebastian Cirotto

The Capilano forward scored six goals in 11 matches.

4. Vasilios Bagiopoulos

The VIU forward collected five goals in six matches.

SOURCE: PACWESTBC.CA

First-year player Dominque Bakuteka battles at the rim to get his lay-up during a hard-fought game against the Columbia Bible College Bearcats on Nov. 3. The Falcons won this game 83-80. LOUIS BERGERON PHOTO

Falcons player scores on a one-on-one during practice for the playoffs. MATEO MUEGO PHOTO

November 28, 2024

It was an “all-time” performance this past weekend at Langara as Moeiz Athaya became the PACWEST’s All-Time leading scorer in men’s basketball.

On Friday, Athaya had a huge double-double for the Falcons. After falling behind early Athaya willed his team back into this one leading by his strong play on the court and ultimately helped his team comeback to win. He finished with 18 points and a game high 14 rebounds. Then on Saturday, he rewrote the history books and became the PACWEST All-Time scoring leader as he finished the game with 30 points along with nine rebounds and had a steal. With his scoring performance, Athaya now leads the PACWEST with 1,461 points in the regular season, surpassing former Douglas Royals guard Grant Campbell who had 1,459 points.

Moeiz Athaya named CCAA & PACWEST Athlete of the Week (Week 7)

December 5, 2024

Another Falcon made history for the second weekend in a row, as Royce Sargeant surpassed 1,000 points scored in the regular season becoming the 29th men’s basketball player to reach this milestone. On Friday night, he was electric, scoring 21 points in the first 10 minutes of action and finished the game with 30 points. As the Mariners focused their defense on Royce, he found his open teammates finishing with five assists, along with four rebounds and a steal. He then kept up his torrid play on Saturday, fueling an almost successful Falcons come back. Down 70-46 at the start of the fourth quarter, he scored 17 of the Falcons 30 points on 7-10 shooting. He finished the game with 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists and five steals.

Weekend Averages

28.5 PPG / 5.5 RPG / 4.5 APG / 3 SPG on 46% shooting (38% from 3, 72% from the line).

Royce Sargeant named CCAA & PACWEST Athlete of the Week (Week 8)

Vancouver field hockey community seeks new turf

A lack of competitive spaces for players limits the sport's potential in B.C.

EMILY BEST

Presented with the possibility of an overhaul of its neighbourhood park, the Moberly community has rallied to support a proposal to turn the space into a field hockey pitch.

The City of Vancouver has been examining various options as it plans to upgrade the park.

Meanwhile, as field hockey in Canada continues to grow, the lack of accessible turf space for competitive games across Vancouver means local teams face inconsistent scheduling and often long travel times. So, the Vancouver field hockey community is campaigning for specialized turf at Moberly Park as the City of Vancouver seeks input from the community on what to do with the 3.6-hectare space.

The idea of a field hockey turf was floated and supported at the Khalsa Diwan Society Gurdwara when residents were discussing new amenities within the Sunset community.

Also, an online petition posted on change.org asking for a new South Vancouver field hockey turf has gathered 1,433 signatures since March 22, 2023.

Currently, there is only one field hockey turf apart of the city of Vancouver, at Eric Hamber Secondary School.

Robyn Pendleton, a former Team Canada player who now plays recreationally in the Vancouver Women’s Field Hockey Association, said her team doesn’t have a home field. The Vancouver Hawks Field Hockey Club and the VRC Jokers Field Hockey Club are also amongst the groups vying for time at the field.

“I would say it’s difficult because our games are really all over [Metro] Vancouver,” said Pendleton. “We

have a roster of like, 27 people and we’re lucky if we can get 10 to a game.”

Pendleton attributes the issue to a lack of field access.

“Like we could be out in Coquitlam, we could be in Surrey,” she said. “The timing is all over the place so it’s hard for us to get consistent comm itment from people when we’re always fighting for field time.”

Field hockey cannot be played on a typical soccer field as the ball doesn’t roll smoothly in the longer grass, making competitive games unplayable. The sport requires a top layer of short and dense artificial grass, creating a flat surface suitable for a field hockey ball to roll smoothly.

