UNews - CIS player

Three Horns named to Canadian squad

trevor.kenney — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 18:36:36 +0000

Canada, the defending champions of the Hong Kong Sevens and reigning IRB Sevens Challenge Cup holders, have named their roster for the upcoming IRB event in China, which kicks off on Mar. 23.

Head Coach John Tait, having recently guided the Canadian women to a second consecutive victory at the USA Sevens in Las Vegas, has named a strong side full of speed, power and experience.

Leading the Canadians in pursuit of their sixth consecutive major tournament win will be experienced veterans like Kelly Russell, who played every minute of every game for Canada at their previous IRB Challenge Cup win, in Dubai. Russell makes up one twelfth of a squad that features a dynamic and exciting core of talent. Powerful runners like Alberta's Jen Kish and Manitoba's Mandy Marchak will look to punch holes in opposition defences and make room for the raw speed and creativity embodied in the likes Ghislaine Landry and former ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorn Ashley Steacy.

Steacy, one of the most decorated players CIS women's rugby history was a part of the 'Horns three CIS Championships teams and was a two-time CIS Player of the Year.

Joining Steacy from the 'Horns program are Kelsey Willoughby and Kayla Moleschi, who both helped the 'Horns win a sixth consecutive Canada West title last fall. Willoughby was the Canada West MVP and All-Canadian, while Moleschi stormed on to the CIS scene last year, winning the Canada West Rookie of the Year award and being named both a CIS All-Canadian and CIS Championship All-Star.

Selection for the Hong Kong tournament has been a process unrivaled in the history of Canadian women's rugby. Having assembled talent from Europe, the national club scene, as well as the Canadian university game, twenty committed athletes have spent months working on their speed, fitness and skill at Rugby Canada's Centre of Excellence in Langford, British Columbia. The Canadian coaching staff has been able to gather an unprecedented amount of data on their players and have had the opportunity to witness athletes in head-to-head competition for extended periods of time. Funding from the Canadian government's "Own The Podium" program has meant that Canada's sevens stars are benefitting from the tools necessary to maintain their status as the world's number one team. Such funding enabled opportunities like the recent clinic put on at the C.O.E. in Langford by legendary New Zealand kicking coach Mick "The Kick" Byrne.

Horns face semi-pro team

trevor.kenney — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:35:08 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's basketball team will play one more game before the Christmas break this week, hosting the Calgary Crush in an exhibition contest Wednesday, Dec. 7, 8 p.m. at the 1st Choice Savings Centre gym.

The Crush is the newest entry in the American Basketball Association (ABA), and will be part of the fast-growing Pacific Northwest Division. The Crush played in their first action this past weekend in Los Angeles but a result has not yet been posted.

Canada West basketball fans will notice some familiar faces in the Crush line-up, with four former Canada West players on the team's inaugural roster. Headlining the former Canada West players is Josh Whyte, who was named the Canada West and CIS player of the year in 2010 as a member of the UBC Thunderbirds. The Calgary native was also a multiple time Canada West all-star.

Three former Calgary Dinos will also be suiting up for the Crush, including John Raid (1999-2004), Chris Wright (2001-2006) and Robbie Sihota (2005-10).

The 'Horns (4-4 in Canada West play) will return to conference action Jan. 6-7, heading out on the road to face Trinity Western and Fraser Valley.

Admission for Wednesday's exhibition game is free for students and $5 for Adults.

Horns rugby bulks up for season

trevor.kenney — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 22:34:20 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women's rugby team has a target on its back. As the defending three-time CIS champions enter the 2010 season, the entire country is taking aim at ending the club's reign.

With the graduation of the most successful class in Pronghorn women's rugby history, head coach Neil Langevin has had his work cut out for him as he tries to keep his squad on top.

Last year's senior group, which was lead by CIS player of the Year Ashley Patzer, won four consecutive Canada West titles and three consecutive CIS titles and wrapped their collegiate career with an undefeated season, outscoring their opponents 446-13.

Enter a quartet of newcomers that Langevin expects to make an immediate impact.

Juhee Thompson, Logan Kennedy, Tiffany Wideen and Larissa Brown were introduced as the newest Horns on Tuesday afternoon, effectively opening a new chapter for the national powerhouse.

Thompson, a Cardston, Alta. product, was the 2009 most valuable player in the Southern Alberta High School Rugby League. A flanker, she played for the Raymond Comets and was also a member of the Alberta U17 and Canadian U18 teams.

"Her incredible athletic co-ordination allows Juhee to be an exciting player," says Langevin. "Juhee has the potential to be one of the best players in the country in her time at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. We are excited that she is going to play here."

Thompson will also suit up for the women's basketball team after the rugby season has completed.

