WEEKEND RECAP | FEB 20-21
Women’s basketball extends winning streak to eight games; men finish season with perfect record
Women
After two crucial wins against Briercrest College, the Trojans women’s basketball team looked to end its season strong.
The Trojans took on the Olds College Broncos on Friday, Feb. 20, in Olds, Alta., and Saturday, Feb. 21, at the SAIT Bubble in Calgary.
On Friday, the Trojans jumped out to a narrow 38-34 lead at halftime.
Strong third- and fourth-quarter play saw the Trojans secure a 72-58 win.
Kitawna Sparks led the Trojans offence with a 16-point, 13-rebound double-double.
Each of the Trojans’ five starters scored more than 10 points in the win, highlighting the team’s offensive depth.
The following day, the two teams met on the SAIT campus.
The Trojans’ defence was solid in the first half, allowing just 19 points to take a 48-19 lead.
The home side continued its dominant play in the third and fourth quarters, allowing the Broncos to score just three points in the fourth.
Saturday’s 91-36 victory extended the Trojans’ winning streak to eight games.
Sparks again led the game in scoring, recording her second double-double in as many games with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
With the two wins over the Broncos, the Trojans secured first place in the ACAC women’s basketball South Division with a 14-7 record.
Next for the Trojans are the ACAC women’s basketball championships, hosted by Briercrest College in Caronport, Sask., from Thursday, March 5, to Saturday, March 7.
Men
This Trojans men’s basketball team will, without a doubt, go down as one of the best in program history.
This past weekend, the Trojans had a chance to make history.
Undefeated at 19-0 in league play entering the weekend, the Trojans faced the Olds College Broncos in their final two regular-season games.
On Friday, Feb. 20, the Trojans defeated the Broncos 99-68 in Olds after jumping out to a 53-22 halftime lead.
On Saturday, the Trojans completed the perfect season.
The Trojans’ defence held the Broncos to five first-quarter points to take a 26-5 lead. By halftime, they led 50-26.
The Trojans went on to win 97-52, finishing the regular season 21-0.
Marcus Master led the Trojans with 27 points.
Marc Gabriel added a 23-point, 18-rebound double-double Saturday.
With the sweep, the Trojans remain in first place in the ACAC men’s basketball South Division with a 21-0 record.
Next for the Trojans are the ACAC men’s basketball championships, hosted by Lakeland College in Lloydminster, Sask., from Thursday, March 5, to Saturday, March 7.
Women’s hockey finishes season against Rustlers; men split with Kings
Women
To wrap up their regular season, the Trojans women’s hockey team faced the league-leading Lakeland College Rustlers.
Game 1 took place Friday, Feb. 20, in Lloydminster, Sask.
Paris Appel scored the lone first-period goal to give the Rustlers a 1-0 lead.
In the second period, third-year forward Keyra Buziak scored three goals in just over four minutes to record a natural hat trick, putting the Rustlers up 4-0.
The Rustlers added another late in the period to take a 5-0 lead into the third.
Kylie Perry scored a short-handed goal midway through the third to secure a 6-0 win for the Rustlers.
The teams met again the following day in Lloydminster.
With just over one minute left in the first period, Asha Petrie gave the Rustlers a 1-0 lead.
Kyla Benjamin extended the lead to 2-0 with 39 seconds remaining in the period.
The Rustlers scored three more in the second period, including two from Raya Hastings and one from Buziak.
Benjamin added her second goal early in the third to make it 6-0.
Less than one minute later, Kaylee Williams scored the Trojans’ only goal.
Benjamin completed her hat trick seven minutes into the third period, making it 7-1.
The Rustlers added three more goals, including two short-handed goals from Ashlyn Hinton and Buziak, to secure a 10-1 win.
With the two losses, the Trojans remain fifth in the ACAC women’s hockey standings at 6-19.
losses, the Trojans remain fifth in the ACAC women’s hockey standings at 6-19.
Men
The Trojans men’s hockey team faced the league-leading Red Deer Polytechnic Kings.
Game 1 took place Friday, Feb. 20, at WinSport Arena in Calgary.
The teams were tied 1-1 after the first period.
After a scoreless second, Tanner Gold and Austin Reschny assisted Owen Underhill to give the Trojans a 2-1 lead early in the third.
The Kings responded with three straight goals, including two power-play goals from Tenner Sklaruk and Nolan Doell and an even-strength marker from Nic Andrusiak, to win 4-2.
The teams met again the following day in Red Deer, Alta.
Jarod Newell opened the scoring for the Kings five minutes into the game.
Exactly 30 seconds later, Ryan Neumann assisted Dylan Clark to tie the game.
Gold scored on the power play late in the period to give the Trojans a 2-1 lead heading into the second.
Jace Moffat made it 3-1 midway through the second.
Doell cut the lead to 3-2 two minutes later.
In the third, Brody Simpson assisted Neumann on the power play to give the Trojans a 4-2 lead.
Colby Bear added another seven minutes into the period to secure a 5-2 win.
With the split, the Trojans sit second in the ACAC men’s hockey standings at 16-8.
Next for the Trojans are the ACAC men’s hockey championships, running from Friday, Feb. 27, to Sunday, March 22.
Women’s volleyball splits with Broncos; men drop two straight
Women
Having already clinched a playoff spot, the Trojans women’s volleyball team wrapped up its regular season against the Olds College Broncos.
