2019-20 LAURIER BASKETBALL
GENERAL INFORMATION Name: Wilfrid Laurier University Location: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Founded: 1911 Enrollment: 18,500 (full & part time) Gym: Athletic Complex Main Gym Capacity: 1600 Nickname: Golden Hawks Mascot: Midas Colours: Purple and Gold Conference: Ontario University Athletics President & Vice-Chancellor: Dr. Deborah MacLatchy Athletic Director: Peter Baxter
TABLE OF CONTENTS Message from Administration . 2 Season Previews . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Meet the Men’s Team . . . . . . . . . 6 Meet the Women’s Team . . . . . . 8 2019-20 OUA Opponents . . . . 10 Men’s France Trip feature . . . . 11 Women’s Recruiting feature . . 12 Awards and Honours . . . . . . . 14 Wilfrid Laurier is a member institution of:
w w w. l a u r i e r a t h l e t i c s . c o m
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A D M I N I S T R AT I O N
D R. D EB O RA H M ACL ATC H Y, PR E S I DE NT It’s fair to say that basketball is one of my favourite sports. Playing in high school taught me the value of teamwork and reinforced the importance of athletic pursuits and accomplishments in addition to academic ones. Our men’s and women’s varsity basketball teams continue to learn that lesson as they build a tradition that brings together players, coaches, parents, alumni, donors and fans in a way that supports Laurier’s mission to inspire lives of leadership and purpose. Whether their purpose is to sink a threepointer or make it to the OUA finals, our players chose to come to Laurier to access one of the strongest student-athlete programs in the country. Its strength comes from our commitment to academic excellence, delivering a superior student experience, and from the generous engagement and support from our community.
All of our student-athletes enrich our campus through their performance in sports and their contributions as members of our community. Our women’s team reaches beyond the Laurier campus to give back to our community by coaching and hosting skills workshops at local public schools. Our men’s team reaches beyond borders to play on the international stage with recent exhibition games in France and Head Coach Justin Serresse’s basketball workshop in the country of Benin. I am so proud of Laurier’s basketball program and how it enriches the fabric of our university community. Our players represent our values and dedication to excellence, not just every time they put on the purple and gold but in everything they do. I for one can’t wait to see what they have in store for us this season. Go Hawks!
Dr. Deborah MacLatchy President and Vice-Chancellor Wilfrid Laurier University
P ETER BA X T E R, D IREC TOR Laurier Basketball has taken flight and is ready to #SoarAbove the competition this season. Golden Hawk Basketball is the buzz on campus. We are fortunate that our coaching leadership, Paul Falco (Women’s Team) and Justin Serresse (Men’s Team) are two of the top coaches in U SPORTS. Their teams play with a purpose. It is a purpose that is, not about individuals, but rather how the players define it and what coaches do for their student-athletes. It is a purpose to serve others for the benefit of the team. Accountability, responsibility, and ownership of team challenges is the theme for all involved. Our Laurier teams are drawn together for a common mission. Laurier Basketball is rallying students, alumni, staff and faculty in a shared passion for the pursuit of excellence and achieving our vision of creating lives of leadership and purpose. We need you all to participate in our common mission and become part of the team.
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To improve, to achieve excellence, to strive for perfection, you as a supporter need to be part of the team. To assist our basketball student-athletes in achieving success, it requires your continuing support and contributions as students, sponsors and community. I sincerely appreciate your loyalty and dedication to all those who have generously given to the basketball programs in the past. Every athletic team requires financial support. For those of you who wish to donate to the program, I assure you that you will be part of building Laurier into a top basketball program in Canada. Please consider donating to our adopt-a Hawk program and support your favourite team online at laurieralumni.ca/ adoptahawk. See you in the stands! Go Hawks!
Peter Baxter B.P.H.E, M.A Director Athletics & Recreation Wilfrid Laurier University
PROUD SPONSOR OF THE SPORTS NUTRITION
FITNESS APPAREL
CUSTOM TEES
CASHBACK PROGRAM
ZEUSSPORTS.CA
MEN’S SEASON PREVIEW
HAWKS AIM FOR NEW HEIGHTS IN 2019-20 The 2019-20 season holds plenty of hope and opportunity for the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks as they look to build on what has been three consecutive years of improvement under head coach Justin Serresse.
veterans Ntore Habimana and Matt Minutillo. Both players bring a presence on offence and defence with Habimana able to impact a game with his length and versatility while Minutillo is one of the key engines for the Hawks.
