Brotherhood unites them

Assistant Coach Steve Hopkins works Xs and Os with his Sting men's basketball crew in a recent game at Newnham Gymnasium.

Seneca Sting Varsity Men’s Basketball team forms bond despite up and down season

The second of a two-part series.

By: Aneela Khan, Seneca Student Sports Reporter

Seneca varsity athletes are a different species of college student. They often experience more and unique pressures than the average Seneca student. They also deal with heavier workloads and have to find a balance for their school, part-time work, athletic commitments and personal life. 

In the previous article, Seneca’s women’s basketball team was asked about their lives as student-athletes. In this article, the men’s basketball team is the focus.

The Seneca’s Sting varsity men’s basketball team hosted the Algonquin Thunder on a Friday night in early January and lost by a score of 69-55. The next night, they hosted the La Cité Coyotes and lost in the final seconds by a heartbreaking score of 69-68. 

When most Seneca students were hanging out with friends and family or partying their Friday nights away, the Sting were hard at work on the hardwood. 

Forward Curtis Baanee, who is currently studying Recreation and Leisure, points out that being a student-athlete isn’t hard for him.

“As a student athlete, it’s not as difficult as people think it is. You just have to show commitment and determination to balance both on court and off court activities.”  Easier said than done for most Seneca students.

He also mentions that time management is key for Seneca student-athletes. Meanwhile, small forward Steve Bifsha, who is studying Accounting/Finance, points out that dedication is key for he and his team-mates. 

Bifsha is a little more modest about the balancing act.

“It’s definitely tough. It takes a lot of time management. You have to be committed to the sport and school work so it takes a lot of time out of your schedule just to keep up with all the work.”

Bifsha’s biggest struggle as a student-athlete is making it all work.

“With my personal life, school work, job, basketball all at the same time; it’s definitely tough but I have people [family, friends, coaches, team-mates, team coordinators) who make it easy for me so that helps.”

Two-guard Adam Balazs mentions that he had to give up a lot when he became a Sting varsity athlete.

“Well, first of all, I’m from Niagara Falls, so I had to move here [to Toronto]. I had [and have] to sacrifice to be an athlete and to be a student as well.”

He also talks about his biggest struggle in his dual roles.

“Travelling to King Campus every day and visiting my family back home in Niagara Falls.  That’s a long road trip!” 

Guard/Forward KG Beckley, who just recently became part of the Seneca Sting men’s basketball team, describes his experience so far as a Seneca student athlete as a learning experience.

“I just got to the school so I’m still seeing how stuff works.  I think so far so good. I’m starting to feel like the other guys on the team when it comes to managing personal life but at least I have them [as a resource] as I get closer to these guys. School wise, I’m still doing fine for first semester, but I see the struggle ahead.”

The players also discussed what they loved the most about being a student-athlete. For Baanee, it was his love of the game.

“I love playing basketball. Plain and simple. This is my game.”

For Bifsha, it was all about the team.

“I love the men’s basketball team. We are all a family and we are all brothers.  That’s something other Seneca student don’t get to experience, really. Unless they come to our games,” Bifsha croaks.

For Balazs, it was about opportunity.

“What I love is coach [Wayne] Dawkins gave me an opportunity to be a part of this family and to be a part of this team.”

Finally, for Beckley, it was about the team and the brotherhood the binds them.

“I love the basketball team because they’re a good group of guys who want to win, and who look to win but even when the results aren’t there – they support each other. Lookout for one another.”

The players could all agree about the one thing they disliked when it came to being a student-athlete. All of them agreed that it was losing.

Beckley sums up what the team felt like after they lost to the La Cite Coyotes on Saturday.

“I don’t like the feeling of losing, even if you just lose by like one point, you don’t feel like you gained anything because at the end of the day a loss is a loss. But through wins and losses, we’re still a team.”

The Sting men’s basketball squad’s next game is on Saturday Jan. 28 against the Cambrian Golden Shield at Newnham Gymnasium (Building G, Sports Centre, Lower Level). Tipoff is set for 4:30 pm.