Alex Bale, executive director and coach at Vancouver Hawks Field Hockey Club, hopes the city will consider synthetic turf that is accessible for field hockey.

“Field hockey requires a specific turf that’s slightly different to soccer,” Bale said. “It’s very inclusive because all other sports can play on field hockey turf, but field hockey can’t be played on most other turfs.”

Vancouver used to have three field hockey pitches. It lost two when the turf was replaced with longer artificial grass at Andy Livingstone Park in 2007. Since then, the field hockey community has been asking for a new field.

On July 26, Vancouver City Council approved funding for a new turf to be built at Moberly Park. The type of turf being built will be confirmednext year.

Basketball refresher

Almost 5 weeks into the PACWEST basketball season and the Falcons men’s team sit at number 5 in the league standings, while the women are ranked number 7 in their league.

After a slow 0-4 start to the season, the Langara Falcons women’s basketball team has rallied to win two of its last three games.

This includes a 55-44 victory at home over Douglas College on Nov. 11 and a 68-48 win against Camosun College on the road on Nov.17, highlighted by a standout performance by Falcon forward Nadia Singh who scored a game high 14 points.

The Falcons men’s team currently sits at 4-4. The team had two commanding victories at home over Douglas on Nov. 10 (88-58) and Nov. 11 (98-73). Falcons guard Royce Sargeant played a big role in the Nov. 11 win, notching a game high 18 points. Two losses followed at Camosun College, including a triple overtime game on Nov. 17 (85-90).

Both the women and men’s teams have games at Okanagan College respectively on Nov. 24 and Nov. 25.

FALCONS MEN'S TALLY

CAMOSUN W-L

8-0

Ranked: 1

VIU W-L

7-1

Ranked: 2

CBC W-L 6-4

Ranked: 3

CAPILANO W-L 4-4

Ranked: 4

LANGARA W-L 4-4

Ranked: 5

FALCONS WOMEN'S TALLY

VIU

W-L 8-0

Ranked: 1

CBC W-L 6-4

Ranked: 2

“You can’t just go stick [a turf] there right away,” said MacKenzie. “You need to know what’s underneath before you do any sort of construction.”

Shawn Dhanda, who created the change.org petition, is a realtor in South Vancouver who took up field hockey in elementary school when his teacher created a team.

“That’s where I learned to play field hockey, at Moberly,” Dhanda said.

Vancouver Park Board Commis-

Ian MacKenzie, a field hockey representative with Vancouver Field Sports Federation, wants to get a specialized turf but added that geotechnical requirements of the land are another consideration. The soil type, hydrology and site conditions along with other factors, will impact the design of the base and the drainage system.

sioner, Jaspreet Virdi, who has played field hockey for Team Canada, is also an advocate for the turf.

“I think people don’t realize how fast and how big the sport is,” Virdi said.

There are approximately 18,000 field hockey players across Canada. The turf at Moberly is estimated to cost $8 million.

UBC and Crofton House School have field hockey accessible turfs that are available for public booking. They are more difficult to book for clubs though as they are more expensive and are not a part of the Vancouver city jurisdiction.

CAPILANO W-L 5-3

Ranked: 3

CAMOSUN W-L 4-4

Ranked: 4

DOUGLAS W-L 4-8

Ranked: 5

LANGARA W-L 2-6

Ranked: 7

Vancouver Hawks field hockey team (15+) returns to the pitch after halftime at Eric Hamber Field on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023 in Vancouver, B.C. EMILY BEST PHOTO

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A field hockey player warms up at Eric Hamber field. EMILY BEST PHOTO

January 8, 2024

The veteran point guard started 2024 off with a bang for the Falcons.

On the first game of 2024, Sargeant scored a weekend high 36 points, grabbed eight rebounds, had two assists, and four steals disrupting the Royals offense. Then on Saturday, he continued his hot shooting at 50% from the field, adding 16 points, three rebounds, five assists and another four steals. Sargeant helped the Falcons claw back from a 28-point deficit with his disruptive defense during that game as his club finished 1-1 on the weekend.