The CIS top-ranked Horns will begin defense of their Canada West title this weekend with road games against the Victoria Vikes and UBC Thunderbirds respectively. The U of L hosts the Canada West Championships, Oct. 22-24 at the Community Sports Stadium.

For more on the new Pronghorns recruits, follow this link.

Bowles, Patzer named top Horns athletes

trevor.kenney — Fri, 07 May 2010 20:06:31 +0000

Scott Bowles did his work on the defensive end while Ashley Patzer was at her best leading offensive forays, but the one thing they had in common was their ability to lead. The duo took home honours as Pronghorn Male and Female Athletes of the Year respectively, celebrating with more than 330 athletes, administrators and special guests at the recently held Pronghorn Athletics Blue and Gold Banquet.

Bowles, in his third year as the Horns men's hockey team goaltender, was at his best in the second half of the season as the Horns made an impressive playoff charge, eventually falling just two points shy of reaching the post-season.

Bowles was named a second team Canada West all-star after leading the conference in saves and most shots faced and placing second in victories.

Patzer, competing in her final season of eligibility, went out with a bang, leading the Pronghorns to their third straight Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) national title while earning CIS player of the year, all-Canadian and CIS tournament all-star honours.

The Horns went undefeated throughout the year and Patzer led the charge, scoring 75 points in the 10 U of L victories. It is Patzer's second straight female athlete of the year award.

Other major award winners included:

President's Award (highest academic standing)
Kathy Curtis, women's soccer (4.00 GPA)

Team Academic Award
Pronghorns men's track team (3.32 combined GPA)

Team MVPs

Men's soccer – Mike O'Brien, Matt Medoruma

Women's soccer – Ashley Cowan

Men's hockey – Scott Bowles, Dustin Moore

Women's hockey – Kailey McMaster, Kendal Tremblay

Men's basketball – Jeff Price

Women's basketball – Lauren Taal, Stephanie Price

Men's track – Kyle Murray

Women's track – Ashlee Deschamps

Women's rugby – Ashley Patzer

Bowles, Patzer named top Horns athletes

trevor.kenney — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 17:50:18 +0000

Scott Bowles and Ashley Patzer were honoured as winners of the Male and Female Athlete of the Year awards respectively, as handed out by Pronghorn Athletics during the year-end Blue & Gold Athletic Awards banquet recently.

Bowles, while rarely recognized outside of his own dressing room, has been the backbone of the Horns men's hockey program throughout his three-year Canada West career. A second team all-star this past season, Bowles finished first in the conference in both shots faced and total saves and was second overall in total wins as he backstopped the Horns to a late playoff push that fell just short.

Patzer capped her Pronghorn career by leading the Horns women's rugby program to a third consecutive CIS title. Along the way she was named CIS Player of the Year, an All-Canadian and CIS tournament All-Star.

For all the awards, check out this Pronghorn Athletics link.

Patzer, Langevin earn national awards

trevor.kenney — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:36:38 +0000

Fifth-year ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge fly-half/fullback Ashley Patzer was named player of the year in Canadian Interuniversity Sport women's rugby for the second time in her career, Thursday night.

The Lethbridge native, who was first honoured in 2006, became the third double MVP since women's rugby was added to the CIS program back in 1998. St. Francis Xavier's Ghislaine Landry earned back-to-back MVP nods in 2007 and 2008, while Alberta's Heather Denkhaus claimed the trophy in 1999 and was a co-recipient in 2000.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Ashley Patzer, Lethbridge

Patzer is one of the most decorated players in the short history of CIS women's rugby. The five-foot-two Pronghorns captain was named CIS rookie of the year in 2005, was chosen MVP of last year's CIS championship when she guided the Pronghorns to their second straight national title, and is now a two-time CIS player of the year (2009, 2006) and four-time all-Canadian (2009, 2007, 2006, 2005).

In her fifth and final university campaign, Patzer tallied a Canada West-best 40 points in four outings – four tries, seven converts, two penalty goals – as the Pronghorns cruised through the regular season outscoring their rivals by a 217-7 margin over four wins. In the playoffs, the 22-year-old was named game MVP of the conference final after she scored 15 points on a try, two drop goals and a pair of converts to lead Lethbridge to a 30-0 win over Alberta and a fourth straight Canada West banner.

A third-year kinesiology student at Lethbridge, Patzer is a member of Canada's senior and sevens national teams. In 2006, she captained the Canadian U19 squad to a win over England.

"Ashley has reinforced her reputation as an all-round phenom," said Lethbridge head coach Neil Langevin. "To call her dynamic would be an understatement. She has continued to be an inspirational leader for her teammates and has developed to be one of the top players in the world."

StFX's Ghislaine Landry, Laval's Claudiane Renaud and McMaster's Nina Bui were the other nominees for CIS MVP honours.