Hard work makes all the difference

Sting varsity women’s basketball talk the unique lives of student-athletes

The first of two stories in a short series.

Coach Craig Walker talks game plan with his 9-1 Seneca Sting  Women's Basketball squad.

By: Aneela Khan, Seneca Student Sports Reporter

They practice and play games multiple times per week; and sometimes, their intensity off the court matches their intensity in-games.  Intensity is, partly, what has made the Seneca Sting varsity women’s basketball team the squad that they are today – 9-1 on the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) regular season, as they head into the championship tournament that they are hosting, March 1-3, 2012 at Seneca’s Newnham Gymnasium.  

Varsity athletes are much like you or I except that they are wholly and completely different.

We do school work, they do school work, then they get on team bus for a road trip to Barrie to play weeknight game against Georgian Grizzlies.  We have part-time jobs, they have part-time jobs, then they have to sprint across the GTA to practice under the watchful eye of head coach Craig Walker. We try to find time for a personal life, well, they try, but it ain’t easy for them.

Life can get very demanding for varsity student-athletes.

The Seneca Sting women’s basketball team, who were undefeated in league play until a loss to the rival Algonquin Thunder, 53-47, were asked to share the details of their intense, complicated lives as student-athletes.

Head coach Walker, reflects on his past and present student-athletes and the challenges they faced – and continue to face.

He highlights the fact that all of his student-athletes have passed their first and second semesters, often with impressive results and that more than 95% have gone on to graduate. He also mentions that some of the basketball players on his current squad are even making the Dean’s List. So, what’s your excuse?

Walker says he is aware of the fact that being a student-athlete is tough but he knows that his players are hard workers and can handle any situation thrown at them.

Forward Zoe Layne, who is currently studying in the Social Worker program, describes her day to day life as a student athlete.

“We try to train every day. We have practices 3 times a week which can get very tiring so you have to make sure you eat well, sleep well and make sure you don’t fall back in classes because that can strongly affect you.”

She also outlines some of the difficulties that student-athletes face.

“I guess just mostly balancing school work and basketball because sometimes we’ll be coming home at 10 or 11 p.m. at night, from a home game, do homework and it can get very tiring. You just have to be very organized and know what you are doing.”

Zoe offers some insight and a reality check to those Seneca students who think being a student-athlete is all about the swag, gear and uniform.

 “As an athlete, it might look like easy, what we do on the court, but behind the scenes, it’s very hard, you really have to work hard, put in the effort to get along with your teammates because it’s a team sport. It’s five people, not one. As well in order to be a student-athlete, you have to bring your heart and soul on the court for the Seneca Sting.”  

Centre Tamara Nembhard, who is studying Early Childhood Education, loves her life as a student-athlete.

“It’s probably a better experience than if I were a regular student, I have to say. I feel like basketball teaches you more about life rather than just going through the motions. The coaches and the players build more character and teach you how to deal with life problems.”

She also shares the feelings of her team-mates, that being a student-athlete is not easy and that the struggle with finding balance is a mighty one.

She points out some challenges that come up.

“We play basketball a lot, about four to five times per week, and getting to class on time is tough – you’re always in a rush." She also points out that student-athletes can and often have to be very driven.

“We are a hard working bunch, we have to be, because we have to deal with not only the trials and tribulations of sport, we also deal with tests and exams in the classroom.”

Tamara also reveals that just because she is a student-athlete, it does not mean that she gets any preferential treatment.

“A lot of people think that athletes have things handed to them because they play sports for the school but that’s not the case at all. We’re very, very, very hardworking and everything we get, we worked hard for it, and if we don’t work hard for it, we don’t get rewarded, so anything you see us with or see us get, it’s because we earned it and hard work gets rewarded.”

A great lesson for any Seneca student, athlete or not.

