Feb. 18 Brock roundup: Keltos, men’s curling team athletes of the week
Women’s basketball player Samantha Keltos and the men’s curling team were named the Brock University athletes of the week ending on Feb. 17.
Keltos, a third-year centre from St. Catharines who is studying biological sciences, scored a career-high 25 points to help the No. 7 women’s basketball defeat the No. 1 Ottawa Gee-Gees on the road on Feb. 14. Keltos went 5-9 from three-point range and collected five rebounds, two assists and two steals. On Feb. 15, Keltos led the Badgers with 15 points during a 65-49 loss to the No. 10 Carleton Ravens.
The men’s curling team consisting of skip Nicholas Lemieux, John Mccutcheon, Dylan Sipura, Daniel Sawchuk, Brian Rieger and Yihang Liang brought home a provincial silver medal for a second consecutive year from the Ontario University Athletics curling championships. Brock battled Laurier in the gold-medal match and held an early 3-0 lead before the Golden Hawks tied it up in the fourth end and pulled away for a 6-3 finish at the Guelph Curling Club on Feb. 17. The Badgers went 4-3 in pool play with wins over Toronto, Trent, Windsor and Waterloo. In the quarter-finals, Brock edged Carleton, who they met in the final last year, by a score of 8-7 and upended Toronto 8-6 in the semifinals.
The women’s team posted a record of 2-5 in pool play.
Roll Tide
Niagara Falls native and A.N. Myer graduate Owen Diodati was named South East Conference Co-Freshman of the Week at Alabama.
This past weekend Diodati recorded six hits, five of which went for extra-bases, including a double, one triple and three home runs. He also had a team high eight runs batted it. He also slugged 2.000 and had a .769 on-base percentage for the three games in the opening series of the season.
Men’s hockey
Matthew Barnes was saving his first OUA goal for an important moment.
Barnes scored the game-tying goal and Jordan Maletta netted the game winner to help the men’s hockey team complete a 5-4 comeback victory to sweep the Windsor Lancers from the Ontario University Athletic men’s hockey playoffs in Game 2 at the Seymour-Hannah Sports Complex Friday.
“It’s a great first round,” head coach Marty Williamson said. “They’re a heck of a team over there in Windsor. They beat us both times during the regular season, so for us to win this first round is a great start. Playoffs are one period, one game, at a time.”
Cosimo Fontana, Ayden MacDonald and Jared Marino each scored a goal and netminder Mario Culina made 25 saves for the win.
The Lancers built a 4-2 lead heading into the third period.
“We were disappointed in ourselves in the first two periods, and unless we wanted to get on a bus and go back to Windsor and play in their building, then we needed to have a heck of a period,” Williamson said.
Marino found the back of the net just two-and-a-half minutes into the final frame.
“That first goal got us going. It was like we were smelling blood,” Williamson said. “We just kept attacking and attacking, and it’s the way we play best.”
Maletta scored the game winner by picking up the puck on the half wall, spinning around and firing it on net where it redirected off a defender to beat Windsor goalie Jonathan Reinhart five hole.
Barnes, Maletta, Weber, Ryan Burton, Brayden Stortz, Skylar Pacheco, Frankie Pucci, Justin Brack and captain Connor Walters each recorded an assist.
The Badgers take on Guelph in a best-of-three series Western Division semifinal beginning Thursday in Guelph. Game 2 is Friday at the Seymour-Hannah at 7:15 p.m.
Women’s hockey
Annie Berg scored two goals and goaltender Jensen Murphy made 29 saves to backstop the women’s hockey team to a 3-0 win over the Laurentian Voyageurs on the road Friday evening.
It was Murphy’s second straight shutout on the road, and the Badgers’ third consecutive win.
Brock improves to 14-9 and is one of three teams, along with No. 9 York and No. 10 Nipissing, tied for second place behind No. 3 Toronto in the OUA standings.
“We just keep trying to play hard and play together,” head coach Margot Page said. “If we make a mistake, learn from it, move on and try to be better.”
Cassidy Maplethorpe netted a goal and added an assist to Berg’s game-opening goal just five minutes into the contest.
Berg scored an empty netter while Rebekah Feld, Lauren Diks and Kaitlyn Colonna each tallied an assist.
Brock outshot Laurentian 32-29.
On Saturday, Brock lost 4-0 to the No. 10 Nipissing Lakers in their final game of the regular season.
Up next, the fourth-seeded Badgers will meet the fifth-seed Ryerson Rams in the first round of the OUA women’s hockey playoffs. Game 1 is Thursday at the Seymour-Hannah Sports Complex at 1 p.m.
Basketball
The basketball teams wrapped up their regular season at the Raven’s Nest in Ottawa on Saturday.
The No. 7 Brock women’s team lost 65-49 to No. 10 Carleton; The men’s team lost 115-52 to the No. 1 Ravens.
Sam Keltos netted a double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, including six blocks for the women, who finish second in the OUA Central with a record of 17-5. Jessica Morris also posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 boards.
Brock held a 17-11 lead after the first quarter, but Carleton responded with a 19-8 second frame. Melissa Tatti finished with 12 points.
In the men’s game, Tyler Brown led Brock in scoring with 17 points. He also went seven-for-seven at the free-throw line.
Aaron Golbourne, who went four-for-five from three-point range, chipped in 12 points and Daniel Cayer led the team with seven rebounds.
The Badgers finish with a 12-10 record.
Up next, the men’s team travel to Hamilton to battle the McMaster Marauders in Round 1 of the OUA playoffs Wednesday at 7 p.m.
The women’s team will play the winner of the Round 1 game between Lakehead vs. Windsor. Brock will host the winner during the OUA quarter-finals on Saturday, Feb. 22 at Bob Davis Gymnasium at 7:30 p.m.
