Season outlook A new season brings many new narratives to every what we’re known for. We’re going to make it very team. For the York University Lions women’s basketball difficult for the opponent to score and try to win the squad, the changes begin at the top with the team’s rebounding battle every game.” new head coach, Christa Eniojukan. Eniojukan expects the team to rely on a group Eniojukan may only be entering her first year as York’s of key veterans to help them grow as the season head coach, but she’s very familiar with the confines progresses. Emma Jonas, a point guard with elite ball of the Tait McKenzie Centre. She returns to the handling skills and court vision, brings tremendous program where she was previously a student-athlete, intensity to the line-up according to her coach. spending two seasons with the Lions (2003-05) while completing her bachelor of education degree. She Lauren Golding and Cyanna King are also among was the team’s most valuable player in 2005. team returnees. Golding was an OUA all-star in
“”
EVERYONE HAS BEEN EXTREMELY WELCOMING AND AS A PROUD ALUMNUS, THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN EXTREMELY FULFILLING CHRISTA Eniojukan, head coach
“Everyone has been extremely welcoming and as a 2019-20 after finishing in the conference’s top 11 proud alumnus, this process has been extremely in scoring and rebounding and being one of only fulfilling,” she said of her return. two players in the OUA to average a double-double, while King led the Lions in field goal percentage for Following the long layoff due to the COVID-19 back-to-back seasons, registering 46.1% in 2019-20, pandemic shutdown, getting players back into game and 53.5% in 2018-19. speed required all-hands-on-deck for the coaching staff, says Eniojukan – that includes the team’s athletic Among the team’s newcomers, Eniojukan believes therapists and strength and conditioning coaches. It Lions fans can watch out for Kiara Leveridge, was a long process, but Eniojukan believes the team Kirsten McGrath and Tianna Bailey to make was up for the challenge and can compete in the OUA. immediate contributions as the they begin their OUA careers. They have already found a team identity, according to their new coach. With the long break and a double cohort of players, Eniojukan says the team will be taking their season “If you come watch our games, you’ll be seeing a high- one game at a time and are looking forward to get energy team focused on defending. That’s going to be back onto the court.
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YORK LIONS
2021-22 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
SCHEDULE
Nov. 5
AT OTTAWA
NOV. 27
jan. 29
VS carleton
VS Toronto
Nov. 6
jan. 14
FEB. 9
2PM nov. 19
6PM
5PM
5PM
2:30PM
AT OTTAWA
AT laurentian
VS NIPISSING
jan. 15
5:30PM
3PM
nov. 20
VS NIPISSING
jan. 21
2:30PM
5PM
NOV. 26
jan. 22
5:30PM
2PM
VS carleton
AT laurentian
5:30PM
AT RAMS feb. 12
VS RAMS 2:30PM
AT Queen’s
FEB. 16
VS ONT. TECH 5:30PM
AT Queen’s
FEB. 19
VS ONT. TECH 5:30PM
jan. 28
AT Toronto 5PM
2019-20 REGULAR SEASON RESULTS DATE Thu. Oct. 24 Sat. Oct. 26 Fri. Nov. 1 Sat. Nov. 2 Wed. Nov. 6 Sun. Nov. 10 Fri. Nov. 15 Sat. Nov. 16 Fri. Nov. 22 Sat. Nov. 23 Fri. Nov. 29 Sat. Nov. 30 Wed. Jan. 8 Sat. Jan. 11
OPPONENT RESULT Rams L 59-77 Algoma W 71-49 Toronto W 74-39 Guelph L 59-112 Laurier L 51-52 Waterloo W 84-72 Toronto W 52-47 Rams W 67-52 Ottawa L 49-57 Carleton L 53-57 Lakehead L 66-67 Lakehead W 82-57 Brock W 66-63 McMaster W 91-84 OT