The Sting Women’s Basketball team’s next home game is Saturday, Jan. 28^th against Cambrian. Tipoff is at 6:30 p.m. in Newnham Gymnasium (Building G, Sports Centre, Lower Level).

Seneca College will also proudly serve as host of the 2012 Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Women’s Basketball Championship, March 1-3, 2012.

Sting Varsity Volleyball rolling and improving heading into Holiday Break

Sting Men's Volleyball's Kyle McCann in action during a recent home game at Newnham Gymnasium.

By: Michael Katz, Seneca Student Sports Reporter

The Seneca Sting Men’s and Women’s Volleyball teams have respectively shown flashes of brilliance and signs of improvement in the first half of their 2011-2012 Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) seasons.

The Sting Men find themselves with the second-best record (9-1) in the OCAA’s East Region behind the undefeated Algonquin Thunder, and after an inconsistent start to the season, the Sting Women are back to the .500 mark after a recent streak of three consecutive wins (followed by two straight losses) including two impressive victories against the George Brown Huskies (5-5) and Algonquin (6-4).

The Sting Women currently sit tied for sixth in the OCAA East.

The three victories did not come easy - the club had to scrap its way through two grueling five game sets, which proved a test of the team’s mental toughness. First-year Senecan setter Giulia De Giorgio, a Liberal Arts student from Etobicoke, credits the team’s fitness for the their recent success.

“In a five set match, the team that’s in better shape often comes out on top. We do pretty well in that area.”

Neither match was “pretty” per se but the club did what was necessary to get the wins.

First-year head coach Shane Timms (of the Women’s Team; Timms has coached the men for three seasons) is proud of the team, which in his mind has successfully battled through a very difficult early season schedule. 

“The first half was going to be tough for us, we just needed to push through and get as many wins going into the break as possible.”

Third-year libero Clare Weisser, of Queensville, Ont., a Therapeutic Recreation student believes the Sting cannot afford to “take a game off.”

“Each win is a really big one. Every game matters - if you lose a winnable game, it could really hurt you in the end.”

In order to ensure this doesn’t happen the team plans to continue improving on the communication aspects of their game. This will prove critical as they head off to compete with division heavyweights the Cambrian Golden Shield (10-0) and Trent University Excalibur (8-2). 

De Giorgio believes that improved communication will lead to better results.

 “We have to work hard and communicate, communicate and communicate in order to be successful.”

Timms likes both his teams chances at being successful, largely because of their ability to have multiple scoring threats on the floor at all times. 

The Sting Men feature two players in the Top 20 in Kills in the OCAA this season including Peter Christian (87), a Fire Protection student from Morpeth, Ont. and Predrag Gajic (79), a Police Foundations student from Scarborough.  Christian also finds himself in the Top 10 in points-scored with 125 at the Holiday Break.  The Sting Men have won three in a row headed into the mid-way repose.

Both Seneca squads do not boast one sole all-star, rather, through Timms’ emphasis on the team-game, feature solid groups which consistently produce from all positions. 

This makes it very difficult for opponents to focus on a single player in their schemes.

 “It makes it very tough for opponents to know who we’re going to.  Especially, late in matches,” says Timms.

This gives the Sting teams an edge over several divisional opponents.

De Giorgio agrees with her coach’s philosophy on team play.

“I’d rather have a team where everyone scores consistently. It’s a lot better than one player scoring most of the points.”

Sting Women’s Volleyball will be back on their home floor in 2012, so make sure to come on out and support the squad as they try to win the OCAA gold for the first time in 15 years. 

Seneca’s next home matches will take place at Newnham Campus Gymnasium (Building G, Sports Centre, Lower Level) on Friday, January 27 at 6 p.m. against Trent, followed by games on Saturday, January 28 at 12 p.m. against George Brown and Wednesday, February 1 at 6 p.m. against the Durham Lords.  

Focusing on the little things key for Men’s Team headed into Holiday Break

While the women’s team continues to improve, the men’s squad is playing at a high level of their own heading into the Holiday Break.  The phenomenal start to the season is big news for the Seneca men’s squad which has never previously brought home OCAA gold.

