Oct. 24 Niagara College roundup: Soccer, volleyball, basketball
Women’s basketball player Janee Harrison and men’s soccer player Mitch Churipuy were named Niagara College’s athletes of the week.
The Niagara College Knights men’s soccer team saw its Ontario Colleges Athletic Association season come to an end with a 3-1 road loss to the Conestoga Condors in qualifying action.
Kyle Hannon scored the lone goal for the Knights on an assist from Altin Ibrahimi.
“I am proud of the boys. Regardless of the gap between our respective season statistics, we went into that game with the expectation of winning and we are heartbroken over the loss,” Knights head coach Frank DeChellis said. “This season was a matter of keeping the program moving forward while waiting for bodies to heal and all be ready at the same time. It finally happened just as the season ended.”
Joel Mariñas, Kylar Lampman and Victor Kariuki were spectacular in supporting keeper Sean Darracott and Azdren Ibrahimi and Nate Smyth proved effective on the flanks, both attacking and defending.
“We had close calls in their box at 1-0 and 2-0 that would have changed the game and those moments are what makes sports so exciting. As a coach, moments that don’t pan out resemble death by a thousand cuts.”
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Niagara women’s soccer team was also ousted in qualifying action, falling 6-0 to the St. Clair Saints.
“We began the game very flat and never were able to get things going. Taking nothing away from St. Clair who were awesome,” Niagara head coach Rob Lalama said. “We knew it would be a challenging season with 14 new players coming in. We improved as the season went on with draws against two top teams in Redeemer and Mohawk. The rebuild of our program continues as we look to strengthen our lineup in the offseason with good recruiting.”
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Niagara’s men’s basketball team opened the OCAA regular season with an 89-87 defeat to the Mohawk Mountaineers
Niagara head coach Phil Mosley described it as a tough loss.
“Our defence was solid and we played at the pace we wanted for most of the night,” he said. “We needed to convert more on Mohawks mistakes and find our rhythm offensively and shoot the ball with more consistency.”
Top performers for Niagara were: Reggie Williams with 19 points; Ethan Alino-Delacruz with 15 points, five rebounds and five steals; Raheem Dennis with 13 points and six rebounds; and, K.J. Reckley with 11 points and 11 boards.
Niagara is at Humber Wednesday and Sheridan Saturday.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
The Knights women’s basketball squad opened its season with a 56-52 triumph over visiting Mohawk.
Leading the way for Niagara were: Janee Harrison with 25 points and seven rebounds; Lexxus Bell with eight points and nine boards; Jamira Rousseau with seven points; Kate Roth with five points and eight rebounds; and, Molly Taylor with 13 rebounds.
Niagara is at Humber Wednesday and Sheridan Saturday.
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL
After dropping the first set, the Niagara men’s volleyball season won three straight to open its season with a 3-1 road victory over Sheridan.
“Really happy with walking away with a win today. I thought the boys executed the game plan well. Our reception was on point and our serve was good enough to apply pressure and take them out of system,” Niagara head coach Steve Stone said. “Good team effort all around.”
Topping the stat sheet for Niagara were: Elijah Bugiardini with 16 kills and 18 points; Matthew Perron with 29 assists; Micah Nieuwets with eight kills and nine points; Tyler Carmichael with seven points; and, Ashton Nieuwets with four digs and seven points.
Niagara is at Boreal Saturday and Cambrian Sunday.
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Niagara’s women’s volleyball team rallied from a 2-o deficit to open its season with a 3-2 victory over Sheridan.
“The game started on a challenging note with the team losing closely in the first two sets. However, the team stayed focused on their game plan and belief that they could come out with the win,” head coach Elaine Pilgrim-Susi said. “We knew it wasn’t going to be an easy match and did not want to underestimate Sheridan and their home court advantage, and as a result, we were in a tough spot after those initial two sets. But we’ve instilled in our players the importance of perseverance, mental toughness and staying positive when we face adversity. After making a slight lineup change, the team rallied back to take the third set 27-25 giving us a breath of new life.”
Vanja Kljajic was the spark Niagara needed in the third set.
“She brought a fire to the court that resonated with the rest of the team. Once they ignited, there was no stopping them. Hope Nicholson and Abbey Gooder added some much needed kills and great defensive work to get the third set,” she said. “The Knights came back to win the next set 25-22 and then sealed the deal winning the fifth set 15-11.”
Leading the way for the Knights were: Montanna Taylor with 13 points, seven kills and 24 assists; Nicholson with 13 points, 12 kills and eight digs; and, Gooder with 11 points, nine kills and four digs.
Niagara is at Boreal Saturday and Cambrian Sunday.
REUKNIGHTED
Former Niagara College athletes and members of the college’s alumni community are invited to attend ReuKnighted 2023 Nov. 3-4 at the Welland Campus.
The event launches with an exclusive tailgate party on Nov. 3 in which those gathered will reminisce, reconnect, sample delicious food, snap photos and win fantastic prizes.
Following the tailgate party, a lineup of athletic events will be held in the gym as well as campus tours and post-game festivities.
Tickets are $10 and youth (12 and under) are free. The first 100 alumni to register will receive a special gift and those who purchase tickets before Friday, Oct. 20 will be entered into a draw for a Knights-themed gift basket valued at $250. Tickets are available via Eventbrite here.