DATE Fri. Jan. 24 Sat. Jan. 25 Wed. Jan. 29 Sat. Feb. 1 Fri. Feb. 7 Sat. Feb. 8 Wed. Feb. 12 Fri. Feb. 14
OPPONENT RESULT Nipissing W 84-70 Laurentian W 75-48 Brock L 55-73 McMaster L 68-76 Windsor L 44-57 Western L 71-76 OT Ontario Tech W 89-49 Queen’s L 66-74
2019-20 OUA PLAYOFF RESULTS Wed. Feb. 19
Carleton L 64-67*
*OUA First Round
Final regular season record: 10-13 Final playoff record: 0-1 2021-22 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
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2019-20 stats 2019-20 REGULAR SEASON STATISTICS PLAYER Lauren Golding Megan MacLeod Katrina Collins-Samuels Cyanna King Megan Stewart Emma Jonas Alysha Pinck Taylor McAlpine Jada Codrington Avery Bathe-Minard Madison Bardoel
GP 22 22 19 20 22 22 13 21 20 18 22
*Bold denotes returning players
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YORK LIONS
PPG 15.3 13.0 11.1 9.3 5.9 3.6 3.4 2.6 2.5 2.3 1.4
RPG 10.1 6.1 6.5 5.1 3.5 2.3 3.2 2.9 1.6 0.6 1.1
APG 1.8 1.1 3.0 0.6 1.8 2.1 1.0 0.6 1.3 0.6 0.9
FG% 44.5 42.9 36.6 46.1 34.5 23.8 32.8 31.1 35.6 31.1 18.9
3P% 29.2 27.1 25.4 33.3 27.3 22.1 9.1 14.3 33.3 29.7 21.9
FT% STL 76.7 29 67.3 26 69.8 34 77.9 24 57.1 23 71.4 15 37.5 20 65.0 9 88.9 12 75.0 4 75.0 9
BLK 16 11 1 16 4 2 2 6 1 1 2
HEAD Coach CHRISTA ENIOJUKAN Head Coach
Christa Eniojukan joined the Lions coaching staff ahead of the 2021-22 season, returning to the program where she was previously a studentathlete.
Ontario Tech Ridgebacks in their inaugural season in 2019-20 and she is also the head coach for the Academy for Student Athlete Development (ASAD) Durham Elite, a role she has held since 2016. In addition to coaching, Eniojukan is part of multiple committees and associations supporting Black coaches and athletes, including serving as co-chair of the OUA’s Black, Biracial and Indigenous (BBI) Committee.
Eniojukan spent two seasons with the Lions (2003-05) while completing her bachelor of education degree. She was the team’s most valuable player in 2005. Her playing experience also included three seasons with the Laurier Golden Hawks from 1999-02 while she earned her undergraduate degree in kinesiology and physical education, and she was also a two-time team MVP with the Hawks.
Eniojukan has spent many years working with teams provincially and nationally, most notably serving as the U17 Ontario provincial team head coach from 2014-17. She has won six national medals (four golds and two silvers) and in 2019 was named the recipient of the Susan Kitchen Trailblazer Award from the Coaches Association of Ontario. She is also the founder and program director of Active Scholars, a non-profit that In the years since, she became a top coach with operates summer camps and other programming experience at a number of different levels. Most with the unique combination of S.T.E.M. learning recently, she was the first head coach for the and sports development.
2021-22 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
5
THE COACHES CHANEL RAMCHARRAN
LINDSAY SHOTBOLT
Lead Assistant Coach
Ramcharran joined the Lions in 2021 as the fulltime assistant coach under Christa Eniojukan. It isn’t Ramcharran’s first go-around as a women’s basketball coach in the GTA. She joins the Lions from the Rams, where she served as that program’s assistant coach in 2020. Ramcharran played her collegiate basketball in the NCAA with the Bryant Bulldogs from 2013-17, then transitioned to coaching with the OCAA’s Centennial Colts women’s basketball program. She stayed there for three seasons before joining the Rams.