However, despite the early success, third-year coach Shane Timms says the team still has a lot of work to do if they want to be number one come February and the OCAA Championship.

“We still need to work on focusing on every point, however, the effort is consistently strong.”

Third-year setter Kyle McCann, a Fire Protection student from Toronto, seems to be in agreement with his coach. He also believes the team needs to crack down on its errors.

“It’s tough to climb back into games when we lose our focus and get on bad runs.”

By the sounds of it, one might think this team is struggling, however, it’s quite the opposite - the team is happy to be working out these early season kinks in the first half of the year if they want to be at their best for February.

Third-year middle Justin Parsons, a Fire Protection Engineering student from Mt. Pearl, Newfoundland argues this is the best time of the year to be fine tuning the team’s game.

“We’re on our way up, improving every game. As long as we’re peaking at OCAA’s, we will be fine.”

The team isn’t dwelling on the loss to first-place Algonquin either.

“The team will dissect the match. We learn a lot more from losing than winning,” said Coach Timms of the difficult learning experience.

And if this team does in fact improve on what has already been a very impressive first half, there’s no reason to believe this team can’t come out on top by the time the OCAA Championship rolls around.

Catch the Sting Men at home in January 2012 at Newnham Campus Gymnasium (Building G, Sports Centre, Lower Level) as they take on Trent at 8 p.m. on Friday, January 27 and George Brown at 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 28. 

Getting to know your 8-0, No. 1-Ranked Seneca Sting Varsity Women’s Basketball Team

The view from the Sting bench during a recent home game in November; Head Coach Craig Walker looking on.

By: Michael Katz, Seneca Student Sports Reporter

With this week’s latest victory in the books, the Seneca Sting’s Varsity Women’s Basketball team firmly planted themselves in sole possession of first place in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association’s (OCAA) East Region.

The Sting Women’s squad romped the Georgian Grizzlies by a score of 74-37 on Wednesday, improving their record to a league best 8-0 record on the season. At the midway point of the campaign and with the Holiday Break in their midst, the Sting have plenty of reason to feel festive heading into the New Year.

The Sting are the best defensive team in the OCAA having given up only 317 points in their eight games this season.  By stark contrast, Seneca (619 points-for) is second in scoring behind the Sheridan Bruins (7-2 record, 651 points-for). 

This well-rounded group is getting scoring from a variety of sources including three Senecans (Tamara Nembhard – 12.6 PPG, Chanel Grellmore – 10.2 PPG, and Lauren Egglestone – 10.2 PPG) averaging double-digits points-per-game on the season.  On the defensive side of the ball, Nembhard and Grellmore are each in the Top 10 in blocks while Nembhard is in the Top 20 in rebounds per game, averaging 7.6, leading the Sting. 

Meanwhile, first-year Senecan Tara Minicuci is not far behind in the scoring race averaging a tidy 9.2 PPG.

The basketball squad has a unique blend of rookies and veterans in various programs throughout all four Seneca campuses. I got the opportunity to catch up with high flying sophomore Egglestone and rookie animal lover Minicuci.

 ________________________

Lauren Egglestone

Player Profile

Hometown: Oakville, Ontario

High School: Oakville Trafalgar High School

Sting Bio

Position: Forward

Height: 6’1

Year: 2

Jersey Number: 11

Why number #11? : That’s what they had for me.

Seneca College

Why did you choose to come to Seneca College? :  The Aviation Program

Program: Bachelor of Flight Technology

Future Profession: Pilot

What got you into flying? : Both my parents are pilots (Father: Air Canada/Mother: Recreational)

Fun with Food

Pre-Game Meal: Toast and Peanut Butter

Post-Game Meal: Grilled Cheese

Favourite Food: Spaghetti and Meatballs

Guilty Pleasures

Favourite TV Show: CSI

Favourite Movie: Lion King

Favourite Artist: Taylor Swift

Pump-Up Song: Make Me Proud – Drake

Hobbies outside of Basketball: Travelling, I’ve been to Japan, Egypt, Australia and many other places.