Since his hiring in 2016, Serresse has taken the purple and gold to new heights. The team has seen their wins improve from nine, to 12, to 18 under the guidance of the former Ottawa Gee-Gees assistant while climbing their way consistently into the U SPORTS Top 10 rankings.
While Laurier will undoubtedly miss the presence of veterans Chuder Teny (now on the coaching staff) and Joseph Fo, an incoming wave will help the team take another step. Transfers Romello Taylor and Nahshon Hurst will have an immediate impact while look for rookie Vladimir Lukomski to make his presence felt in his first year.
Ultimately, the team finished first in the OUA West division thanks to their 18-6 record a year ago and hosted their first OUA semifinal since 1976, falling to the eventual U SPORTS bronze medalist Ryerson Rams. While the Hawks season ended earlier than they had hoped, it marked another step forward, something they will hope to emulate in the 2019-20 season. With the 2019-20 season set to get underway, let’s take a closer look at the Golden Hawks roster and breakdown each position.
FORWARDS Returning: Kemel Archer, Ben Stevens, Adnan Begovic, Majok Deng, Jordan Kenning, Milan Roknic Departures: None Additions: Josh Stephens In the front court, the Golden Hawks will get to enjoy the luxury of continuity this season as they didn’t lose a single forward in the off season.
Laurier is blessed to have a talented one-two punch of Kemel Archer and Ben Stevens to unleash on opponents. GUARDS Archer will be a double-double threat Laurier guard Ali Sow Returning: Ali Sow, Ntore Habimana, Matt every night for Laurier while Stevens (Photo Credit: Eva Ou) Minutillo, Jackson Mayers, Kareem Elliott continues to develop and is a player that can Departures: Chuder Teny, Joseph Fo, Vincent score down low while also impacting the Carriere, Branko Damjanovic game on defence. Additions: Romello Taylor, Vladimir Lukomski, Nahshon Hurst, KJ Massela, Benhur Gebrekidan, Nik Rakas Look for both Adnan Begovic and Majok Deng to see an increased role this season. Begovic has grown in confidence The key to the Hawks success begins and ends with third-year with his three-point shooting and could spell trouble for Ali Sow. Already ranking fifth on Laurier’s career scoring list opposing defences. Meanwhile, Deng will bring energy and after just two seasons of play, the 6-1 communication studies rebounding for the Hawks off the bench in 2019-20. major set a new OUA record for total points in a season a year ago en route to becoming just the eighth Golden Hawk Laurier’s one new addition up front is Ottawa transfer Josh to ever be named an All-Canadian. Laurier will go as far as Stephens. The 6-8 forward, who will be eligible to play in Sow will take them in 2019-20. mid-January, can shoot the ball and also protect the rim. He’ll have plenty of help in the backcourt thanks to returning
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WOMEN’S SEASON PREVIEW
HAWKS HOPE LESSONS LEARNED AID IN TAKING NEXT STEP The 2018-19 season was always going to be a growth experience for the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks. With the core of their roster in their junior year, those third year players were expected to carry a very heavy load left behind by the recent departures of two of the best to ever wear the jersey in guards Nicole Morrison and Kaitlyn Schenck. So when the team suffered a lopsided defeat to the Brock Badgers in the opening round of the playoffs, it wasn’t an ending but the beginning of the steps that head coach Paul Falco believes can return this program to one of the best in the OUA. As the team heads into 2019-20, there are reasons across the roster to be optimistic about the direction of the team. The Hawks have four players in the their fourth season that have seen significant minutes as starters together in the conference. Coach Falco has also worked hard to bring in a recruiting class that can support the veterans that possesses size and talent. Combined with strong role players, this team has the ability to make big strides forward in arguably the toughest conference in Canada. With the curtain set to raise of on Coach Falco’s 12th season as bench boss with the purple and gold, we break down Laurier’s roster to examine what the Hawks will look like this season.