Assistant Coach
Affectionately known as “Shotty,” Lindsay Shotbolt joined the Lions as an assistant coach ahead of the 2021-22 season, bringing a wealth of familiarity to the Lions assistant coach role. She was a standout member of the Lions women’s basketball team for the 201718 season. She transferred to York from Carleton University and excelled in her lone year as a Lion. The Markham, Ont., native earned the team’s MVP award, along with U SPORTS secondteam all-Canadian honours – the first Lion named an all-Canadian since 1997. Shotbolt will be serving under Eniojukan in the U SPORTS Female Apprentice Coach Program, a program which pairs female-identifying coaches with a head coach in an apprenticeship development program funded by Sport Canada.
SUPPORT STAFF
SAMANTHA BOOK
HEAD STUDENT THERAPIST
JANVI PATEL
HEAD STUDENT THERAPIST
EDWARD MITTON
STUDENT THERAPIST
MAHILA RATANSI
STUDENT THERAPIST
YORK LIONS STADIUM IS HOME TO YORK UNITED FC! YORKUNITEDFC.CANPL.CA 6
YORK LIONS
player profile “They have been nothing but accepting of me and my son since we returned to basketball. I’ll study with them, or he’ll come to practice on Thursday nights, and nobody has said a negative word about it. That extra peace of mind that comes with supportive people has helped me through this.” The team’s head coach, Christa Eniojukan, has injected a new perspective onto the York women’s basketball program. Golding says Eniojukan has brought on a lot of new staff members, the assistant coaches and managers, the sport psychologists, and having so many people to delegate tasks helps build towards a great team.
Every team needs a leader to serve as an inspiration for the team’s younger players. For fourth-year forward Lauren Golding, her leader when she was a first-year is currently one of York’s assistant coaches. “Lindsay Shotbolt was a very strong leader when I was coming up, and I tried to emulate her leadership traits. What she did and what I try to do is lead by example.” She does that through her work ethic, and through her tireless effort to improve her game play while also balancing parenthood. Golding’s has not had a parental commitment before this season, having her son Kaeto during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Golding says the team’s philosophy has also been a balm for the group as they look to re-establish their existing culture after a high level of roster turnover. Golding says Eniojukan uses the phrase “ubuntu,” which is a quality that includes the essential human virtues; compassion and humanity, as a rallying cry for the team to remain focused on their group as a whole rather than individuals. She hopes that can translate into on-court success, where she feels her team’s depth will serve them well in tight games – the group’s versatility gives the coaching staff plenty of options off the bench, Golding says. “We have skilled players who can play different positions, they can guard, but they can also feel comfortable bringing the ball up the court. I feel like we’re a versatile group.”
Getting back into game shape has been a long, arduous ordeal, and coupled with raising a child, it has created a unique environment not seen by many other studentathletes in the world. Even then, she has worked her way back into peak physical condition and has had no problem leading the women’s basketball team in their pre-season training. “I feel now that a lot of my teammates come into things with the mindset that if I can do something, they shouldn’t have a problem with it.” But Golding also acknowledges that they process hasn’t been an easy one and showers her support system with praise. Her family, relatives, siblings are helping her out during games, and her teammates helping make sure she has everything she needs.
2021-22 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
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roster 1
2
TIANNA BAILEY
G 5-8 1st Year Biology Toronto, Ont. Crestwood Prep C.I. • A tough defender who provides depth at the guard position • A strong, hard-working athlete who plays hard on the court • Played for Crestwood Lions prep team
ASHANTI CHRISTIAN
3
JADA CODRINGTON
G 5-6 1st Year
G 5-6 2nd Year
Kinesiology & Health Science Windsor, Ont. E.S. E.J. Lajeunesse
Criminology Guelph, Ont. Our Lady of Lourdes C.H.S.