Early Season Success

Feelings on early season victory over rival Algonquin Thunder: Yeah! It felt good, especially because we beat Algonquin! They’re a great team.

 ________________________

Tara Minicuci

Player Profile 

Hometown: Richmond Hill, Ontario

High School: Richmond Hill High School

University: Honours Degree in Kinesiology at York University

Seneca College

Why did you choose to come to Seneca College? :  A combination of wanting to get into the Veterinary Technician Program and the King campus being so close to home.

Program: Veterinary Technician Program

What got you into caring for animals? : I love animals! And I’ve always loved caring and nurturing for them.

Are you a Dog or Cat Lover? : Definitely a Dog lover!

Pets at Home: Big dog named Max aka “Cutious Max”

Sting Bio

Position: Guard

Height: 5’6

Year: 1

Jersey Number: 22

Why number #22? : I had number 4 at York, but I didn’t want the same number at Seneca. So I decided on 22, because 2+2=4.

Fun with Food

Pre-Game Meal: Sour Snowboards

Post-Game Meal: Sandwiches (Turkey/Ham w/ Cheese)

Favourite Food: Pizza (Don’t tell Coach Walker)

Guilty Pleasures

Favourite TV Show: Friends/Dexter

Favourite Movie: The Grinch - I can quote the whole movie!

Favourite Musical Artist: The Band Perry

Pump-Up Song: Rain over Me – Marc Anthony

Hobbies outside of Basketball: Snowboarding/Shopping/Baking

Early Season Success

Thoughts on the 8-0 start: It feels great! I love being on a winning team!

Lauren, Tara and the rest of the Sting Women’s Basketball squad can be seen in action when you come out and support The Sting during their upcoming home games in the New Year. The Sting start-off 2012 with a bang, facing-off against rivals, Algonquin College, on Friday, January 20 at 6 p.m. at Newnham Campus Gymnasium (Building G, Sports Centre, Lower Level).

Rebuild Complete: Watch out for Varsity Sting Men’s Rugby in 2012

2011 Seneca Sting Men's Rugby squad proudly sporting their OCAA Silver Medals.

By: Michael Katz, Seneca Student Sports Reporter

It would be easy for the Seneca Sting Varsity Men’s Rugby team to hang their heads after a devastating loss in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Division I Final to cross-town rival Humber. But that was not the case, and nor should it have been after a truly remarkable season for the Sting.

Seneca began the season with 16 rookies on its roster, and an improvement on last year’s 4-3 record did not appear to be in the cards. However the Sting won their opening match of the year at Trent and didn’t look back, running the table until their 43-13 loss to Humber in Saturday’s Championship Final. 

Following the defeat, Head Coach Bob McArthur, Sting bench boss for 14 years, acknowledged the youth and lack of experience on his roster, but he refused to use it as an excuse for his team’s loss. 

“Our team is dramatically different than last year, but it happens all the time. People graduate and the team changes and it’s a growth process,” said McArthur.

A growth process it may have been, but this Sting squad gelled quickly, shifting their status from pretender to contender just a few matches into the season. Heading into the OCAA Gold Medal Game, McArthur was very confident in his squad primarily because of their rapid progression as a team.

After their semi-final victory over Mohawk, the longtime head coach was optimistic and proud of his squad.

“The team is playing great together. We’ve played well in every position, and we battled our hardest for one another.”

Of course, the team could not be successful without a few experienced players to lead the charge. For a second straight season, fly half Matt Raguseo was elected as an OCAA Division I All Star, while also earning the honour of OCAA Division I Player of the Year for the first time. 

Meanwhile, second-year scrum half Chris Boake, an OCAA All Star last season was awarded Man of the Match in this year’s OCAA Final game.

Boake was very excited heading into the Gold Medal Match.