Royce Sargeant named PACWEST Athlete of the Week (Week 9)

January 30, 2024

Royce Sargeant continues his torrid play this season, this time helping the Falcons stop a four-game losing skid in a weekend sweep at Columbia Bible College. On Friday, he did most of his work in the second half when the Falcons needed it the most, scoring 21 of his 27 total points. The Falcons found themselves down 42-40 at the half, and Royce’s offensive output helped hold the Bearcats off. He added eight rebounds, four assists, and three steals to complete the night. On Saturday, he was much more balanced finishing with 31 points on the night in a Falcons 83-82 victory over the higher seeded Bearcats. He added six boards, two steals, and had an assist.

Royce Sargeant named PACWEST Athlete of the Week (Week 12)

Tactics inspire players

Various coaches provide Falcons with a new start

 By KAREENA JASSAL

The Langara Falcons women’s basketball team is looking for a fresh start through a variety of coaching techniques and a focus on mental performance.

The Falcons women’s team lost both games during a two-game home stand versus Vancouver Island University Mariners last weekend. The Mariners defeated the Falcons 69-51 on Friday and 69-42 on Saturday, which was senior night.

The team, which is now 5-19 this season, has struggled the past few seasons.

Cameron MacGillivary, who was hired in 2022 and has spent 13 years in head and assistant coaching positions throughout Metro Vancouver, is introducing significant changes to the team’s training procedures.

First-year guard Avaani Pagely said MacGillivary makes players feel comfortable while encouraging them to strive for excellence.

“I felt well-utilized as a rookie this season,” Pagely said. “He also pushed us outside our comfort zones in practice to better us and create well-rounded players.”

MacGillivary introduced to the team Toby Kerr, a new mental performance consultant. Kerr meets with the players once a week for 20 to 30 minutes prior to Thursday practices. Kerr teaches players to use “visualization, scripts and self-talk” and encourages the players to perform under pressure by teaching them about “emotional regulation.”

“A high-pressure situation is what leads to performing best sometimes,” Kerr said. “You get in that zone by really embracing all the pressure in that moment.”

First-year guard Avaani Pagely praised Kerr for introducing to the team key concepts such as goalsetting and fixed-versus-growth mindsets.

“Toby had a great impact on the team,” Pagely said. “He was always available to talk with us, and he taught us many strategies this season.”

Former Falcons head coach

Virginia Watson said the team briefly worked with a mental coach during her tenure as head coach.

“The kids really struggled with in-game mental toughness,” Watson said.

MacGillivary has also implemented a mentorship system, which pairs newer players with veteran players. The system has improved the chemistry between players.

Pagely said the mentorship system is helping the players create a lasting bond on and off the court.

“At the beginning of the season and school year, it really helped to have this experienced person to go to for help and support when needed,” Pagely said.

Falcons soar due to bond with coaching staff

Communication efforts of coaches allows fifth-year players to achieve excellence

 By ALY GLENN

Three fifth-year players from the Langara Falcons men’s basketball team attribute their outstanding seasons to having deeper relationships with the coaching staff.

The Falcons recently swept a twogame homestand against Vancouver Island University Mariners, as the Falcons defeated the Mariners 81-79 last Friday and 91-83 last Saturday.

The Falcons are now 13-11 on the season.

Last Saturday on senior night, fifthyear forward Moeiz Athaya led the Falcons with 28 points. Athaya, who returned to play last Friday after sustaining an injured hip flexor two weeks ago, became the Pacific Western Athletic Association all-time men’s basketball scoring leader last November with 1,461 points. Point guard Royce Sargeant, who is averaging over 20 points per game this season, eclipsed the 1,000-points mark last December.

Cassidy Kennemeyer, the Falcons first-year head coach, acknowledged the team’s results have been inconsistent.

“We had turnover from the first se-

mester to the second semester with players leaving because of grades and injuries,” Kennemeyer said. Kennemeyer is creating a sense of community with his players.

“Our relationship is built by respect,” Kennemeyer said. “I respect them, they respect me, and then we can be ourselves around each other.”