• A dynamic, creative, shifty point guard who is a tough defender and has a quick first step • Won the 2019 A OFSAA gold medal with E.J. Lajeunesse
• A talented passer who can catch and shoot the three and has quick feet defensively • Earned district all-star honours and was high school’s female athlete of the year • Played for the SBA Lady Blues and won back-to-back JUEL championships Year GP PTS REB AST BLK STL 2019-20 20 50 32 25 1 12 Total 20 50 32 25 1 12
5
6
KIRSTEN MCGRATH
F 5-11 4th Year Children, Childhood & Youth Studies / Education Pickering, Ont. St. Mary C.S.S.
G 5-8 1st Year Human Resources Management Hamilton, Ont. Lincoln Prep School • A lefty shooter with great range • Won two provincial championships with Transway, along with two prep championships • Won two Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board titles with St. Thomas More
• An excellent rebounder and shot blocker who moves well off ball screens and provides tough defence • Helped high school team win LOSSA championship in 2014 • Won the OBA U19 Division I title with club team in 2014
Year 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 Total
8
AVERY BATHE-MINARD
10
BLK 9 18 16 43
STL 12 16 24 52
MADISON BARDOEL
Kinesiology & Health Science Sarnia, Ont. Northern C.I.V.S.
Mechanical Engineering Tecumseh, Ont. St. Anne C.H.S.
BLK 0 1 1
STL 2 4 6
• U SPORTS academic all-Canadian • A strong three-point shooter with great game sense • Played for the Tecumseh Saints and earned OBA league all-star honours in 2016 • Won back-to-back WECSAA basketball and volleyball championships in final two years • Two-time athlete of the year as both a junior and senior Year GP PTS REB AST 2017-18 8 3 0 1 2018-19 23 65 45 10 2019-20 22 30 24 19 Total 53 98 69 30
7
EMMA JONAS
G 5-6 5th Year Computer Science Surrey, B.C. Lord Tweedsmuir S.S. / UBC Okanagan • A combo guard who is strong on both sides of the ball and is a strong shooter • Averaged 5.2 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game in two seasons with the UBCO Heat • Played with the BC U16 team in 2014 and the U17 team in 2015 • Led high school team to fourth-place finish at the provincial championships Year GP PTS REB AST 2016-17 * 20 58 25 12 2017-18 * 20 146 31 38 2018-19 21 169 58 37 2019-20 21 80 45 45 Total 82 453 159 132 *With UBC Okanagan Heat
11
BLK 0 1 0 2 3
STL 7 27 22 15 71
EMMA MCCAMUS
G 5-7 5th Year
G 5-8 4th Year
Year GP PTS REB AST 2018-19 15 28 13 1 2019-20 18 42 10 10 Total 15 28 13 11
YORK LIONS
GP PTS REB AST 23 75 74 6 22 195 125 11 20 186 102 11 65 456 301 28
G 5-10 3rd Year
• A hard working, gritty player who has a nice outside shot • Led high school team to three straight city titles from 2015-17 and two SWOSSAA championships • Played for the London Ramblers and helped the team to a bronze medal in the JUEL championship tournament
8
CYANNA KING
BLK 0 3 2 5
STL 2 16 9 27
Schulich School of Business Cavan, Ont. Bill Crothers S.S. / Central Connecticut State University • A strong, dynamic guard who brings senior leadership from her time in the NCAA • Spent four seasons with the Blue Devils, appearing in a total of 90 games and starting 37 • Team captain of the Matrix AAU basketball team in 2017 • Was captain of the senior girls’ team at Bill Crothers in 2016-17 Year GP PTS REB AST BLK 2017-18 * 30 168 41 33 4 2018-19 * 27 210 71 30 4 2019-20 * 26 280 58 49 9 2020-21 * 7 88 24 8 6 Total 90 746 194 120 23 * With Central Connecticut State University
STL 19 19 37 8 83
ROSTER 12
14
ALYSHA PINCK
G 5-9 4th Year Biomedical Science Ottawa, Ont. Glebe C.I.