“We’ve been rebuilding for a while now, and making the OCAA Final is a pretty big deal for Seneca.”     

Rags (Matt Raguseo) shared similar sentiments as his teammate.

“The team progressed significantly, particularly in the defensive aspects of the game.”

Unfortunately, when it came time to the Gold Medal matchup, the Sting squad just could not match the more experienced Humber Hawks.

As coach McArthur put it “Humber played really well, they took away all of our time and space.”

It was this same Humber Hawks squad that took down undefeated Mohawk in the OCAA Final last year as well.

Also not to be forgotten was Jarrett Hamilton, the Sting’s other 2011 OCAA All Star who went down with a shoulder injury in the opening minutes of the match.

As Boakey (Chris Boake) said “losing Hamilton was a huge blow to our pack which forced us to change our game plan,” an injury that ultimately cost Seneca in the Gold Medal match.

Rookie forward, Jordan Lofthouse, agreed with Boake saying “several players including Hamilton went down early and we couldn’t recover.”

However, that would be as far as the Sting would go in terms of discussing the loss. Despite the defeat, they proudly acknowledged what they accomplished throughout the year and began looking toward next season.

Several veterans will be leaving the team, however 16 players who began the year as rookies gained invaluable experience that most student-athletes may never get the chance to in their entire OCAA careers. This will certainly come to benefit a hungry Seneca team in 2012-2013, which will be determined to settle for nothing less than a gold medal next year.

Lofthouse is ready to step up into his new role and can’t wait to get next season started.

“A lot of the veterans are leaving, meaning I’ll become a leader for the forwards and my goal will be to make sure everyone is intense and ready to play.”

Chris Boake believes the team will be “a lot more prepared and confident on the field next year,” after experiencing this Gold Medal Game loss. He also anticipates that the team will be back in the playoffs to contend for a gold medal next season.

Bob McArthur made sure his team knew how proud he was of them and how excited he will be going into next season. He spoke with the club in their final season scrum after the game and made sure his team recognized what they accomplished this season. He thanked them for the season – and for the fact that they competed all year.

One thing is certain heading into next season; with Rags, Boakey, Lofthouse and a handful of determined sophomores on the roster, this team will be one to watch in 2012.   

New season has Seneca’s varsity basketball teams dreaming big

Sting player drives to the net versus the Durham Lords.

By: Michael Katz, Seneca Student Sports Reporter

What a start to the year for Seneca’s Varsity Women’s basketball team. They began the 2011-2012 Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) campaign with what was likely their toughest match-up all season, squaring off on the road in Ottawa at Algonquin College against the defending champions. In a spirited affair, the Sting used an impressive balanced attack to squeak-out a surprising 61-59 victory. This was the Sting’s first victory at Algonquin College in two seasons.

Sting Head Coach Craig Walker said, “it was an extremely exciting win against Algonquin and a huge bonus winning on the road. It should put us in a good spot for the playoffs.”

Those are pretty confident words spoken by a head coach only three games into a new season. However, thus far his team has done nothing to make him question that confidence. The Sting are 3-0 after two impressive home wins against Centennial and Durham last week.

Coach Walker prides himself on the fact that his teams emphasize the defensive aspects of the game.

“The focus of the team at practice is defense, it’s our bread and butter.”

The message seems to be coming across loud and clear, as the Sting have not surrendered more than 59 points in a game so far this season. Furthermore, it seems to be a message that has been instilled in all of his players.

First-year guard, Tara Minicuci (Veterinary Technician) reinforced the coach’s philosophy, “sticking to our game plan defensively is the key for us to win games.”

Paige Smith (Business Administration – H.R.), another rookie on the squad, preached the same message saying, “the team’s identity comes through our defense.”

In addition to the team’s phenomenal defensive play, both players gave full marks to their captain Tamara Nembhard for her outstanding performances over the early parts of the season.

Minicuci says, “Tamara is playing really well. She does a phenomenal job encouraging everyone throughout the games.”