Iannazzo was one of the Hawks go-to scorers a season ago as she averaged 12.7 points per game. Getting up over 13 shots per game last year, if she can improve her average this season, she could find herself among the leading scores in the province. Meanwhile, Woodburn and Day both take their turns running the Laurier offence while playing strong on the defensive side of the ball. Look for both players to continue their strong all-around play in 2019-20. One name to keep an eye on will be Miscione. The only healthy new addition in the backcourt, Coach Falco has compared her to former Laurier point guard Amber Hillis who was known for leaving everything she had on the floor night-in and night-out. FORWARDS Returning: Jill Condron, Tayania Siwek-Smith, Celina Elliott Departures: Skye Johns, Hunter Johns Additions: Stephanie Findlay, Kate Moran, Murielle Mpiana
Up front, the Hawks are blessed with experience as leading scorer Condron Laurier guard Brianna Iannazzo is back for her fourth season, along (Photo Credit: Eva Ou) with defensive presence Siwek-Smith. Versatile third-year Elliott also returns in what should be a much-improved group this season.
GUARDS Returning: Brianna Iannazzo, Rachel Woodburn, Maya Day, Alexis Kenyeres, Brooklyn Johnson Departures: Dana Perovic Additions: Alliasen Miscione, Alexa Sawchuk, Tianna Tartaglia
Joining the trio will be transfer Stephanie Findlay, who suited up for the Brock Badgers two years ago. She can score from outside the three-point line or in the paint and gives the Hawks another option when they need a bucket.
The most intriguing player to watch is Moran. The local product and former national team player is working her way The strength of this Laurier team, the Hawks return five back from a series of serious injuries. If she can work her guards from a season ago led by regular starters Iannazzo, way back into game shape, she has the ability to be a gameWoodburn and Day. changer for the purple and gold. Wilfrid Laurier University has launched a new mobile safety application, SAFEHawk, which features campus-specific emergency contacts at all Laurier locations, personal support resources, safety tips, news feeds, and accessibility information. SAFEHawk is available for free download on iPhone, Android and Blackberry devices. The app incorporates click-to-call functionality, immediately connecting users with campus support services such as the Special Constable Service and the Wellness Centre as well as off-campus resources such as police services, Good2Talk and Here24/7.
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M E N ’ S C OAC H I N G S TA F F
JUSTIN SERRESSE
MANAGER OF MEN’S BASKETBALL OPERATIONS & HEAD COACH
Justin Serresse enters his fourth season as Manager of Men’s Basketball Operations & Head Coach of the Golden Hawks. Serresse became the 10th head coach to lead Laurier ahead of the 2016-17 season and has since transformed the program into one of the best in the country. In his first three seasons with the Hawks, he posted a 0.574 win percentage, including leading the team to an 18-6 record a year ago, the most regular season victories in program history. The purple and gold would win the OUA West Division and advanced to the OUA Semifinals, where they hosted a semifinal game for the first time in over four decades. The immediate success the team has enjoyed under Serresse hasn’t gone unnoticed as the Golden Hawks began the season ranked sixth in Canada, the team’s highest ranking since 2012. Prior to joining the Golden Hawks, Serresse spent six
seasons as an assistant coach with the Ottawa Gee-Gees, from 2010-11 until 2015-16. He helped the Gee-Gees win four OUA medals, including the OUA Championship in 2013-14, as well as make four appearances at the national championship, where they twice won silver as well as earning a bronze medal. Since joining the Golden Hawks, he’s also added to his coaching resume as a member of the 2019 FISU Summer Univsiade staff as well as working with the I Am Foundation in Benin, a camp run by NBA player Ian Mahinmi. Originally from France, Serresse’s playing career blossomed with Rouen Metrople Basket before he came to Canada to suit up for the Laurentian Voyageurs between 2008 and 2010. Away from the court, Serresse was married to Melanie Danna in July, 2017. He’s one of five siblings to parents Claudine Savary and Serge Serresse.
A S S I S TA N T S A N D S U P P O RT S TA F F
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JODY BROWN Assistant Coach
CHUDER TENY Assistant Coach
ALEX MOURA Apprentice Assistant Coach
FRED PERRY Player Development Coach
JAMIE CARLSON Athletic Therapist
MALLORY WOELLER
SAFIA HERSI Team Manager
NATALIE SEVERINO
Strength & Conditioning Coach
Team Manager
ANKIT WADERA Video Assistant
2019-20 MEN’S ROSTER
KEMEL ARCHER F Brampton, Ont. Heart Lake SS Sociology
ADNAN BEGOVIC F Mississauga, Ont. St. Francis Xavier SS Comm. Std.
MAJOK DENG F Surrey, B.C.
NTORE HABIMANA G Mississauga, Ont. ESC Sainte-Famille Comm. Std.