Assistant coach Chris Schneller, who attends practice twice per week, is improving the team’s results by tracking the team’s statistics, while creating and sending the team PDFs of opposing teams’ statistics.

Schneller said the team is absorbing Kennemeyer’s knowledge while adapting to his new coaching system. He said Kennemeyer has prioritized the “x’s and the o’s,” which include pre-game huddles and drawing whiteboard diagrams during timeouts.

“He’s a detail-driven leader,” Schneller said. “The team has really started to understand his method for teaching,” Sargeant, who played against Kennemeyer’s Capilano University Blues team when Sargeant played for Kwantlen University, said the coach has made his final season en-

joyable.

“He’s been super accommodating,” Sargeant said. “He’s just made my last season as easy as possible.”

Fifth-year guard Jamar Ergas, who began his college basketball career in the NCAA Division I at Washington State University, guest-coached briefly with Kennemeyer at University of Fraser Valley.

“It attracted me to come over here to finish up my Canadian basketball years,” Ergas said. Ergas is optimistic about the progress of the younger players, while accepting responsibility for encouraging their improvement.

“This is the learning curve,” Ergas said. “It’s a lot of teaching on our end,”

Schneller said the team has had to reevaluate its roster due to players’ injuries. He said the verbal guidance from the fifth-year players impacts the younger players, who respond when the words “comes out of the leaders’ mouths.”

Most of the team is composed of first- and second-year students. Athaya said the relationship between younger and older players is a key to the team’s success.

“I think our chemistry is getting bet-

ter,” Athaya said.” “Hopefully we can figure it out come playoff time.”

Athaya acknowledges the attention he receives as a star on the team. “They look up to me,” Athaya said. “Everything I do, I’m kind of being watched.”

QUICK FACTS ABOUT FALCONS PLAYERS

1,461 points

Moeiz Athaya became the PacWest all-time scoring leader with 1,461 points last November.

First team all-star

Royce Sargeant is a first team all-star for the third consecutive season. Sargeant is averaging almost 20 points per game this season. Sargeant also joined the 1,000 points club last December.

Second team all-star

Moeiz Athaya is a second-team all-star for the fourth consecutive season. Athaya led the Falcons with 28 points on senior night

SOURCE: WWW.PACWESTBC.CA

Coaches and players pose with Langara Falcons forward Moeiz Athaya (second from left) during senior night on Feb. 24, 2024. Athaya became the PacWest all-time leading scorer last November. EDMUND HAYLEY PHOTO

Mentorship Program and Mental Training Inspires

Women’s Basketball Team

Falcons Flourish Under New Program with Guidance from Mental Consultant

Feb 14, 2024

By KAREENA JASSAL

The Langara Falcons women’s basketball team’s disappointing season is being bolstered by a mentorship program and the expertise of a mental performance coach.

Last year, head coach Cameron MacGillivary implemented the mentorship program, which pairs newer, inexperienced players with veteran players.

Third-year guard Katelyn Lafleur is enthusiastic about the mentorship program.

Fifth-year Falcons Elevate Success of Men’s Basketball Team

Three Super Senior Falcons Are Having Stellar Seasons

Feb 15, 2024

By ALY GLENN

Despite losing half of its games in the 2023-24 season due to inexperience and injury, the Langara Falcons men’s basketball team is being led by three inspired fifth-year players.

The Falcons defeated Camosun Chargers 83-78 last Saturday at the Langara gym. The team is now 10-10 on the season.

Three super senior, or fifth-year, players are uplifting the Falcons. Forward Moeiz Athaya became the Pacific Western Athletic Association‘s all-time men’s basketball scoring leader last November with 1,461 points. Point guard Royce Sargeant, who is averaging over 20 points

February 26, 2024

In his final regular season weekend, Royce Sargeant led the Falcons to a weekend sweep of the top ranked team in the province. On Friday, with his club down by 10 going into the fourth quarter, Royce facilitated the comeback, scoring nine of their 26 fourth quarter points while helping create opportunities for his teammates. He finished with a game high 30 points, six rebounds, four assists, and had two steals. Then on Saturday, he continued to pace the Falcons offence while being face guarded for much of the game. He tallied 13 points, three assists, had a rebound, and three steals.