Smith added “she has such a great attitude, which keeps everyone pumped up.”

While speaking with Nembhard (Early Childhood Education) about the team’s early season success, it was apparent that she could not have been more thrilled - particularly with its opening game victory. Now in her third season with The Sting, Nembhard’s teams had yet to defeat Algonquin at home, and the captain was still raving about the match even as it rested in her rearview mirror.

Nembhard said “I’m so happy about the win, it means so much to me. I love my team for it.”

After reaching the OCAA bronze medal last year, Nembhard is motivated to improve on last season’s results. She believes that if the team remains committed to becoming more of a unit on defense they will continue to have success in the Win-column.

The third-year player seems to be exactly what Coach Walker wants out of a captain: A determined athlete who believes in the philosophies being implemented by the coach and executes accordingly.

Walker, a coach at Seneca in his 12^th season, said “Tamara is a tremendous leader who has grown so much and become such a reliable player for us. As she goes, we go.”

That’s some high praise being directed towards the team captain - but it doesn’t seem to faze her.

As Tamara said, “all I’m concerned about is going out and being a team player.”

This is particularly clear through her very obvious lead-by-example philosophy.

“Defense wins games, and a good defense will allow us to reward ourselves on offense,” added Nembhard. 

And that’s great news for Walker and the Sting, who seem to be on the same page early. They were most recently ranked first overall in the OCAA Power Rankings. The Sting aim to continue their early season success in hopes of appearing in the gold medal match of the OCAA Championship in the near future.

The Sting Women’s Basketball team play their next three games at Newnham Campus Gymnasium (Building G, Sports Centre). Come out and cheer on the club vs. St. Lawrence on November 18^th at 6 PM, vs. Loyalist on November 19^th at 1 PM and vs. Fleming on November 22^nd at 6 PM.

Meanwhile, the Men’s Basketball team started the season off and running with a road victory of their own against La Cité. Head coach Wayne Dawkins sees some real promise with his young squad, who are trying to get back on the OCAA podium for the first time in 20 years.

Dawkins said, “I love our willingness to scrap and get on the floor.”

The fifth year head coach believes the physical edge will be a key component to the team’s success throughout the season. In the meantime, the team is suffering through some early season growing pains while featuring several rookies on the roster. After back-to-back losses to Algonquin and Centennial, he believes there is plenty of room for improvement.

“The team is going through growing pains and it will take sometime to put all the parts together,” said the Sting coach.

However, he remains quite confident in the squad’s overall abilities.

He said “there are plenty of positives to build on, and an [OCAA] medal is never out of reach.”
 

The Sting will get a big boost in the second half of the season, as several key players will be returning to the squad. The head coach believes the fusion of experienced players with the current roster will result in an exciting second half. He also had a few words for Seneca students who are looking for something to do in their spare time:

“The sixth man is one of the biggest memories one can create and have during their college experience.” He was adamant in expressing his desire for more Senecans to make their way out to come and support the club.”

With the team slowly finding its footing and more experienced players on the way, Dawkins is fired-up.

“It will be a whole new ball game come next semester.”

Alert to fellow Senecans: Get your popcorn ready, and come out and cheer on the squad!

The Sting Men’s Basketball team plays their next three games at Newnham Campus Gymnasium (Building G, Sports Centre). Come out and support the club vs. St. Lawrence on November 18^th at 8 PM, vs. Loyalist on November 19^th at 3 PM and vs. Fleming on November 22^nd at 8 PM.

Seneca’s varsity volleyball alumni return to the hive

Seneca Sting Women's Varsity Volleyball Alumni Pose for a Team Photo from Alumni Games in Oct. 2011

By: Michael Katz, Seneca Student Sports Reporter

It was a fun Saturday afternoon in late October at Seneca’s Newnham Gymnasium as many of Seneca’s varsity alums returned to the place where it all started.  It was a rare opportunity for those who returned to relive great memories and play on their home floor, once again, against the 2011 Seneca Sting varsity squads.