NAHSHON HURST G Markham, Ont. Bill Crothers SS Psychology
JORDAN KENNING F Kitchener, Ont. Resurrection CSS Comm. Std.
JACKSON MAYERS G London, Ont. H.B. Beal SS Arts
MATT MINUTILLO G Brantford, Ont. North Park CVS Kin/Phys. Ed.
NIK RAKAS MILAN ROKNIC G F Stoney Creek, Ont. Kitchener, Ont. Cardinal Newman CSS St. John’s-Kilmarnock School Business Sociology
JOSH STEPHENS F Chatham, Ont. Holy Trinity SS Arts
BEN STEVENS F Halifax, N.S. Halifax Grammar School Arts
Byrne Creek Community School
Comp. Sci.
KAREEM ELLIOTT G Brampton, Ont. Cardinal Ambrozic CSS Kin/Phys. Ed.
BENHUR GEBREKIDAN
VLADIMIR LUKOMSKI
KJ MASSELA G Ottawa, Ont. Southwest Academy Psychology
F Mississauga, Ont. Moravian Prep Business
G Gatineau, Que. ES Grande-Riviere Comm. Std.
ALI SOW G Ottawa, Ont. Merivale HS Comm. Std.
ROMELLO TAYLOR G Mississauga, Ont. Clarkson SS Comm. Std. 7
W O M E N ’ S C OAC H I N G S TA F F
PAUL FALCO
MANAGER OF WOMEN’S BASKETBALL OPERATIONS & HEAD COACH
Paul Falco is in his 12th season as Manager of Women’s Basketball Operations and Head Coach of the Golden Hawks. Originally from Lynden, Ont., Falco has overseen the most successful era of women’s basketball in school history. Over his 11 previous seasons, he has accumulated a regular season record of 133 wins and 106 losses, holding the team record for most wins as a head coach as well as the highest winning percentage at 0.556. During that stretch, Laurier has qualified for the playoffs every season, winning an OUA Bronze Medal in 2014, while reaching the national championship on two occasions, including the team’s best-ever finish when they finished fifth back in 2011. Since being named head coach ahead of the 2008-09 campaign, Falco has coached 23 athletes who have been named CIS/U SPORTS Academic All-Canadians, one U SPORTS major award winner, eight OUA major award
winners, one CIS/U SPORTS All-Canadian and 11 OUA All-Stars. He has also had two of his athletes (Bree Chaput 2013-14; Lee Anna Osei - 2014-15) be named the Outstanding Woman of Laurier. Last season, Falco and the Golden Hawks posted a 9-15 record to finish fifth in the OUA West division. The team would go on to lose their opening round playoff game to the Brock Badgers. Prior to joining the women’s basketball program, he previously coached at Laurier as an assistant coach with the men’s basketball team under head coach Peter Campbell from 2000 until 2006, helping build up a team that ultimately reached the national championship in his final season as an assistant. Away from the court, Falco enjoyed spending time outdoors with his wife Sandy and their two children Tim and Kelly while playing a number of different sports including tennis, hockey and golf.
A S S I S TA N T S A N D S U P P O RT S TA F F
MEGAN GRANT Assistant Coach
CAL KEIL Assistant Coach
MALLORY WOELLER
KAMRYN DEAN Student Manager
Strength & Conditioning Coach
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LAURA VERE Assistant Coach
JEN CHILDS Athletic Therapist
ALEXX LAUZON Student Therapist
2019-20 WOMEN’S ROSTER
JILL CONDRON F Oakville, Ont. Holy Trinity CSS Kin/Phys. Ed.
MAYA DAY G Kitchener, Ont. Grand River CI Health Sciences
CELINA ELLIOTT STEPHANIE FINDLAY BRIANNA IANNAZZO F F G Hamilton, Ont. Oakville, Ont. Thornhill, Ont. St. Thomas More CSS St. Ignatius of Loyola CSS St. Robert CHS Enviro Std. French Sociology
BROOKLYN JOHNSON G Stoney Creek, Ont. St. Mary CSS Psychology
ALEXIS KENYERES G Dundas, Ont. St. Mary CSS Psychology
ALLIASEN MISCIONE KATE MORAN MURIELLE MPIANA G F F Hamilton, Ont. Waterloo, Ont. Brampton, Ont. St. Thomas More CSS Sir John A. Macdonald SS Vaughan SS Biology Business Physics
ALEXA SAWCHUK G Kingston, Ont. La Salle SS Psychology
TAYANIA SIWEK-SMITH TIANNA TARTAGLIA
F Oakville, Ont. Holy Trinity CSS Comp. Sci.