Women’s volleyball
The No. 7 women’s volleyball team clinched the OUA West division with a 3-0 (25-15, 25-16, 25-17) win over the Lakehead Thunderwolves in Thunder Bay Sunday.
The Badgers, who improved to 14-3, will have home-court advantage in the playoffs.
Brock extended its win streak to six games.
The Badgers hit for over .300 in each set as senior outside hitter Darby Taylor led the Brock offence with 13 kills on 26 swings for a .462 kill percentage.
First-year libero Aleiah Torres led the team with a nine digs. Sara Rohr tallied more than 30 assists for the third team this season, and Laura Condotta registered nine kills.
Up next, the Badgers visit the Windsor Lancers on Friday, Feb. 21 at 6 p.m. OUA.tv
The Badgers also secured home-court advantage for the OUA playoffs with a (25-19, 25-19, 25-20) triumph at Lakehead Saturday.
“It was a good team win. Everybody got on the court,” head coach Steve Delaney said. “Our middles were insane.”
Jaimie Holland recorded a .750 kill percentage, Grace Pyatt also hit .750 and Christina Jovetic hit .425.
Men’s curling
The men’s curling team captured a silver medal at the OUA Curling Championships for a second consecutive season.
Brock battled Laurier in the gold-medal match and held an early 3-0 lead before the Golden Hawks tied it up in the fourth end and pulled away for a 6-3 finish at the Guelph Curling Club on Monday.
The Badgers went 4-3 in pool play with wins over Toronto, Trent, Windsor and Waterloo; The women’s team posted a record of 2-5 in pool play.
In the quarter-finals, Brock edged Carleton, who they met in the final last year, by a score of 8-7 and upended Toronto 8-6 in the semis.
The Brock rink consists of John McCutcheon, Dylan Sipura, Daniel Sawchuk, Nicholas Lemieux, Brian Rieger, Yihang Liang and head coach Jordan Thin.
Up next, the Badgers will get ready to compete in the U SPORTS Curling Championships at Portage la Prairie, Manitoba from March 11-15.
Lowenberger passes away
One of Brock University’s most prolific figures, Arnie Lowenberger, has passed away.
Lowenberger came to Brock in 1967, where he became influential in building a master plan for the development of the Physical Education and Recreation Program, the only one of its kind in Canada at that time. He was also a leader in developing Brock’s Athletic and Recreation Facilities.
Lowenberger was part of many Brock firsts. He was the first Dean of Students, established the first Student Health Services and assisted in founding the first incarnation of the Department of Residences, which housed students in townhouses on Glenridge Avenue. He was also a member of the OUAA executive and was an executive member with the Amateur Athletic Union of Canada.
Lowenberger worked in a variety of roles at Brock, including:
•Professor and Director of Athletics and Recreation
•Professor and Director of Physical Education/Dean of Students
•Professor and Director of School of Physical Education
•Professor and Director of School of Physical Education and Recreation
•Dean in the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation
Brock President Gervan Fearon said the University is indebted to and proud of Lowenberger as a builder of the institution.
“Dr. Lowenberger was instrumental in contributing to the foundation of Brock University, and today we are the recipient of his dedication and vision,” Fearon said. “We are deeply saddened by his passing, but his contributions and legacy are to be celebrated.”
Anna Lathrop, Vice-Provost, Teaching, Learning and Student Success, had a close connection, both as a young professor and as a family friend.
“I was most fortunate to know Arnie well,” Lathrop said. “During the early building years at Brock, my father, as the board chair, worked closely with Lowenberger in the development of the Physical Education program and the Physical Education Centre that was built to support this vision.”
Lorne Adams, who spent 40 years at the University as a faculty member, athletic director and coach, echoes Lathrop’s illustration of Lowenberger, calling him a “visionary and builder.”
“It was he who had the foresight to have two large gymnasiums built,” Adams said. “He was the instigator and leading force behind Brock getting a swimming pool. He was a tremendously welcoming, friendly person who was loved by his students. He was a great person to work for and with.”
Nancy Francis, Professor in the Department of Kinesiology, calls Lowenberger the “best joke teller on the planet,” noting that his love for his children, Tim and Monica, was “as deep as an ocean. His wife, Vicki, was the shining star in his life.”
She still remembers applying to teach in the School of Physical Education at Brock.
“It was 1978 and I was completing my master’s degree at the University of Oregon, where Arnie completed his PhD,” said Francis. “He phoned me at 5 a.m., and having much in common — and typical of ‘Chatty Arnie,’ who could talk about absolutely everything — it was only after a fairly long period of time that I realized I was being interviewed for the position.”
In 2004, the University commemorated his legacy by naming a residence after him. Speaking at the ceremony to officially open the Arnie Lowenberger Residence, he called it a “humbling experience.”
“It’s really quite a building,” Lowenberger said. “All I can say is thank you to the university and to the Board of Trustees for conferring this honour on me. I was so surprised when it happened, and extremely pleased, because Brock has been part of me as long as I have been part of it.”
Bob Davis, for whom the University’s Bob Davis Gymnasium is named, met Lowenberger in their home province of Saskatchewan, and later attended the University of Oregon at the same time.
“When Arnie came to Brock, he remembered me,” Davis said. “It’s because of him that, the year after he started, I came to the University too. He was never a boss; always a friend, and of course, incredibly athletic. I’ll miss hearing the latest joke; I’ll miss him even more.”
Lowenberger’s funeral will take place on Saturday, Feb. 29 at 11 a.m. at the St. Saviour’s Anglican Church in Queenston, Ont. Brock flags will be lowered to half-mast on the day of his funeral.
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