Feb. 10 Brock roundup: Tatti, Bozyigit named athletes of the week
Women’s basketball player Melissa Tatti and men’s swimmer Gokhan Bozyigit were named the Brock University athletes of the week for the week ending on Feb. 9.
Tatti, a fifth-year point guard from Ancaster who is studying social sciences, set an Ontario University Athletics women’s basketball single-game record with 34 points during a 81-70 victory over the Laurier Golden Hawks on Feb. 7. The senior guard shot .684 from field goal range, and went four-for-four from beyond the arc. She also nabbed five rebounds and went four-for-five from the free-throw line. On Feb. 8, Tatti scored 18 points and contributed eight assists, including six rebounds to help the Badgers defeat the Waterloo Warriors 73-62. Tatti leads the league with 18.6 points per game.
Bozyigit, a fourth-year swimmer from Istanbul, Turkey, who is studying physical education, captured a provincial bronze medal in the men’s 1,500-metre freestyle with a time of 15:46.49 during the OUA swimming championships in Toronto over the weekend. Bozyigit also secured top eight placings in the 400-metre freestyle and 200-metre butterfly. He advances to the U SPORTS Swimming Championships in Victoria, BC from Feb. 20-22.
MEN’S HOCKEY
The men’s hockey team wrapped up the regular season by celebrating their senior players with a win over the Western Mustangs at Seymour-Hannah Arena on Saturday.
Brock honoured Skylar Pacheco, Dexter Weber, Ethan Spaxman and Cosimo Fontana, as well as men’s hockey game day manager Kelly Banks, a fourth-year sports management student from Kingston, prior to puck drop.
“Outstanding young men,” said head coach Marty Williamson. “They will be missed, but what a great example for our current players to continue their hard work on the ice and in the classroom.”
Pacheco opened the scoring and later added an assist as the Badgers skated to a 4-1 victory. Goalie Mario Culina made 29 saves for the win in between the pipes.
Christian Girhiny, Mitchell Mendonca and Jared Marino each potted a goal.
Fontana, Ayden MacDonald, Connor Walters, Brayden Stortz, Cole Thiessen, Jordan Sambrook and Jordan Maletta each notched an assist.
The Badgers face Windsor in a best-of-three opening round playoff series beginning Wednesday in Windsor.
WOMEN’S HOCKEY
Goaltender Jensen Murphy held down the fort to backstop the women’s hockey team to a 1-0 win over the Waterloo Warriors at Columbia Ice Fields on Saturday.
Murphy kicked out 22 shots for her third shutout of the season.
The Badgers improved to 13-9 and moved into fourth place in the OUA standings. Brock has two games remaining, including an opponent they meet next Saturday — Nipissing — who is ahead of them in the standings.
Badgers forward Niamh Haughey scored the game-winner midway through the first period. Paige Cohoon and Cassidy Maplethorpe each earned an assist on the goal.
Up next, the Badgers travel up north to complete the regular season at the Laurentian Voyageurs on Friday, Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Nipissing Lakers on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 4:30 p.m.
The women’s hockey team honoured their seniors by defeating the visiting Laurier Golden Hawks 3-1 at home Feb. 6.
Brock held a pre-game ceremony paying tribute to senior forwards Annie Berg, Hunter Accursi, Amanda Ieradi and goalies Jensen Murphy and Julia Pettella.
First-year forward Emma Irwin scored the game-winning goal and registered an assist.
Mishayla Christensen opened the scoring with a power-play a goal at 10:36 of the period. Laurier struck back with a power-play goal of their own with less than 20 seconds remaining.
Christensen then added an assist on Irwin’s winner early in the second. Ieradi sealed the deal for the Badgers with a goal late in the third.
Kaitlyn Colonna and Cassidy Maplethorpe each tallied an assist.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Centre Sam Keltos posted her fifth double-double of the season as the No. 8 women’s basketball team defeated the Waterloo Warriors 73-62 on the road Saturday.
The Badgers improved to 16-4 and move into first place in the OUA Central.