The teams met Friday, Feb. 20, at Rally Pointe in Calgary and Saturday, Feb. 21, in Olds.
The Broncos won Friday’s match 3-2 (25-23, 19-25, 21-25, 29-27, 17-15).
Arewyn Rae led the Trojans with 13 kills.
On Saturday, the Trojans won 3-2 (16-25, 28-26, 27-25, 16-25, 15-10).
With the split, the Trojans sit third in the ACAC women’s volleyball South Division at 10-9.
Next are the ACAC women’s volleyball championships, hosted by the University of Alberta-Augustana Vikings in Camrose, Alta., from Friday, Feb. 27, to Sunday, March 1.
The Trojans open against the NAIT Ooks at 1 p.m. Friday.
Men
The Trojans men’s volleyball team dropped both matches to the Broncos.
On Friday at Rally Pointe, the Broncos won 3-1 (25-22, 19-25, 25-23, 25-18).
James Keenan led the Trojans with eight kills.
On Saturday in Olds, the Broncos won in straight sets (25-21, 25-22, 25-20).
Logan Williams recorded seven kills in the loss as the Trojans finished last in the ACAC men’s volleyball South Division at 3-16.
Trojans dominate ACAC badminton championships
After an exceptional showing at multiple ACAC badminton tournaments, the Trojans badminton team put on a strong performance at the ACAC badminton championships.
Hosted by The King’s University in Edmonton, the championships took place from Saturday, Feb. 21, to Sunday, Feb. 22.
Emma Grabowski and Paul Ouano were named ACAC female and male athletes of the week following strong performances.
Women’s singles
The Trojans had three competitors in women’s singles.
Grabowski and Sienna Pricca each earned a bye in the first round after being ranked first and second.
Kristianna Ladine Navarro also competed for the Trojans, facing Nicole Dizon of the host King’s University Eagles in the first round.
Ladine Navarro won 21-18 and 21-16 to advance to the quarterfinals.
At the top of the bracket, Grabowski defeated Caitlin Sullivan of the Eagles 21-12 and 21-16 to move on to the semifinals.
In an all-Trojans quarterfinal, Ladine Navarro faced second-ranked Pricca. Pricca won 21-15 and 21-18 to advance to the semifinal against Samantha Tran of the NAIT Ooks.
Grabowski defeated Emma Tran of the Concordia University Thunder in the semifinal to reach the final.
Pricca was defeated by Samantha Tran, setting up an Ooks-Trojans championship final.
Grabowski won the title in straight games, 21-18 and 21-12.
Men’s singles
The Trojans had three competitors in men’s singles.
Mono Suttinon and George Cho each earned a first-round bye.
Ouano defeated James Pulido of the Eagles 21-7 and 21-11 to advance to the quarterfinals.
Suttinon beat Byron Tung of the Ooks 21-15 and 21-7 in the quarterfinals to move on to the semifinals.
Cho faced Vincent Nguyen of the Eagles in the quarterfinals in a three-game match. Nguyen won the first game 21-16, Cho responded 21-18 and Nguyen took the deciding game 21-19.
Ouano also went three games in his quarterfinal. After dropping the first 21-16 to Om Patel, he rebounded to win 21-19 and 21-15 to advance to the semifinal.
Suttinon defeated Mattias Andersson of the Thunder 21-14 and 21-15 to reach the final.
Ouano edged Nguyen 21-17 and 21-19 in the semifinal to set up an all-Trojans final.
Suttinon defeated Ouano in the final to claim the championship.
Women’s doubles
The Trojans had two teams competing in women’s doubles, including the top-ranked pair in the tournament.
Top-ranked Nana Amnutkkittikul and Archelle Ouano defeated Mystery Shaw and Abigail Wegner of the Eagles 21-5 and 21-7 to advance to the semifinals.
Grabowski and Pricca faced third-ranked Thunder duo Cheyenne Smykalski and Emma Tran. The Trojans pair won in three games to advance to the semifinal.
Amnutkkittikul and Ouano defeated fourth-ranked Rachel Chan and Samantha Tran in three games to move on to the final.
Grabowski and Pricca were defeated by second-ranked Ooks pair Ella Dolan and Jenna Wong 21-7 and 21-13.
In the final, Amnutkkittikul and Ouano won 21-19 and 21-12 to capture the women’s doubles championship.
Men’s doubles
Cho and Harshi Saini, along with Ouano and Suttinon, represented the Trojans in men’s doubles.
Cho and Saini were eliminated in the opening round, losing 21-19 and 21-13 to Vivek Jodi and Nguyen of the host Eagles.
Ouano and Suttinon, seeded third, defeated Milkias Birhane and Dan Vo of the Thunder 21-17 and 21-12 to advance to the semifinals.
They were eliminated in the semifinal by second-ranked Ethan Lee and Matthew Wong of the Ooks.
Mixed doubles
The Trojans had two teams competing in mixed doubles.
Ice Aishte-Pitpit and Prince were eliminated in the first round by Birhane and Ella Gifford of the Thunder 21-10 and 21-14.
Cho and Grabowski defeated Nguyen and Sullivan 21-18 and 22-20 to advance to the quarterfinals.
They fell to second-ranked Ooks pair David Wong and Mataia Wong 21-11 and 21-12.