Royce Sargeant named PACWEST Athlete of the Week (Week 16)

2023 – 2024

Women’s Basketball

WEEK 16

Average ASSISTS per game

Coaching Methods Yield New Beginnings For Falcons

A variety of coaching approaches is providing the Langara Falcons with a new start

March 1, 2024

By KAREENA JASSAL

The Langara Falcons women’s basketball team is looking for a fresh start through a variety of coaching techniques and a focus on mental performance.

The Falcons women’s team lost both games during a two-game home stand versus Vancouver Island University Mariners last weekend. The Mariners defeated the Falcons 69-51 on Friday and 69-42 on Saturday, which was senior night.

The team, which is now 5-19 this season, has struggled the past few seasons.

Women's Basketball

Mackenzie Dalphond (Douglas College) Tournament

Makayla Kimble (Vancouver Island University)

Ali

Laini Glover (Douglas College)

Jettie McLaughlin (Douglas College)

2023 – 2024 Men’s Basketball

WEEK 16

Relationships Between Coaches and Players Advance

Flourishing Falcons

The superior achievements of three fifth-year players are a result of coaches’ ability to communicate

March 1, 2024

By ALY GLENN

Three fifth-year players from the Langara Falcons men’s basketball team attribute their outstanding seasons to having deeper relationships with the coaching staff.

The Falcons recently swept a two-game homestand against Vancouver Island University Mariners, as the Falcons defeated the Mariners 81-79 last Friday and 91-83 last Saturday.

The Falcons are now 13-11 this season.

Press Release

February 28th, 2024

RE: 2023-24 PACWEST Basketball Awards

From: André Tee, Sports Information Director 2023-24

Men’s 1st Team All-Stars

Men’s 2nd Team All-Stars

Lucas Sheets Camosun Jaime Palamos-Molins Camosun

Kash Lang Capilano Moeiz Athaya Langara

Damein Coleman Jr. CBC

Jarron Quarles Okanagan

Royce Sargeant Langara Kaeleb Johnson VIU

Adam Anhold VIU

Men’s All-Rookie Team

Arshya Ghasemi Capilano

Spencer Dododza CBC

Efe Ilicia Douglas

Andrei Verchez Douglas

Alex Szewczyk Okanagan

Kai Leighton VIU

PACWEST Men’s Player of the Year Adam Anhold Vancouver Island University

PACWEST Men’s Defensive Player of the Year Damein Coleman Jr. Columbia Bible College

PACWEST Men’s Rookie of the Year Spencer Dododza Columbia Bible College

PACWEST Men’s Coach of the Year Brandon Fields Columbia Bible College

CCAA Men’s All-Canadians

Women’s 1st Team All-Stars

Announcement at the CCAA Banquet. BC is awarded 2 recipients

Women’s 2nd Team All-Stars

Rhiannon Ware Camosun Madeleine Coffin Capilano

Kirsten Abo Capilano Barcha Hnizdilova Capilano

Kagari Tomita CBC Anja Tjernagel Douglas

Elissa Vreugdenhil CBC

Makayla Kimble VIU

Women’s All-Rookie Team

Barcha Hnizdilova Capilano

Jay Hildebrand CBC

Mackenzie Dalphond Douglas

Samara Mason Okanagan

Allison Bentley VIU

Ali Martineau Okanagan

Kaia Simpson VIU

PACWEST Women’s Player of the Year Elissa Vreugdenhil Columbia Bible College

PACWEST Women’s Defensive Player of the Year Allie Brinton Camosun College

PACWEST Women’s Rookie of the Year Barcha Hnizdilova Capilano University

PACWEST Women’s Coach of the Year Tony Bryce Vancouver Island University

CCAA Women’s All-Canadians

Announcement at the CCAA Banquet. BC is awarded 2 recipients.

Men's Baskeball

Royce

Jaime

Beyond a team, we’re a family. We are leaders and ambassadors.

We value sportsmanship, teamwork, and the spirit of competition. We have a tradition of unwavering excellence. We are the Falcons. Let’s play.