Keltos poured in 23 points and nabbed 10 rebounds, including six blocks and teammate Melissa Tatti finished with 18 points, six boards and eight assists.
The game remained tied after the first quarter, however the Badgers’ offence stepped on the gas and carried a 34-25 lead into halftime.
Jessica Morris made four steals and Sofia Croce added 12 points.
Up next, the Badgers (16-4) prepare for their final regular season games when they take a road trip to Ottawa to play the GeeGees on Friday, Feb. 14 at 6 p.m. and then the Carleton Ravens on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 6 p.m.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Daniel Cayer earned a double-double and the men’s basketball team spoiled the Waterloo Warriors’ Alumni Day with a 73-66 victory Saturday.
Cayer scored 19 points and added 13 rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Daniel Caldwell fired in 16 points off the bench while going a perfect six-for-six from the three-throw line. He also chipped in seven boards.
The Badgers trailed 23-13 after the first quarter, but won each frame the rest of the way.
Godsman Kwakwah tallied 13 points and seven rebounds and Tyler Brown scored 11 points, seven assists and six rebounds, including four steals.
Up next, the Badgers (12-8) prepare for their final regular season games when they take a road trip to Ottawa to play the GeeGees on Friday, Feb. 14 at 8 p.m. and then the Carleton Ravens on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 8 p.m.
SQUASH
The Western Mustangs men’s squash team captured an unprecedented 37th consecutive championship at White Oaks Resort and Spa in Niagara-on-the-Lake on Sunday.
The Queen’s Gaels women also extended their banner streak to six consecutive championship titles.
The Gaels compiled an overall a 24-4 record in matches en route to overcoming second-place Waterloo.
Vincenzo Prior of Brock was named to the men’s all-star team.
Women’s standings (Overall record)
Queen’s 4-0
Waterloo 2-2
Western 4-1
Toronto 2-4
Brock 2-2
McMaster 1-3
Guelph 0-4
Men’s standings (Overall record)
Western 4-0
Waterloo 2-2
Toronto 4-1
Queen’s 2-3
Guelph 2-2
McMaster 1-4
Brock 0-3
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
The No. 7 women’s volleyball team outlasted the Guelph Gryphons on the road Saturday.
It was the first time a team has pushed the Badgers to five sets as Brock held on to win 3-2 (20-25, 26-24, 16-25, 27-25, 15-13)
“It was a crazy game,” head coach Steve Delaney said. “Being down 9-3 in the fifth set, you’re not supposed to be able to comeback from that.”
The match consisted of massive rallies and see-saw lead changes in the score. The Badgers also went down two players as Samantha Casey and Grace Pyatt exited the game. Casey left with a knee injury in the first set and Pyatt collapsed on the court in the fourth set with a severe asthma attack.
“Everyone was emotional, including myself,” Delaney said. “Grace was taken to hospital, but is out and is okay now.”
In the fifth set, Brock trailed 9-3 and came back to win the match.
“We stayed positive. It was a great performance by the girls, a gutty performance,” said Delaney. “Grace Edwards entered the game and scored a wonderful kill to win the match. Super proud of the girls. This puts us in the playoffs, but we have to recover and fly to Lakehead for some tough matches.”
Edwards finished with 10 kills and 13 digs.
Darby Taylor scored 15 kills and 16 digs while Laura Condotta posted 15 kills and seven digs. Emily Armstrong added 31 assists and eight digs, and Sara Rohr contributed 17 assists.
Brock’s liberos Alanna Norris and Aleiah Torres served as the backbone of the Badgers as the game took wild turns.
“Alanna flourished under pressure with the most difficult receive and serve situations and Aleiah was the defensive stalwart we all know she is,” Delaney added. “Huge digs and key digs down the stretch. It was probably Aleiah’s best performance of the season.”
Up next, the Badgers (12-3) carry their OUA West-leading win percentage (.800) to Lakehead for back-to-back games against the Thunderwolves (2-15) on Saturday, Feb. 15 and Sunday, Feb. 16. Both games start at 2 p.m.