Other CIS major award winners announced during the All-Canadian Gala include Concordia's Hughanna Gaw of Elgin, Que., who was named the nation's top freshman, Bishop's Frances Bajdik-Bova of Ottawa, who received the Student-Athlete Community Service award, and Lethbridge's Neil Langevin, who was named coach of the year, an award presented by Coaches of Canada.

COACH OF THE YEAR: presented by Coaches of Canada: Neil Langevin, Lethbridge

Langevin became the first coach from a Canada West program to be named CIS coach of the year.

In his 10th campaign at the helm, Langevin guided the Pronghorns to a 4-0 regular season record, a 2-0 playoff mark including a 30-0 win over five-time national champion Alberta in the gold-medal final, and a fourth straight conference banner. In six Canada West meetings, Lethbridge outscored its opponents 333-7. On Sept. 12, the 'Horns also travelled to Antigonish, N.S., where they scored a 17-12 exhibition victory over the 12-time AUS champion StFX X-Women in a rematch of last year's CIS final, won 29-15 by Lethbridge.

The only head coach in Pronghorns history and a two-time Canada West coach of the year (2009, 2002), Langevin led his troops to the podium in each of their four previous CIS championship appearances including a bronze medal in 2003, silver in 2006 and back-to-back Monilex trophy triumphs in 2007 and 2008. A schoolteacher in the Lethbridge School District, he served as head coach of Canada's senior national team from 2004 to 2007 – including a fourth-place finish at the Rugby World Cup in 2006 – and was at the helm of the Canadian U23 squad in 2003.

"Neil has done a wonderful job building a program that we are very proud of," said Lethbridge executive director of sport and recreation Sandy Slavin. "Neil and his staff have worked tirelessly over the years, building a championship calibre team from scratch."

Saint Mary's Dawn MacDonald, Bishop's Eryn Hessian and McMaster's Sandro Fiorino were named coach of the year in the AUS, QSSF and OUA, respectively, in 2009.

ALL-CANADIAN TEAM

The all-Canadian team was also announced on Thursday with both Ashley Patzer and teammate Ashley MacDonald being named from the Pronghorns. It is the second straight honour for MacDonald and fourth overall for Patzer.

Rugby awards a U of L sweep

trevor.kenney — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:36:47 +0000

As 2009 Canada West Rugby Player of the Year, Lethbridge fly half Ashley Patzer's resume is getting longer and more impressive with each passing day.

The fifth-year Pronghorns team captain is in the final two weeks of a CIS career that includes two CIS championships, the 2008 CIS national tournament MVP award, CIS Player of the Year in 2006, CIS Rookie of the Year in 2005, three previous selections as a Canada West All-Star (now four) and two as a CIS All-Canadian.

The third-year kinesiology student and Lethbridge native is also a member of the Canadian Senior and Sevens rosters after playing on the U-19 team in 2006.

"Ashley Patzer has reinforced her reputation as an all-round phenom," says Lethbridge head coach Neil Langevin after Patzer captained her squad to a fourth consecutive Canada West title victory over the weekend. "To call her dynamic would be an understatement. She has continued to be an inspirational leader for her teammates and has developed to be one of the top players in the world."

Patzer had 40 points during the conference season, best in the conference, including four tries, seven converts and two penalty goals. The Pronghorns went 4-0-0, earning the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament, where they defeated host Alberta 30-0 in the final to qualify for this year's CIS tournament. In the final Patzer scored one try, two penalty goals and two converts.

Kelsey Willoughby, also of Lethbridge, added to the individual honours for the Pronghorns, earning the Canada West Rookie of the Year award. As well, Langevin grabbed coach of the year honours for 2009 and eight Horns were named to the first all-star team.

Willoughby, a first-year flanker and kinesiology student, scored two tries and played a key role in the Pronghorns' perfect conference season. She also scored a try during Friday's semifinal win over Victoria, helping her side earn a berth in the league final.

"Kelsey Willoughby had a spectacular rookie season," says Langevin. "Her power, speed and crafty running ability enabled her to be the top scoring forward in the conference. Her work rate is phenomenal and she has continued to improve all year. She will have a very bright future in Canadian rugby."

In 10 seasons on the sidelines, Langevin has helped Lethbridge to three Canada West titles and the last two CIS championships. In 2006 they defeated perennial rugby powerhouse Western Ontario to claim bronze and in 2003 the franchise made its first podium appearance at nationals, taking home a silver medal.