Some of the Women’s Volleyball Alumni in attendance took a few minutes to reflect on their time at Seneca following their match against the current varsity student-athletes.

Brenda Ramos

Program: Lab Technician (1993-1996)

Current Occupation: Physio & OT Assistant at Centennial Hospital

Fondest Memory as a Seneca Athlete: Winning three straight OCAA championships

(FUN FACT – The Sting won 7 straight OCAA Championships from 1989-1995)

Alumni Game Appearance: 5th

Comment on 2011-2012 Sting: “This year’s Seneca squad is pretty good. They need to stay positive and never give up, even if they fall behind late in games.” 

Simone Ince

Program: Post Graduate Communications and Public Relations (2007-2008)

Fondest Memory as a Seneca Athlete: “The road trips with the team were the best! We were a very small and close knit team.”

Alumni Game Appearance: “First alumni game, it was a ton of fun. Even though we lost, we put up a decent fight.”

Comment on 2011-2012 Sting: “They have really good blocks, and a lot of back court hitting. Keep up the 

good work!”

Rachel Bonnetta

Program: Broadcast Journalism (2009-2011)

Fondest Memory as a Seneca Athlete: “I miss the regular routine practices and work-outs. I also miss the family-oriented bond I had with the team.”

Alumni Game Appearance: 1st

Comment on 2011-2012 Sting: “They played well. They still need to learn each other’s tendencies, however with a coach like Shane [Timms], they’ll be really good by the end of the year.”

From the perspective of the current Sting team the Alumni Games were a rewarding experience.  First-year player Guilia DiGiorgio reinforced the positives vibes from the day.

“It was a fun game, it was a day to have fun, it’s what the Alumni Games are all about.”

However, DiGiorgio believes the team needs to work on its focus and preparation.  A lack of both of those qualities resulted in a loss to the Alumni in the third set.

All in all, the Sting Women’s Volleyball squad held their own, taking three of four sets from the Alumni.

Meanwhile, it was a different story for the Seneca Sting Varsity Men’s Volleyball team, who had their hands full with a determined alumni squad.

The Alums were full of pride and confidence in their veteran savvy after taking 3 of 4 games from the 2011 version of the Sting.

Jay Fleishman

Program: International Business (1998-2000)

Current Occupation: Business Entrepreneur & Creator of filemytickets.com

Fondest Memory as a Seneca Athlete: Recorded 7 digs in a single game against Humber while he was a member of the Seneca squad. Fleishman says it “sealed his love for the game of volleyball.”

Alumni Game Appearance: 2^nd

Comment on 2011-2012 Sting: “They looked pretty good, but seemed to be fighting some early season nerves. The old guys won today, but that could change by the end of the season.”

Jean-Paul Boranprasit

Program: Computer Programming Analysis (2001-2005)

Current Occupation: Web Developer

Fondest Memory as a Seneca Athlete: Making the finals and the feeling of having a second family.

Alumni Game Appearance: “It’s my fourth alumni game! I love coming back!”

Comment on 2011-2012 Sting: “This year’s squad has a lot of talent. They need to show more emotion on the court, volleyball is meant to be fun.”

JR Sapienza

Program: Photography and Pre-Media

Current Occupation: LCBO Marketing Department

Fondest Memory as a Seneca Athlete: “Making Nationals, and winning two Silver Medals.”

Comment on 2011-2012 Sting: “They’re a young team, they need to play more as a team. They serve quite well.”

Fourth-year Men’s and Women’s Volleyball Head Coach Shane Timms thinks the alumni game is a great event for all former and current Seneca athletes.

Assistant coaches Mike Haines and Andrew McCutcheon are both alumni, and Timms believes they are vital to the success of his team.

After a rough outing against the Alumni, he says “the team needs to show more consistency. There were too many unforced errors, and the team must compete for every single point in order to be successful.”

However, Timms’ confidence in the squad still remains, as he thinks the squad has the skill to compete for a gold medal.