G Burlington, Ont. Notre Dame CSS Health Sciences
RACHEL WOODBURN
G Ajax, Ont. Pickering HS Psychology
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2019-20 SCHEDULE Oct. 23 vs Toronto - 6 & 8pm
2018-19 Record: 6-17 (W); 7-16 (M) Streak: Laurier 6 wins (W); Laurier 1 win (M) Last Laurier Win: Nov. 9/18 - 67-65 (W); Nov. 9/18 - 83-50 (M)
Oct. 26 @ Windsor - 6 & 8pm
2018-19 Record: 17-7 (W); 7-17 (M) Streak: Windsor 9 wins (W); Laurier 2 wins (M) Last Laurier Win: Jan. 17/15 - 60-53 (W); Feb. 2/19 - 85-82 (M)
Jan. 8 vs Waterloo - - 6 & 8pm
2018-19 Record: 6-18 (W); 3-21 (M) Streak: Laurier 1 win (W); Laurier 3 wins (M) Last Laurier Win: Feb. 15/19 - 71-63 (W); Feb. 15/19 - 95-68 (M)
Nov. 1 @ Ottawa - 6 & 8pm
Jan. 11 vs Windsor - 2 & 4pm
Nov. 2 @ Carleton - 6 & 8pm
Jan. 15 @ Guelph - 6 & 8pm
2018-19 Record: 21-2 (W); 15-8 (M) Streak: Ottawa 1 win (W); Laurier 2 wins (M) Last Laurier Win: Nov. 10/17 - 87-83 (W); Nov. 3/18 - 79-71 (M)
2018-19 Record: 18-5 (W); 22-1 (M) Streak: Carleton 4 wins (W); Carleton 18 wins (M) Last Laurier Win: Nov. 21/14 - 73-58 (W); N/A (M)
Nov. 6 @ York - 6 & 8pm
2018-19 Record: 10-13 (W); 8-15 (M) Streak: York 2 wins (W); Laurier 5 wins (M) Last Laurier Win: Nov. 19/16 - 87-57 (W); Nov. 17/18 - 90-86 (M)
Nov. 9 @ Lakehead - 6 & 8pm
2018-19 Record: 20-4 (W); 10-14 (M) Streak: Lakehead 4 wins (W); Lakehead 1 wins (M) Last Laurier Win: Feb. 18/17 - 64-45 (W); Feb. 8/19 - 92-71 (M)
Nov. 15 vs Nipissing - 6 & 8pm
2018-19 Record: 3-20 (W); 3-20 (M) Streak: Laurier 5 wins (W); Laurier 2 wins (M) Last Laurier Win: Nov. 24/18 - 66-59 (W); Nov. 24/18 - 108-103 (M)
Nov. 16 vs Laurentian - 6 & 8pm
2018-19 Record: 7-16 (W); 13-10 (M) Streak: Laurier 10 wins (W); Laurier 1 win (M) Last Laurier Win: Nov. 23/18 - 73-60 (W); Nov. 23/18 - 84-78 (M)
Nov. 20 vs Guelph - 6 & 8pm
2018-19 Record: 9-15 (W); 11-13 (M) Streak: Guelph 1 win (W); Laurier 6 wins (M) Last Laurier Win: Jan. 23/19 - 78-69 (W); Feb. 16/19 - 81-75 (M)
Nov 23 vs Western - 1 & 3pm
2018-19 Record: 5-19 (W); 16-8 (M) Streak: Laurier 1 win (W); Laurier 2 wins (M) Last Laurier Win: Jan. 30/19 - 61-54 (W); Jan. 30/19 - 92-83 (M)
Nov 27 @ Western - 6 & 8pm
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Nov. 30 vs Ryerson - 1 & 3pm
2018-19 Record: 17-6 (W); 21-2 (M) Streak: Ryerson 2 wins (W); Ryerson 7 wins (M) Last Laurier Win: Nov. 5/16 - 68-66 (W); Nov. 11/11 - 85-65 (M)
Jan. 24 vs Algoma - 6 & 8pm
2018-19 Record: 5-19 (W); 7-17 (M) Streak: Laurier 11 wins (W); Laurier 4 wins (M) Last Laurier Win: Jan. 19/19 - 64-54 (W); Jan. 19/19 - 96-87 (M)
Jan. 25 vs Algoma - 1 & 3pm
Jan. 31 @ Ontario Tech - 6 & 8pm
2018-19 Record: N/A (W); N/A (M) Streak: N/A (W); N/A (M) Last Laurier Win: N/A (W); N/A (M)
Feb. 1 @ Queen’s - 6 & 8pm
2018-19 Record: 15-8 (W); 12-11 (M) Streak: Queen’s 1 win (W); Laurier 1 win (M) Last Laurier Win: Nov. 18/17 - 72-70 (W); Nov. 16/18 - 93-65 (M)
Feb. 5 vs McMaster - 11am & 7pm
