WOLFPACK DROP CONSOLATION SEMI FINAL TO MINOT STATE December 29, 2009
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Drew Bleth was the leading scorer once again for TRU (A. Snucins photo)
The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack will play for seventh and eighth place at the 43 rd annual Wesmen Classic Men’s Basketball Tournament. The WolfPack lost their consolation semi final game Tuesday (Dec 29), to the Minot State Beavers of North Dakota. The score was 99-72.
“I’m pretty disappointed that we didn’t come to play today,” stated TRU head coach Thom Gillespie. “ A couple of guys played well and sharp, but generally, we weren’t prepared.”
The WolfPack were outscored in every quarter by a Minot State team which Gillespie described as “small, athletic and pressed his squad from the opening whistle.”
“Its another learning experience for us,” he stated. “The tournament environment is different than regular season play. You really don’t know much about an opponent going in and you have to adapt as the game goes on. It takes a lot of thought and mental work. Right now, our guys are still young and learning that.”
Drew Bleth (5 th year, guard, Ridgeview, Wash) was again the top scorer for TRU. He had 18 points and three assists. Greg Stewart (4th year, forward, Kamloops, BC) contributed 16 points and a game high 18 rebounds. Ten of them were on defence. Charles Barton (2nd year, forward, Vernon, BC) had 11 points for the ‘Pack.
Junior guard Nick Turner led Minot State with a game high 34 points including five three pointers. Nathaniel Packineau added 19 points for the Beavers. He had five three pointers.
Minot State led 51-37 at the break. They outrebounded TRU 50-43. The ‘Pack turned over the ball 25 times in the ball game.
TRU now awaits the loser of the other consolation semi final which has Manitoba Bisons taking on the host Wesmen. “ We’ll get a chance to get some experience against the two teams we play next weekend (Jan 8-9) in Canada West play.” Gillespie explained. “ I hope we’ll play better tomorrow (Wed).
Wednesday’s matchup will be for 7 th and 8 tyh place and will go at Noon CDT.
WOLFPACK MBB DROP CLOSE ONE AT WESMEN CLASSIC December 29, 2009
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Greg Stewart (A. Snucins photo)
“For our first game in over a month, we did a reasonable job of taking care of the basketball and won the battle of the boards,” The words of Thompson Rivers University WolfPack men’s basketball coach Thom Gillespie after his team lost a close 99-90 decision to the Laval Rouge et Or. It was their first game at the 43 rd annual Wesmen Classic in Winnipeg.
TRU wound up out rebounding the squad from Laval 39-32 in the ball game.
“It was a relatively solid effort, especially in the second half. We gave our chance to compete in the last few minutes and cut the deficit down to six,” stated Gillespie. “Unfortunately, Laval’s hot shooting continued when they needed it. They made a couple of big baskets. And wound up connecting for 21 three pointers in the ball game.”
The Rouge et Or squad shot a blistering 55 per cent from the three point line.
“Part of the challenge of the rest of the weekend is for us to defend the three.” Gillespie added.” We had a difficult time getting out to stop them scoring those baskets. I have to give them credit”. The Rouge et Or had eight players score from beyond the arc.
The WolfPack were down 56-41 at the half.
TRU did out score Laval 24-18 in the final quarter but couldn’t come away with the victory. They were led by 5 th year guard Drew Bleth (Ridgeview, Wash). He had 25 points and eight assists. “ We got a real nice game from Drew” assessed Gillespie.” And Greg (Stewert, 4th year, forward) had a pretty solid effort as well.”
Stewart had 17 points, 16 rebounds (12 on defence) and five blocks. Sean Garvey (5 th year, guard, Kamloops, BC) added 13 points and three assists.
Laval was led by Jerome Turcotte-Routhier with 17 points including five three pointers, ten boards and seven assists. Jean-Francois Beaulieu Meheux had 16 points.
The WolfPack will play in the consolation side semi final Tuesday Dec 29 th at Noon CDT against the loser of a game between Lakehead (Thunder Bay, Ont) and Minot State College (North Dakota). Those two teams play in a late game on Monday. TRU is playing the tournament without the services of one of their key players: forward Jeff Friesen. The 5 th year from Duncan, BC didn’t make the trip.
The WolfPack return to Canada West play January 8 th at the Tournament Capital Center against the University of Manitoba Bisons.
BC TEAMS LOOKING FORWARD TO MCDONALDS INTERNATIONAL MVB TOURNEY December 27, 2009
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Trinity Western will be one of the teams at the 2010 McDonalds International (A. Snucins photo)
This weekend’s McDonald’s International Men’s Volleyball Tournament will feature three clubs from British Columbia. The host Thompson Rivers University WolfPack will be joined by the Trinity Western Spartans (Canada West) and the UBC Okanagan Heat (BC College Athletic Association).