Following is a list of Canada West awards and all-star selections and their respective schools:

Awards

Most Valuable Player Award – Ashley Patzer (Lethbridge)
Rookie of the Year – Kelsey Willoughby (Lethbridge)
Student Athlete/Community Service – TBA later this week
Coach of the Year – Neil Langevin (Lethbridge)

All-Stars

Prop: Allison Lamoureux, Alberta
Prop: Brandi Van Eeuwen, Lethbridge
Hooker: Ashley MacDonald, Lethbridge
Centre: Shannon Court, Lethbridge
Centre: Kendra Reeves, Lethbridge
Scrum Half: Annika Eriksson, Alberta
Fly Half: Ashley Patzer, Lethbridge
Back Row: Ellen McGregor, Calgary
Back Row: Sarah Logan, Victoria
Back Row: Kelsey Willoughby, Lethbridge
Wing: Radha Jain, UBC
Wing: Kenzie Ralph, Lethbridge
Fullback: Karlee Carbert, Alberta
Lock: Danielle Willhoeft, UBC
Lock: Amanda Richardson, Lethbridge

Sports Hall welcomes Pronghorns

trevor.kenney — Wed, 13 May 2009 21:21:13 +0000

It was a Blue and Gold night recently at the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fames' annual induction ceremony and banquet.

A pair of former Pronghorn basketball players were inducted into the hall as athletes, while another alumnus earned induction for his contributions to the sport of curling.

Inducted into the hall were Dori (Rodzinyak) Johnson (BA '87), Danny Balderson (BA/BEd '01) and Don Chandler (BASC '73).

Johnson was a star point guard with the Pronghorns women's basketball team from 1982 through 1987. In five Canada West seasons she garnered four all-star nods and was named team most valuable player from 1982 through 1985.

Johnson would return to the U of L in 1991-92 and take over the head-coaching role of the Pronghorns. A year later, she would guide the Horns to their first Canada West title and a fourth place finish at the national championship tournament.

Balderson is the most decorated player in the history of the men's basketball program. Over a five-year career that began in 1993-94, Balderson won a national rookie of the year honour, was a two-time Canada West player of the year, two-time, first-team All-Canadian and CIS player of the year. Balderson would conclude his career as the U of L's all-time leading scorer with 2,000 points and have his No. 31 jersey retired.

Chandler was elected into the builders' category for his long association with curling in southern Alberta. Over a 30-year span, Chandler has contributed to the growth and development of the Lethbridge Curling Club, serving in various capacities.

Horns' Patzer has unfinished business

trevor.kenney — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:00:58 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women's rugby team may be defending national champions but captain Ashley Patzer still has some unfinished business.

While the Horns were running their way to CIS glory last fall, Patzer was overseas with the Canadian national senior women's program. She could not enjoy the spoils of a program she helped build.

"I cried when I was in Scotland when I learned they won. It was a good cry though, I cried for them because it was so exciting," Patzer says of the mixed emotions she was feeling at the time.

"It was bittersweet because I got to play for the national team and it was my first Canadian national tour with the senior women. At the same time, I was leaving my Pronghorn girls behind, and it felt like something was missing there."

Ever the consummate teammate, she's carried that feeling with her this season as she helps build the Horns for another title run.

"She's definitely got nationals on her mind," Pronghorns head coach Neil Langevin says. "In some sense she feels she let the team down last year but she didn't. She feels she has something to prove, but we don't believe she does."
Patzer has already proven herself on many levels. Since coming to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in the fall of 2005, the Lethbridge Collegiate Institute graduate has racked up numerous awards, including CIS rookie of the year in 2005 and CIS player of the year in 2006. Along the way she's been a multiple all-star and garnered recognition from the country's various national team programs, having played for the Canadian 7s, 15s and then senior women's teams.

Just 21, the fourth-year kinesiology major has quickly established herself as a staple of the senior women's program.
"She's already looked to as a veteran on the team and she's only been on the team a year," Langevin says. "I know the new coach really thinks highly of her, so much so he's trying to move her into the fly half position we have her in and that requires a lot more leadership."

Considering the diminutive speedster had to initially be dragged onto the pitch in her Grade 10 year (by her best friend), Patzer's acumen for the game is remarkable.

"Every level she's moved up she's been able to develop another skill set," Langevin says. "Even with us, her leadership skills have really improved over the last two to three years.

"Every time she's put in a new role she grows into it."

Now a world traveler thanks to the opportunities provided by rugby, she ironically stayed in ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ because of what the game offered.

"It's taken me a lot of places; I've travelled so much with it," Patzer says, having been on tours to the UK and Spain, among others. "I was going to take a year off (school) after my first year and try and travel a little bit but I'm really glad I stuck with it and I've been able to pound through school and then also be able to travel the world with rugby."

Fully carded by Athletics Canada, Patzer is at the top of the women's rugby ladder and yet she still has that one gaping hole in her resumé.

"I'm so excited about nationals," she says of the Oct. 30 to Nov. 2 tournament. "It was really frustrating last year not being able to play and to have a chance to win it here in Lethbridge — I can't wait."

UNews - CIS player

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