2018-19 Record: 21-3 (W); 11-13 (M) Streak: McMaster 6 wins (W); Laurier 1 win (M) Last Laurier Win: Jan. 7/15 - 62-48 (W); Jan. 12/19 - 87-73 (M)
Feb. 7 vs Brock - 6 & 8pm
2018-19 Record: 11-13 (W); 16-8 (M) Streak: Brock 1 win (W); Brock 7 wins (M) Last Laurier Win: Oct. 26/18 - 63-51 (W); Feb. 1/14 - 86-84 (M)
Feb. 15 @ Waterloo - 6 & 8pm
MEN’S FEATURE
GOLDEN HAWKS ENJOY ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME TRIP TO FRANCE
Head Coach Justin Serresse tours the Hawks around his home country to prepare for the season and experience a new culture Following their best season in decades, Wilfrid Laurier men’s basketball head coach Justin Serresse changed up the team’s preparation for the upcoming season. For the first time under his guidance, the Golden Hawks headed overseas where they embarked on a nine-day tour around France, Serresse’s home country.
The games began in Le Havre, where Laurier took on Le Havre STB. Competing just over 24 hours after landing in France, the Hawks struggled, coming out on the wrong end of an 89-55 scoreline. However, the team rebounded in their next game, showing great fight to pick up an 84-80 win over ALM Montivilliers.
The trip served dual purposes for the Golden Hawks as they looked to take the next step in their development as a program. First off, it allowed the players to experience a different part of the world and get a glimpse at life in a different country and second, the team competed against professional-level competition, setting them up for the rigours of another OUA season.
Next up was a visit to Serresse’s hometown of Rouen where they team competed in a closed scrimmage against his former team of Rouen Metropole.
The tour included some famous stops for the Golden Hawks, including a private tour of the D-Day beaches at Normandy as well a visit to the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
The win was made even more special by a visit from Laurier’s President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Deborah MacLatchy, who stopped by the game during her holidays to cheer on the purple and gold.
The Golden Hawks made a visit to the Normandy D-Day beaches while touring France.
For Serresse, being able to expose his athletes to what his life was like growing up gave him a great amount of pride. “I think some of the guys didn’t really grasp the whole picture until they got there. I thought starting from a small city to a somewhat bigger city in Paris, we were able to show different types of cities, lifestyles and history of France. In terms of just learning a new culture, and being exposed to a new culture, this was something they didn’t really expect and I was happy they were able to really take it in and enjoy it.” There was also business to take care of on the trip as the Hawks played in three games against tier three professional teams and a closed practice against a tier two team.
Laurier’s final game was against Gravenchon where a clearly more comfortable team was excellent in posting a 76-66 victory.