The coaches of both the Spartans and the Heat are looking forward to pitting their squads against some of the top teams in the nation and the Pepperdine Wave of the NCAA.
Ben Josephson is into his 4th year as the head coach at Trinity Western. “We are looking good at times and young at others,” he says about his team. “Without a fifth year player on the team and three starters that are on the court in their first year, we have been a little too inconsistent for my liking. We are doing a lot of good things offensively but we are struggling to score when have serve.”
Greg Poitras is into his 5th year coaching the UBCO Heat, who are unbeaten in league play (8 and 0). “I have been to this tournament in the past as a spectator and have seen first hand what a great job Thompson Rivers does with the event,” he says. “ A great deal of detail goes into planning an event like this. As for the UBCO Heat we are extremely fortunate to be invited to the tournament. These matches give us much
needed competition before the remaining half of the season gets underway. Playing CIS teams allows our athletes to experience the next level. We try to schedule CIS exhibition every season in order prepare to play at a high level in our own league. Ultimately, this will give us an opportunity have a taste of the competition that we hope to be competing against in 2011-2012 in the CIS.’
The Heat will open the tournament up Friday Jan 2nd (1 pm) against Pepperdine. “Having drawn Pepperdine in the first match of the tournament is very exciting for our team,” says Poitras. “Any chance you get to compete against an NCAA power house is an invaluable opportunity. I had a chance to compete against the Wave on the women¹s side while coaching at Gonzaga University. I have a lot of respect for the Wave program and I would expect that we¹ll be in rough waters in our first match of the tournament and our first competition after a really long seven week break.”
Trinity Western will do battle with McMaster in their opening match at 3 pm on Friday (Jan 2). “This is a great tournament to prep our team for the second semester push as we head towards the playoffs,” Josephson states.” With Mac,Dal, Calgary and TRU, we will have a chance to see four teams that are most likely going to be at the national tournament. We can measure ourselves against them to determine on where we are at as we head towards earning a potential berth to the tournament in March.”
Both coaches believe a strong performance at the McDonalds International will set them up for a strong second half. The rest of the opening draw of the Tourney has TRU taking on Toronto at 6 pm while Calgary does battle with Dalhousie at 730pm. Like the CIS Nationals, which will be held at the Tournament Capital Center in March, this tournament is a single knockout affair. The Gold medal match is set for January 4 th at 6 pm.
Tickets for the McDonalds Tournament and the CIS Nationals are available in advance by contacting the TRU WolfPack Athletic office on the 2nd floor of the TCC. You can also call (250) 377-6117 or email lread@tru.ca . Tickets for the McDonald’s tourney are $8.00 for adults, 4 dollars for students and seniors.
SERVICE ACES: The Spartans are led by middles Rudy Vehoeff(3rd year, Calgary, Alta) and Josh Doornenbal(4th year, Edmonton, Alta) . Both were members of Canada’s Junior National Team this summer which finished 12 th at the World Championships. TRU WolfPack middle Joel Caschetto (4th year, White Rock, BC) is one of two former UBCO Heat players currently performing in the Canada West. The other is Rudy McFarland of UBC Thunderbirds (3rd year, outside hitter, South Surrey, BC). Poitras’ Heat team is led by Nate Speijer (2nd year, outside hitter, Penticton, BC) who leads the BCCAA in kills and is in the top 10 in aces. He is a former rookie of the year and BCCAA All-star. Another player to watch on UBCO is setter Preston Tucker (3rd year, Vernon, BC) . He is arguably one of the best in Canadian College.
MBB TO WINNIPEG FOR HOLIDAY TIME TOURNAMENT December 27, 2009
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A. Snucins photo
The Holiday season won’t be as long for the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack men’s basketball team. The WolfPack have returned to the court to prepare to take part in the University of Winnipeg Wesmen Classic. The eight team tournament begins tomorrow (Dec 28) in Winnipeg.
The WolfPack will do battle with the University of Laval Rouge et Or in their opening game Monday (Dec 28) at 2 pm CDT. This will be the second time the teams have met this season. The Rouge et Or made a trip to British Columbia in October. Laval won 92-80 over TRU at the Tournament Capital Center on October 18 th. For TRU, Sean Garvey (5th year, guard, Kamloops, BC) had 20 points. Drew Bleth (5 th year, guard, Ridgefield, Wash) added 14 points followed by Jeff Friesen (5th year, forward, Duncan, BC) with 13. Greg Stewart (4th year, forward, Kamloops, BC) had 10 rebounds.
Laval is unbeaten in league play (4-0) while TRU is looking for their first victory (0-8). TRU head coach Thom Gillespie is the first to admit that the record is very misleading.
“ The fact that we are winless is extremely disappointing primarily because we have put ourselves in a position to legitimately win five games in the eight losses. When you are the underdog nearly every night and you manage to be in a one possession game with less than two minutes to play, you must finish an opponent off. It’s part of the process in learning to win. Had we been successful in our first game versus UFV, we may have overcome that obstacle early but as it stands right now, we need to get our first win to gain the confidence to beat the tough teams in the Canada West.”
