One day after the BCS ceremony and game, we again jumped on the bus to head to Seminaire de Sherbrooke on Wednesday for our penultimate league game.* The league regular season title is still up for grabs at this point. These last two games, both against SdS, would decide. So the team fate was in our own hands and would depend upon whether we could to dig deep a few more times despite the situation.
This was a day of sadness, resilience and support. It was the first senior girls basketball game played since the passing of their head coach, Mr. Adam Kulakowsky, last week. The whole school has been reeling from his untimely death, but the pain is particularly being felt by this group of 12 athletes who shared the courts, the hotels and the bus rides with Mr. K on an almost daily basis since early November.
In the interest of full disclosure, I’m not even really sure what “irony” is. At some point my English teacher colleague told me there are three different types of irony – dramatic irony being one of them. I can’t remember the others. Actually, does anyone really get irony? I’m not so sure. It’s like “the economy.” It’s out there, but no one really knows what it is.
Coming off our biggest league win vs BCS two days earlier, we were feeling confident, with a four game RSEQ win streak, a 5-2 record in our division, and a rematch against a team that we had beaten handily (59-30) before Christmas. With a win today, we would cement a spot in the playoffs. We were rolling, and we were motivated.
Zoé had an excellent month of January, with strong play and timely goal scoring pacing the Spartans to strong weekends in Ottawa, at home and in Minnesota. The Sherbrooke, Quebec, product's speed and hockey IQ caused several problems for the opposition, which she and her linemates, Isabelle Michaud and Charlie Pampalon, were able to capitalize. Along with Maélie Pion and Pénélope Lavoie, the five have formed a dangerous powerplay unit where Zoé's ability to make intelligent plays at the goal line has significantly increased the number of scoring chances and goals for the team while on the man advantage.
If you've been to any of the Stanstead College seniors boys or girls basketball games recently you've probably seen a stranger in the stands and asked yourself the question: "That guy must be Victor's dad." Which I'd like to point out is not actually a question. But true story, someone started talking to me about how well Victor was playing. I assumed he was Victor's father. It wasn't until he said, "You must be really proud of him!" that I realized what was happening.
Stanstead College entered the BCS Tournament with high hopes but faced stiff competition and a series of challenges over the course of the three games. Despite showing flashes of strong defensive play and offensive potential, their inability to maintain composure, coupled with turnovers and missed opportunities ultimately led to a difficult tournament showing. Here’s a breakdown of each game and what the team can take away from the experience.
Your Stanstead College Senior Boys Spartans participated in the historic Anderson Small Schools Provincial Tournament this past weekend, hosted this year by BCS in Lennoxville, QC. Here is how it went down.
A snowy night in Drummondville. L’Ecole Secondaire La Poudriere. The scoreboard reads 17-16 at halftime. We’re down. It’s been a scratchy game. I can’t complain about the effort, the boys are bringing the energy, but we’re a step late to loose balls, we’re fouling too much, we’re visibly upset at the tight whistle, and we’re letting our opponents get into the paint where they consistently wreak havoc. We’re not good with havoc, especially on the defensive end. Havoc creates gaps. It sends opposing players to the line. Havoc gets us in foul trouble.
SC kicked off the new year with their first game against Claretain following a well-earned break from academics. After two solid practices to shake off the rust, the team took the court eager to get back into the flow of basketball. However, the opening minutes revealed some lingering effects of the layoff. Defensive hesitancy, a lack of urgency in transition and shaky team chemistry made for a slow start, as SC conceded 12 points in the first six minutes.
The Grand Falls, New Brunswick product continues to pace the Spartan attack. Zackarie skates with pace offensively, and he along with linemates Kamyl Chemrouk and Ryan Dwyer are one of the top offensive combinations in prep hockey. His high motor and lethal shot continue to provide headaches for opposing defenders and goaltenders and has led to another successful month. The Spartans will count on Zackarie's consistent offensive play as they enter a busy month of January filled with strong New England and TNPHL league opponents.