• A utility player who runs well in transition and is a very good defender • Helped high school team go undefeated in the 2016 season and win the city championship to qualify for the OFSAA tournament • Earned high school team MVP honours twice Year GP PTS REB AST 2017-18 21 11 38 10 2018-19 16 48 33 7 2019-20 13 44 42 13 Total 50 103 113 30
21
BLK 2 2 2 6
STL 18 11 20 49
F 6-0 4th Year Children, Childhood & Youth Studies Windsor, Ont. E.S. E.J. Lajeunesse
Year 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 Total
GP PTS REB AST 23 132 127 30 22 220 198 22 22 337 153 40 67 689 478 92
BLK 17 11 16 44
F 6-0 1st Year
Social Work Scarborough, Ont. Stephen Leacock C.I.
Psychology Ottawa, Ont. St. Peter C.H.S.
• A versatile player who is physically very strong and plays very hard • OFSAA bronze medal in first year at Canletes High School • Junior athlete of the year in both first- and secondyear, senior female athlete of the year in grade 11 • Two-time senior girls basketball MVP
ALEXIS GREWAL
F 5-11 1st Year Kinesiology & Health Science Burlington, Ont. Thornlea S.S.
• OUA second-team all-star in 2020 • One of only two players in the OUA to average a double-double and ranked 11th in scoring and second in rebounding • Named the U SPORTS female athlete of the month for January 2020 • A versatile scorer with a high basketball IQ • Four-time WECSSAA all-star, including on the first team in final season
15
JAZ BALAN
G 5-10 1st Year
22
LAUREN GOLDING
KIARA LEVERIDGE
• A versatile forward that can step out and shoot the three • Won the senior athlete of the year award in her final season while helping her team to the Halton regional championship
• A centre known for her hustle • Rebounds well and uses her length to defend • Played for the Wolverines Elite club team
23
KENNEDY MULLINGS
F 6-1 1st Year Psychology Barrie, Ont. Barrie North C.I.
• A centre who provides great length inside • Began her club career with the Barrie Royals, winning an OBA championship in 2018
STL 33 37 32 102
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U SPORTS AWARDS
U SPORTS AWARDS
OUA AWARDS
ROSTER
OUA AWARDS
U SPORTS Silver Medals (since 1971) 1996-97 U SPORTS BLG Award Nominee / OUA Female Athlete of the Year 1996-97 – Karen Jackson
OUA Championship Titles (since 1971) 2006-07, 1981-82
U SPORTS First-Team All-Canadians (since 1978) 1996-97 – Karen Jackson
OUA East Second-Team All-Stars (since 1979) 2019-20 – Lauren Golding 2010-11 – Brittany Szockyj 2007-08 – Brenan Rurak 2006-07 – Brenan Rurak 2005-06 – Kim Gibbs, Sarah Brodie 2004-05 – Kim Gibbs 1988-89 – Michelle Sund 1987-88 – Heather Reid 1986-87 – Heather Reid 1985-86 – Anne Marie Thuss, Jean Graham, Paula Lockyer 1984-85 – Anne Marie Thuss, Paula Lockyer 1983-84 – Kim Holden, Nancy Harrison, Paula Lockyer 1982-83 – Nancy Harrison, Paula Lockyer 1981-82 – Kim Holden, Leslie Dalcin 1980-81 – Kim Holden