Gillespie is hopeful that this tournament will be the start of good things for his club for the second half of the season. He does believe that they have improved since they started workouts in September. “We have evolved in many ways but our biggest challenges will be to rebound better defensively, take care of the basketball and play with confidence down the streak in close games. This is a group that could put together a nice second half. The players believe that we have yet to play our best basketball and are determined to prove that we are capable of winning games, not just competing. Sean Garvey has made a significant impact increasing the competitive nature of our practices. This competitive culture will pay dividends for us in the second half of the season and in the future. “
One positive from the first half has been the play of Greg Stewart, who leads the entire CIS in blocked shots. Says Gillespie: “Often his team mates are overlooked in their ability to make defensive plays but certainly Jeff Friesen and Travis Beck (1st year, forward, Vernon, BC) have the athleticism to protect our interior. Our half court defense can be difficult for opponents, however we need to be more aware that rebounding finishes the sequence, not a missed field goal.”
The WolfPack are in the same bracket of the tournament draw as Lakehead University (Thunder Bay, Ont) and Minot State (North Dakota). Other schools competing in the tourney are Manitoba, Bishops (Quebec), Valley City State College (North Dakota)and the host Wesmen.
TRU returns to play in the Canada West on January 8 th when they entertain Manitoba at the Tournament Capital Center. Tip off for that game is 8 pm PDT.
MIKE BOISVERT: WOLFPACK HOCKEY PLAYER/JUNIOR HOCKEY OFFICIAL. December 24, 2009
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Mike Boisvert (A. Snucins photo)
Mike Boisvert is seeing a lot of ice these days. Not only is the 23 year old taking a regular turn on the blue line with the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack men’s hockey team, but he is also a Level 4 official, who his working in the Western Hockey League, the BC Hockey League and the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League this season.
“I’ve been officiating for ten years,” says the native of Trail, BC “ But this is my second year doing the WHL. My home rink was Cranbrook.”
Boisvert transferred from Selkirk College to take Business at Thompson Rivers University this year. He is juggling not only courses, but three practices a week with the WolfPack hockey team. Add to that, games with TRU in the BC InterCollegiate Hockey League. That’s not to mention his officiating. “ I average 2 to 3 WHL games a month, “ he says. “I do a lot of BCHL games, which I line as well. As far as the KIJHL goes, I ref about 1-2 games per month.”
He feels that playing the game at the same time as being an official has helped in both realms. “When I was younger (He started officiating at age 13), it was tougher to separate the two . It’s given me a new point of view to look at hockey from. When I’m playing, I try not to critique based on what I would call, as I know how hard it is, and understand from my experience that from different angles and view points, a situation can look completely different. Plus, everyone is out there doing the best they can.”
Boisvert ‘s ability to play and officiate at high levels has caught the eye of Western Hockey League Supervisor of Officials Gerard Hayes of Kamloops. “ Mike shows a lot of interest and enthusiasm. He is a quick learner and is eager to be a better official,” he says. “ His communication with the players would come more naturally because he better understands the emotion that comes from playing the game.”
Although he doesn’t wear a letter on his sweater when playing with the WolfPack, he has helped out in certain situations. “There have been a few times where I’ve been able to help our captains out in dealing with officials,” he adds, noting that because he is an official, he has taken some minor razzing from his teammates.
Officiating and playing at the same time of his life has provided other interesting situations. For instance, he’ll step on the ice with the WolfPack to find that some of the game officials are people he has worked alongside with. “It’s happened a few times this year,” he laughs. “One of my good friends Dexter has officiated a couple of our games and I’ve given him a hard time about things. Since I know most of them, I try not to critique them too much. But, I like to catch them on certain aspects and give them a hard time about it.”
What does the future hold? Now that he is officiating in Junior hockey, does he want to make his way to the NHL someday? “I haven’t really set the NHL as a goal,” Boisvert explains. “ I am trying to focus on my schooling right now. But, if at some point down the road, I had the chance to make the jump to the NHL, I would definitely take it.”
Hayes agrees “ Many of our linesmen move up to become referees. Being an official in the WHL already places him in the best Junior leagues in the country.”
Whether that happens or not, Mike Boisvert knows he is in a special situation. He does have advice for younger players who want to try officiating. “I would encourage anyone who loves the game to give officiating a shot at some point. You may find you like it. And, worst case scenario, if you don’t like it, you learn more about the game and put some extra cash in your pocket.”
ICING: Boisvert played his junior hockey with the KIJHL Beaver Valley Nighthawks. The WolfPack return to action in the BC InterCollegiate Hockey League on January 8 th in Victoria. Their next home game is Saturday, January 23 rd at 8:45 pm at Memorial Arena. Their opponent are the Victoria Vikes.