“For me personally, I was very impressed and very happy that she made the effort to go out of her way Head Coach Justin Serresse and Laurier President Dr. Deborah MacLatchy to bring her family,” said Serresse. “I was very happy we showed well on the court and I’m sure she saw how happy people were to have us playing there.” While Serresse says he has to wait and see how this trip will impact the program as a whole, he knows individually the trip had incredible value for his players. “I definitely see that the trip opened the eyes of a lot of guys on what their potential is but also where they’re lacking skill-wise and how far they are compared to young professionals. We played teams that had 22 and 23-year old pros that are playing pretty good minutes so it was good for them to guage themselves.” Time will tell if they are able to use that learning experience to their advantage as they try to chase down the program’s first OUA championship. 11
WOMEN’S FEATURE
RECRUITING PIPELINE HELPS SHAPE GOLDEN HAWKS CORE
Head Coach Paul Falco hopes familiarity breeds success for senior members of the purple and gold When forwards Jill Condron and Tayania SiwekSmith step out onto the floor together for their fourth season with the Laurier women’s basketball team, what many Golden Hawk fans may not realize is that their partnership goes back much longer. The two members of Laurier’s starting five have been playing together for the past eight years, dating all the way back to their days of suiting up for Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School in Oakville. Condron and Siwek-Smith are the latest members of a recruiting pipeline that head coach Paul Falco has tapped into for years, going all the way back to his first season with the purple and gold in 2008-09. Laurier forward Tayania Siwek-Smith (Photo Credit: Eva Ou)
That season, Laura Pacevicius, a 5-10 post, told him about a player that he should keep an eye on at her former school named Alena Luciani. When Luciani joined the Golden Hawks, the next name Falco was told to watch became Doreen Bonsu, and then came Lauren Jamieson and finally, Condron and Siwek-Smith. Unknown to Falco in his rookie season, that connection between Pacevicius and Holy Trinity would help shape the core of his program for the next 12 years. “They all seem to be pretty passionate and very committed players. For whatever reason, they’ve done a good job at that school of creating that atmosphere.,” said Falco of the reason the school has helped shaped Laurier rosters over his time with the Hawks. “More importantly for why I’ve been recruiting those girls, they’re all really good people, good team players, who fit in well with our chemisty and our culture here.” For Condron and Siwek-Smith, that feeling of comfort and familiarity played a big factor in their decision to continue playing basketball at the University level with
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the purple and gold. “It definitely had an impact,” said Condron. “When I went to the Holy Trinity basketball camp in Grade 6, and Doreen was my coach on defence, she was always talking about Laurier. And we actually played with Lauren in Grade 10 so it just added to that comfort level so it’s not as scary [making the transition].” However, the impact of the pipeline doesn’t end with Condron and Siwek-Smith. Their decision to join Laurier, thanks to their time at Holy Trinity, also helped sway the decisions former JEUL league teammates Brianna Iannazzo and Stephanie Findlay, to suit up for the Golden Hawks. Iannazzo joined Condron and Siwek-Smith as rookies back in 2016-17 while Findlay took a little longer to find her way to the nest, coming to the Hawks this season after a half season spent at Seton Hall in the NCAA and a full year with the Brock Badgers. The end result for the Laurier forward Jill Condron Golden Hawks is this season, (Photo Credit: Eva Ou) four potential members of their starting lineup will have much more experience on the floor together than the average starting lineup in the OUA. And the players believe this can be definitive advantage for the Hawks. “I feel like we definitely know how each other are on and off the court; which ways we learn best, what we react to best whether it’s constructive critism or positive feedback,” says Iannazzo. “I think that kind of helps us communicate with each other on and off the court and we’ve just grown together in that way.” With a strong comfort level around the core, Iannazzo, Condron and Siwek-Smith believe there are big things ahead for the Hawks as they look to re-establish themselves among the top teams in the conference.
