UNews - NCAA

Horns men's basketball in Calgary tourney

trevor.kenney — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:14:14 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's basketball team is getting an early start on the 2010-11 school year with a matchup versus an NCAA opponent at the Battle of the Border tournament in Calgary this week.

The Horns will face the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks of the NCAA's Big Sky Conference Wednesday, Aug. 11 and Sunday, Aug. 15 at the Jack Simpson Gymnasium at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary.

Wednesday night's game tips at 7 p.m. with Sunday's affair set for 10 a.m.

The entire Pronghorns squad is not available for the two pre-season games, with newcomers Abner Kamps and Niko Kovacs unavailable due to previous commitments. However, Julian Spearchief-Morris and Zack Humphrey will both make their Pronghorn debuts, joining eight returning players.

Northern Arizona is the third Big Sky School to make the trip to Calgary for the tournament after Weber State attended in 2007 and Montana in 2008.

The Lumberjacks, based in Flagstaff, Ariz., went 14-14 overall (8-8 Big Sky) in 2009-10, falling in the opening round of the Big Sky Tournament. Led by two-time All-Big Sky guard Cameron Jones, the team returns four starters in 2010-11 under head coach Mike Adras.

The Horns are gearing up for the 2010-11 Canada West season, which begins October 22-23 when the club hosts the Trinity Western Spartans.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ values draw Hall back to his roots

trevor.kenney — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:31:29 +0000

Much has changed at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge since Ryan Hall (BA '00) ran the basketball court with the likes of Spencer Holt and Danny Balderson.

The concrete dungeon they called a home court is gone, replaced by the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness. The small, liberal arts school once known primarily for producing teachers has grown into a comprehensive university that initiates cutting-edge research from every corner of campus.

What has stayed the same is what drew Hall back to assume the position of Pronghorn athletics manager.

"You see the changes in the facilities and how the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ has grown up in so many areas, but the values have stayed the same," says Hall, now a father of four. "It's amazing how many people I recognize from when I was an undergraduate here and who have stayed on as staff because it is such a great atmosphere."

A Claresholm, Alta., native, Hall spent the past four years in Greely, Colorado, earning a master's degree in sports management and working on his PhD. Fully expecting to remain in the United States, the U of L opportunity was too good to let pass.

"Lethbridge was really the only place in Canada where we'd come back to," he says.

Hall didn't initially pursue a career in sports management; rather he worked four years in Calgary as a rehabilitation therapist. His goal, however, was always to gravitate back to sport. It was a path he discovered through a course taught by then U of L professor Dr. Gary Bowie.

"It opened something up that I had never realized. I didn't know programs such as sport management existed," Hall says. "Health care was a good experience, I learned a lot and there were some good transferable skills, but it wasn't anything I was really passionate about and wanted to do for the rest of my life."

While completing his master's at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Northern Colorado (what he calls the other UNC), Hall cut his sport management teeth in a NCAA Division 1 environment. Despite the fact UNC is a new player at the Div. 1 level, it still presented Hall the opportunity to see big-time post-secondary athletics and the difference between the American and Canadian models is startling.

"It's big business down there, almost to an extreme. I think they somewhat lose sight of the student part of the student-athlete. I think they try but with the business approach they take, it's all about generating revenues," says Hall.
"We do a better job of prioritizing the fact our athletes are students, first and foremost."

Still, he recognizes that Canadian athletics can learn from its southern neighbours, especially when it comes to engaging supporters and creating passion for their teams, whether it is the student body, alumni or community as a whole.

"I hope at some point we can get a little more of that, and often times it comes from the people who live in the community. The community gets on board and supports the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as both fans and donors," he says.
"I also hope to create an atmosphere where we have our alumni excited about athletics and see them wearing it on their sleeves a little bit more."

He experienced that atmosphere, having played on the 2000 Pronghorns men's basketball team that hosted the Canada West final against ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta. They were the last really significant men's games played on campus and the series energized the entire area.

"In the end, you still have to be competitive and build momentum with winning teams, and I think that will come," says Hall.

GET THE FACTS

• Prior to coming to the U of L to study kinesiology and play basketball, Hall spent two years playing baseball at Cochise College in Arizona.

• He met his wife Terra (Dudley) while at the U of L. She played basketball for Lethbridge College. They have four children, Tevin (11), Abbie (9), Emily (6) and Brynna (23 months), with a fifth on the way.

• Hall describes ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Northern Colorado and the town of Greely as a parallel to the
U of L and Lethbridge. "The school focused on business, nursing and education, with about 10,000 students in an agricultural community of 85,000."

