SPORTS
March 16, 2015
Freshman Adrian VanderHelm became the first SFU male swimmer to earn All-American status at the NCAA Division II national championship last Thursday. He achieved second place at the 200-yard freestyle, after being disqualified for the individual medley for a uniform logo violation the previous day.
SFU Lacrosse finished their five-game road trip with a three-game losing streak in Arizona. After dropping a 14–8 result to the University of Arizona on March 5, they lost back-to-back games on March 8 and 9 to Colorado State and Chapman University. The 11–2 loss against Chapman was SFU’s lowest scoring game this season.
Women’s basketball forward Erin Chambers was named to the West Region First Team. The honour was voted by the NCAA Division II Sports Information Directors Association (D2SIDA). This marks the second consecutive year Chambers has been named to the team.
Men’s golf placed third in their first tournament of 2015. At the Notre Dame de Namur Argonaut Invitational held in Livermore, CA on March 9 and 10, the Clan placed first among GNAC competitors. Sophomore Kevin Vigna led the team, while freshman Chris Crisologo shot the Clan’s best individual round with a score of 71 (-1). Vigna was named the GNAC men’s golfer of the week for his efforts.
31
Looking to bounce back from two losses to division rivals Central Washington the day before, the Clan entered the doubleheader on Sunday, March 8 against Concordia University with a .500 record of 8–8. With a focus on getting the bats going early, the Clan were unable to match Concordia’s firepower with a consistent offence. The first game of the doubleheader started with a bang, as right-fielder Rachel Proctor smacked a grand slam in the first inning to centre field for her first home-run of the season, giving SFU an early 5–1 lead. However, things got tight
when the Clan’s shaky pitching, along with a cold offence, allowed Concordia to get back into the game. With momentum swinging in Concordia’s direction, head coach Mike Renney found a way to turn things around by inserting pitcher Kelsie Hawkins in the fourth inning. Hawkins quickly settled in — she retired the first three batters she faced in the inning and did not allow a run the rest of the game, earning SFU the first win of the doubleheader 8–4. It was a different story in the second game. SFU’s lone home run came from designated hitter Kaitlyn Cameron, who rang off a two-run shot in the second inning to keep the game close at 3–2. The third inning marked an offensive outburst by Concordia. The team scored five runs off the bat, putting the game out of reach for the Clan. SFU’s offence was only able to muster a total of three hits,
and the Clan’s streakiness at the plate was its eventual downfall, leading to the 9–2 loss. When asked about the team’s inconsistency after the game, Renney commented, “It is more mental than physical, and often in both softball and baseball, the term ‘hitting is contagious’ is used.” The team’s relative inexperience may have contributed to their struggles at the plate, but the need for a response in the stress of competition is evident. “We need to be more battletested to the point that we become more comfortable being uncomfortable,” Renney said.
There were some positive takeaways from the split games on Sunday. Arguably the brightest moments for the team came on the defensive side in the first game, which featured solid play by shortstop Danielle Raison, dominant pitching by Hawkins, and an all-world diving catch at first base by Alex Baylak. Despite their loss in the second game, the Clan showed resiliency throughout the doubleheader that allowed them to hold their own against Concordia’s team. As coach Renney put it, “like a strong branch we bent some but did not break, which is a character trait that we can build on.”
The SFU women’s basketball season came to an end Friday, March 6, when they lost 59–56 to the AlaskaAnchorage Seawolves in their second playoff game. The Clan held the lead much of the game, but with three minutes left, the Seawolves got the upper hand. With 40 seconds to go, SFU was down by only three, but despite three-point attempts by Erin Chambers and Katie Lowen, nothing would go in. The season was over. “We had two open looks [for a three-pointer] at the buzzer, and [the ball] felt good coming out my hands, but it just didn’t go down,” reflected Chambers. “I’m pretty
sure I’m going to have nightmares about that shot. “But it’s part of the game, and how it goes, [and] I love to play and I love that competition, so it will subside soon.” Aside from the heartbreaking finish, it was a good end to an inconsistent season. The Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves were ranked first nationally, and for much of the game the Clan maintained a solid lead. “We gave them their toughest game this year,” said head coach Bruce Langford. This year was a difficult one for the Clan, who suffered their first three-game losing streak since 2011 and had a record just above .500 — a contrast to their previous two seasons, where they went 20–10 and 25–6, respectively. “There were some frustrating times,” admitted Langford. “I thought we were less consistent this year than we’ve ever been. I think that inconsistency hurt
us. We weren’t as deep as we’ve been in the past and that may have hurt us a bit.” Perhaps a part of that challenge this season was the inexperience of the team. Only two of the players were seniors, and two juniors — and of those four, only three are returnees to the Clan program. “It’s a very young team. We really only had three seasoned players, and I think that that was a bigger factor than I thought it was going to be,” Langford said. “I think that we’re entering a crucial offseason, where it’s really important that [the players] look at where they want to get to, and work really hard to get there.” However, he noted that the team got better as the season went on: “We played better in
the last few weeks, we tightened up defensively, and I thought that was nice to see.” This season saw two key milestones: Langford became the winningest women’s basketball head coach at SFU when he won his 364th game on January 17 — Langford is now up to 370 — and Chambers became the all-time highest scorer in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, passing the previous record of 1,831. Chambers, in her fourth and final year of NCAA eligibility, finished the season with 1,946 points. “I’ve enjoyed my four years here, I’ve made lifelong friends, and enjoyed playing basketball up here, so I’m okay with it,” she said of wrapping up her collegiate career. “It’s one chapter of my life that’s done, and there will be new things to come.”