M E N ’ S AWA R D S A N D H O N O U R S U SPORTS ALL-CANADIANS
U SPORTS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
FIRST TEAM Sandy Nixon ‘68-69 Chris Coulthard ‘69-70 Rod Dean ‘70-71 Loren Killion ‘77-78
Chris Keith ‘01-02 Kale Harrison ‘07-08
SECOND TEAM Rod Dean ‘71-72, ‘72-73, ‘73-74 Chuck Chambliss ‘75-76 Kale Harrison ‘10-11 Max Allin ‘12-13 Ali Sow ‘18-19
Tony Weis ‘95-96
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM Kale Harrison ‘07-08 Luke Allin ‘14-15 Ali Sow ‘17-18
U SPORTS TSN AWARD
OUA ALL-STARS FIRST TEAM Rod Dean ‘70-71, ‘71-72, ‘7273, ‘73-74 Mark Christensen ‘75-76 Chuck Chambliss ‘75-76 Don Whaley ‘77-78 Loren Killion ‘77-78 Fred Koepke ‘78-79 Bob Fitzgerald ‘81-82 Kale Harrison ‘08-09, ‘10-11, ‘11-12 Max Allin ‘12-13, ‘13-14 Ali Sow ‘18-19 SECOND TEAM Fred Koepke ‘77-78 Bob Fitzgerald ‘79-80, ‘80-81 Stephen Forden ‘83-84, ‘8485, ‘85-86 Rene Luypaert ‘85-86 Tony Marcotullio ‘87-88 Greg Sandstrom ‘96-97 Jeff Zdrahal ‘97-98 Chris Keith ‘01-02, ‘02-03 Ron Innes ‘03-04 Wade Currie ‘05-06 Matthew Walker ‘06-07 Kale Harrison ‘07-08 Jesse MacDonald ‘08-09, ‘09-10 Max Allin ‘10-11, ‘11-12 Will Coulthard ‘14-15, ‘15-16 Tevaun Kokko ‘16-17, ‘17-18 ALL-ROOKIE TEAM Adam Rogers ‘98-99 Darren Veira ‘99-00 Rhadi Knapp ‘99-00 Todd Cooney ‘01-02 Rob Innes ‘02-03 Omar Miles ‘02-03 Matthew Walker ‘04-05 Jesse MacDonald ‘05-06 Andrew Pennycook ‘06-07 Justin Golob ‘06-07 Kale Harrison ‘07-08 Travis Berry ‘08-09 Max Allin ‘09-10 (West) Jamar Forde ‘10-11 (West) Patrick Donnelly ‘10-11 (West) Will Coulthard ‘11-12 (West) Matt Chesson ‘12-13 (West)
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Jack Simmons ‘13-14 (West) Luke Allin ‘14-15 Simon Mikre ‘15-16 Tevaun Kokko ‘16-17 Ali Sow ‘17-18 OUA COACH OF THE YEAR Chris Coulthard ‘81-82, ‘82-83, ‘85-86 Peter Campbell ‘01-02 OUA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Peter Kratz ‘93-94 (West) Rhadi Knapp ‘99-00 (West) Chris Keith ‘01-02 (West) Kale Harrison ‘07-08 (West) Patrick Donnelly ‘10-11 (West) Ali Sow ‘17-18
W O M E N ’ S AWA R D S A N D H O N O U R S U SPORTS ALL-CANADIANS SECOND TEAM Meaghan McGrath ‘05-06 Whitney Ellenor ‘14-15 ALL-ROOKIE TEAM Meaghan McGrath ‘02-03
U SPORTS TRACY MCLEOD AWARD Amber Hillis ‘12-13
OUA ALL-STARS FIRST TEAM Karen Danch ‘79-80 Kris Peel ‘86-87 Catherine Foulon ‘87-88 Jenn Field ‘90-91, ‘92-93 Sarah Collins ‘95-96 Brenda Vrkljan ‘96-97 Sarah Zagorski ‘01-02, ‘0203, ‘03-04 Maire Guinney ‘02-03, ‘04-05 Meaghan McGrath ‘03-04, ‘04-05, ‘05-06 Renata Adamczyk ‘09-10, ‘10-11 Whitney Ellenor ‘14-15 Nicole Morrison ‘15-16 SECOND TEAM Ann Weber ‘87-88 Catherine Foulon ‘88-89 Renata Adamczyk ‘08-09 Felicia Mazerolle ‘11-12 Laura Doyle ‘13-14 Lee Anna Osei ‘14-15 Kaitlyn Schenck ‘16-17 Nicole Morrison ‘16-17, ‘17-18 ALL-ROOKIE TEAM Kate Richardson ‘00-01 Sarah Barnes ‘02-03 Aleksa Brkic ‘06-07 Amanda McDonald ‘07-08 Amber Hillis ‘08-09 Felicia Mazerolle ‘10-11 Shelby Kurt ‘11-12 (West) Kaitlyn Schenck ‘12-13 (West) Alex Spadaro ‘13-14 (West) Irena Rynkiewicz ‘15-16 Rachel Woodburn ‘16-17
OUA PLAYER OF THE YEAR Meaghan McGrath ‘05-06 OUA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Jenn Field ‘90-91 (West) Sarah Zagorski ‘01-02 (West) Meaghan McGrath ‘02-03 (West) Felicia Mazerolle ‘10-11 (West) Shelby Kurt ‘11-12 (West) OUA COACH OF THE YEAR Stu Julius ‘02-03 Paul Falco ‘10-11 OUA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Renata Adamczyk ‘08-09, ‘09-10 OUA TRACY MCLEOD AWARD Amber Hillis ‘12-13 (West) Doreen Bonsu ‘13-14 (West) OUA JOY BELLINGER AWARD Renata Adamczyk ‘10-11 Lee Anna Osei ‘14-15
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