Varsity sports fall review

Men’s Baseball A

The Hawks’ men’s baseball team had a breakout season this year, making their first ever appearance in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championship final. Having been a virtually unrecognized team in the past, the squad overcame having their funding cut by the athletic department and went on to earn an OUA silver medal after fighting a hard fought battle against the Western Mustangs. Under the leadership of head coach Scott Ballantyne, the Hawks finished their season with a 10-8 record, going 2-2 in the post season. The team also boasted the
OUA Rookie of the Year – Andrew Greenberg, along with three OUA All-Stars – Chris Pittaway, Josh Robinson and Jesse Milanovich.

–Tieja MacLaughlin

Women’s Lacrosse B

The fall of 2009 saw the dynasty that
was the Laurier women’s lacrosse
team come to end. Fielding a team
of several inexperienced players,
having lost the majority of their key
veterans to graduation, the young
squad battled to a 7-5 regular season
record, suffering the program’s
first loss since 2006 but backing into
the OUA playoffs in the fourth spot.
In the post-season, the Hawks upset
the first-place University of Toronto
Varsity Blues in the semi-finals
but lost in the championship to the
Western Mustangs. Although this
was the end of a six-year streak of
gold medals, the second-place finish
is definitely a positive result for such
a young team.

–Justin Fauteux

Cross Country B

Led by outstanding rookies Shoaib
and Sohaib Ikram, the cross country
team had a solid season in the fall
of 2009. The highlight of the year
came at the Badger Cross Country
Meet at Brock University where the
Ikram twins finished in the top two
spots. To conclude the season, the
men’s team had seven representatives
at the CIS finals, marking the
first time that the Golden Hawks
were represented at the national
championship.

–Justin Fauteux

Men’s Football B

Despite key players such as quarterback
Luke Thompson and defensive
end Chima Ihekwoaba suffering
season-ending injuries in
week three, the men’s football team
finished the 2009 season with a
6-2 record, claiming second in the
provincial standings. The Hawks
showed flashes of brilliance, boasting
three All-Canadians and handing
the eventual Vanier Cup champion
Queen’s Gaels their only loss
of the season. However, for a team
with one of the top defences in the
country as well as a bevy of weapons
on offence, losing in the OUA semifinals
for the third year in a row is
somewhat disappointing.

–Justin Fauteux

Women’s Soccer B

Despite an incredible regular season
by the women’s soccer team,
the defending Ontario University
Athletics (OUA) champion Hawks
couldn’t manage to keep their torrid
pace in the post-season. They
finished fourth in Ontario, losing
the bronze medal game to the Ottawa
Gee-Gees 3-2 in penalty shots.
Highlights of the year include dominating
performances by midfielder
Heather Malizia, who earned CIS
All-Canadian honours, as well as
a breakout season by forward Ali
McKee, who scored a team-high
nine goals throughout the campaign.
Head coach Barry MacLean,
meanwhile, took home his second
coach of the year award.

–Kevin Campbell

Men’s Rugby C+

The men’s rugby team had a successful
run to the playoffs but ended
with a mediocre 4-4 record in the
regular season. The 2009 season
broke a three-year playoff drought
for the Hawks, but they fell at the
hands of the McMaster Marauders
in the quarter-finals, going scoreless
for the first time in the season.
Four players – Alex St. John, James
Stewart, Jeff Pickel and Spencer
Houlihan – were named OUA All-
Stars, but the team as a whole went
on to finish only fifth overall of eight
teams in the OUA.

–Tieja MacLaughlin

Men’s Soccer D

A decade to remember ended with
a year to forget. For the first time
in their recorded history, the men’s
soccer team missed the playoffs and
relinquished their title as Ontario
champions without a fight. Coming
off their miraculous run last fall, the
team saw few key players depart and
a dearth of talented youth enter the
system. Sadly, the talent was squandered
when injuries forced over half
of Laurier’s line-up onto the bench
in the last half of the season. Down
the stretch, the Hawks fielded a
team that was mainly made up of
players who hadn’t even dressed
for a game in the previous season.
Entering the season with furor, the
Hawks exited with a whimper, leaving
behind a trail of dashed dreams.

–Luke Dotto

Women’s Rugby F

Outscored 247-15, including a 90-0
loss to Guelph and an 87-3 beating
at the hands of Western, the women’s
rugby team was by far the worst
varsity team in the fall semester.
They finished the season with a 1-4
record and only escaped a winless
season with a 7-5 win over Waterloo
in the final game of the season. The
bright spot is that this team has nowhere
to go but up.

–James Choleras