Weekend Pronghorn Athletics preview

trevor.kenney — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:28:22 +0000

Nearing the midway point of the Canada West soccer schedule, the Pronghorn soccer teams renew acquaintances with southern Alberta rival Calgary Dinos this weekend with a home-and-home series, while women's rugby heads out on the road for a pair of contests.

Although the men's soccer team (0-5-1) is still in search of its first victory of the season, the club is coming off a strong effort last weekend, holding the CIS #3 ranked Alberta Golden Bears to a single goal in a 1-0 loss Saturday. The Horns then tied the Saskatchewan Huskies 1-1 to earn their first point of the season on Sunday.

This weekend, the Horns face a familiar foe in the Calgary Dinos (2-3-1) in a home-and-home series that begins Saturday in Calgary and end at home Sunday afternoon.

The women's soccer team (0-6-0) will also attempt to earn its first win of the season this weekend as they also face the Dinos (2-4-0).

Home games for the Horns go Sunday at the Community Sports Stadium with the women's contest at noon and the men's game to follow.

Horns Rugby

The women's rugby team (1-0 CW, 4-0 overall) heads out on the road for a pair of conference games on the west coast versus the Victoria Vikes and UBC Thunderbirds.

The Horns opened the inaugural Canada West women's rugby conference schedule with a convincing 66-0 win over the Calgary Dinos this past weekend.

The Horns face the Vikes Friday in Victoria, and conclude the road trip Sunday in Vancouver.

Men's Hockey

The Pronghorns men's hockey team (0-0-0 CW, 4-2-0 overall) completes its non-conference schedule with three games down south versus NCAA schools.

After winning the Huskie Alumni Classic tournament last weekend with a 3-1 victory over the Regina Cougars and a 6-5 shootout win over the defending Canada West Champion Alberta Golden Bears, the Horns face a daunting task against a trio of NCAA hockey schools.

Saturday night, the Horns will face Minnesota State-Mankato. Sunday, the Horns battle another Minnesota based school in the St. Cloud Huskies. To wrap up the trip and the non-conference schedule, the Horns face the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks on Monday evening.

Women's Basketball

The women's basketball team hits the floor for the first time this season, traveling to Kamloops to compete in the BDO Dunwoody Tourney hosted by the Thompson Rivers WolfPack.

The Horns open the tournament against UBC-Okanagan on Friday, before playing the host Thompson Rivers WolfPack Saturday night. The tournament will conclude for the Horns Sunday morning versus the Calgary Dinos.

Soccer hits the road for weekend play

trevor.kenney — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:46:53 +0000

Pronghorn Athletics Weekly Preview

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorn soccer teams head out on the road for the second week of the Canada West conference schedule, as they both look for their first victories of the season. Meanwhile, the men's hockey team is also on the road, continuing to prepare for the opening of their Canada West schedule.

The Pronghorns women's hockey team is the only squad at home this weekend, as they will host a six-team tournament at Nicholas Sheran Arena.

Men's Soccer

The men's soccer team (0-2-0) heads to the West Coast for the second consecutive week and the task does not get any easier as they'll face the always strong UBC Thunderbirds (0-2-0) and the 2008 CIS silver medalist Trinity Western Spartans (1-0-1).

The Horns' Friday night opponent, UBC, also started the season with two losses, dropping a pair of close games on the road, 1-0 in Edmonton versus the Alberta Golden Bears and by a 2-1 margin in Saskatoon versus the Huskies.

The Spartans also opened the season on the road, downing the Huskies 3-1 on Saturday, before settling for a hard fought 1-1 tie against the Golden Bears.

Women's Soccer

The women's soccer team (0-2-0) heads out on the road for the first time this season, also traveling to British Columbia. The Horns will look to hit the win column against a pair of solid squads, in the Fraser Valley Cascades (0-1-0) and the defending Canada West champion Victoria Vikes (1-0-0). Last weekend, the Vikes downed the Cascades 3-1 in their only game of the weekend.

Women's Hockey

The women's hockey team will see its first action this season as hosts of the Horns Fall Classic pre-season tournament at Nicholas Sheran Arena. Canada West competitors Calgary Dinos and Saskatchewan Huskies join NCAA's Robert Morris and ACAC's Red Deer College and Mount Royal Cougars in the inaugural tournament.

The tournament will feature three games daily with puck drop scheduled for 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. both Friday and Saturday. The tournament concludes Sunday with games at 9 a.m., 11:45 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. The Horns play in the late game each day and face the Dinos Friday night, followed by games versus Mount Royal and Red Deer on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

Men's Hockey

The men's hockey team continues its pre-season preparations with a trip to Edmonton to participate in the Brick Invitational tournament. Friday afternoon, the Horns face the Saskatchewan Huskies, followed by a matchup with the Regina Cougars on Saturday.

UNews - NCAA

Horns men's basketball in Calgary tourney

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