SWIMMING
Gokhan Bozyigit of the men’s swimming team won a bronze medal and Celine Funk of the women’s team earned a major award as the Badgers competed at the OUA Swimming Championships at Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre in Scarborough over the weekend.
Bozyigit captured a provincial bronze medal in the men’s 1,500-metre freestyle.
Funk, a fourth-year swimmer from New Hamburg who is studying medical sciences, was awarded the OUA Community Service Award for her busy volunteer schedule.
“It was a fantastic way to end my last OUA meet,” Funk said. “This award really means a lot to me. I love getting involved with in the community and it was really nice to get recognition for all the work I’ve done.”
When she’s not working on her studies or training with the swim team, Funk volunteers by working with young adults who have a variety of disabilities and also as a peer mentor for at-risk high school students.
“I also volunteer with the local Special Olympics team as a coach,” Funk added. “I have also done some volunteering with the Alzheimer’s Society of Niagara as a friendly visitor.”
Bozyigit also secured top eight placings in the 400-metre freestyle and 200-metre butterfly.
Both Badger squads finished seventh overall in team points, which is two places higher than last season for the women’s team and a placement better for the men.
Maggie Smith was the lone women’s A finalist in both the 50-metre backstroke and 100-metre butterfly events. Jordyn Bandstra and Georgia Rudolph added points in the B finals.
For the men, Anthonie Korstanje was a finalist in the 200-metre breaststroke and Steven Taylor in the 400-metre individual medley. Adding to the scoring in B finals were Julien Legault in three events, Orhan Aydogan and Daniel Tsaiger.
Smith, Bozyigit and Korstanje will represent Brock at the U SPORTS Swimming Championships in Victoria, BC from Feb. 20-22.
The 2020 Badgers set new Brock University records in four events:
Women’s 50-metre butterfly Maggie Smith, Prelims: 28.70 Finals: 28.67
Men’s 50-metre backstroke Julien Legault, 26.92
Men’s 50-metre butterfly Daniel Tsaiger, 25.69
Men’s 400-metre medley relay: Legault/Korstanje/Tsaiger/Bozyigit, 3:52.05.
ROWING
With a small group of athletes competing at the Canadian Indoor Rowing Championships, Brock was well represented on the podium.
Jordan Isnor led the way by winning the under-23 lightweight women’s event in a time of 7:34.7, 2.2 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor.
In the under-23 open women’s event, Anna Maloney (Niagara Falls) placed third with a time of 7:14.3. Teammates Bonnie Reynolds and Sabrina Tigwell placed eighth and ninth.
Jacob Martens (St. Catharines) placed second in the lightweight under-23 event with a time of 6:24.8. Thomas Markewich placed fourth, followed by Stephen Harris in fifth and Jared Boles (Grimsby) in seventh.
Erik Hohnstein was second in his event with a personal best time of 5:57, only 1.3 seconds behind the winner. Sam Stewart was seventh.
FENCING
The women’s fencing team captured a bronze medal at the OUA Women’s Fencing Championships at Queen’s University in Kingston on Sunday.
The Badgers women’s foil relay team, consisting of Sara Fellman, Elena Testana, Nica Obillo and Amber Briar, defeated the Western Mustangs 45-42 to secure bronze.
“The women’s fencing OUAs were some of our best performances since Hannah Pass a few years ago,” head coach Tim Stang said. “As a program we were very dominant and considered an unpredictable force to deal with.”
The relay team ran undefeated through the first and was seeded second overall, but lost a close match to Toronto 45-40.
In individual foil, Fellman, a first-year psychology student, placed sixth overall. Amber Briar, a first-year kinesiology student, narrowly lost to the eventual bronze medalists.
Glena Hussein, competing in epee, dominated the first rounds by going undefeated until matching up against gold medalist Nicola Cheng of Western. Hussein placed 14th and veteran epeeist Magda Nejman finished 13th.
In the sabre individual, Wynne Reichheld enjoyed a phenomenal day finishing eighth after falling to silver medalist Esther Falkson of Toronto by a score of 15-8.
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