York Athlete of the Year (since 1970) 2006-07 – Kim Gibbs 1996-97 – Karen Jackson 1985-86 – Paula Lockyer 1980-81 – Barb Whibbs 1970-71 – Eva Hill
Hall of Fame Inductees (since 1980) 2009 – Karen Northey (Jackson) 2008 – Kim Holden 2007 – Paula Lockyer 2002 – Barb Nosella (Whibbs) 1981 – Eva Langley (Hill)
York Rookie of the Year (since 2000) 2005-06 – Tara Minicuci 2004-05 – Laura MacCallum
Team MVPs 2019-20 - Lauren Golding 2018-19 – Katrina Collins-Samuels 2017-18 – Lindsay Shotbolt 2016-17 – Ishanaa Seupersadsingh 2015-16 – Ishanaa Seupersadsingh 2014-15 – Courtney Osborne
2013-14 – Kayla Pangos 2012-13 – Cyrielle Recoura 2011-12 – Brittany Szockyj 2010-11 – Brittany Szockyj 2009-10 – Brittany Szockyj 2008-09 – Laura MacCallum 2007-08 – Laura MacCallum 2006-07 – Kim Gibbs 2005-06 – Laura MacCallum 2004-05 – Christa Lodge 2003-04 – Nastassia Subban 2002-03 – Nastassia Subban 2001-02 – Susy Dabovic 2000-01 – Kelly Vernellie
OUA East Player of the Year (since 1984) 1996-97 – Karen Jackson (east division)
OUA East Rookie of the Year (since 1988) 2004-05 – Laura MacCullum 1999-00 – Kelly Vernelli 1993-94 – Karen Jackson 1992-93 – Leigh Anne Isaac 1988-89 – Cathy Amara OUA East Joy Bellinger Award (since 1998) 2013-14 – Kayla Pangos OUA Tracy MacLeod Award (since 2011) 2017-18 – Lindsay Shotbolt OUA Coach of the Year (since 1980) 2006-07 – Bill Pangos 2005-06 – Bill Pangos 2004-05 – Bill Pangos 1995-96 – Bill Pangos 1994-95 – Bill Pangos
YORK AWARDS
U SPORTS Second-Team All-Canadians (since 1978) 2017-18 – Lindsay Shotbolt 1980-81 – Barbara Whibbs
OUA First-Team All-Stars (since 1979, East Division from 1981-2014) 2017-18 – Lindsay Shotbolt 2012-13 – Cyrielle Recoura 2008-09 – Laura MacCullum 2007-08 – Emily Van Hoof, Laura MacCullum 2006-07 – Kim Gibbs, Laura MacCallum 2005-06 – Brenan Rurak 2003-04 – Nastassia Subban 2002-03 – Nastassia Subban 2001-02 – Susy Dabovic 2000-01 – Kelly Vernelli 1999-00 – Leslie Richards 1998-99 – Leslie Richards 1997-98 – Karen Jackson 1996-97 – Karen Jackson, Maya Habash 1995-96 – Karen Jackson, Shannon Carey 1994-95 – Karen Jackson 1993-94 – Karen Jackson 1992-93 – Jennifer Cushing, Leigh Anne Isaac 1991-92 – Cathy Amara, Jennifer Cushing 1990-91 – Joann Jakovcevic 1988-89 – Cathy Amara 1987-88 – Michelle Sund 1982-83 – Kim Holden 1981-82 – Barb Whibbs 1980-81 – Barb Whibbs 1979-80 – Barb Whibbs, Kim Holden
OUA East Defensive Player of the Year (since 2000) 2006-07 – Kim Gibbs
OUA East All-Rookie Team (since 2003) 2016-17 – Megan MacLeod 2015-16 – Katrina Collins-Samuels, Sandra Nagowska 2012-13 – Cyrielle Recoura 2011-12 – Samantha Ernest 2009-10 – Nadia Qahwash 2008-09 – Emily Perras 2007-08 – Brittany Szockyj, Nikki Cecchini 2005-06 – Tara Minicuci 2004-05 – Laura MacCallum 2003-04 – Kim Gibbs
YORK AWARDS
Charles Saundercook Memorial Trophy 2019-20 - Katrina Collins-Samuels
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U SPORTS Rookie of the Year (since 1989) 2004-05 – Laura MacCallum
YORK LIONS
women’s basketball