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Horns play with greater purpose

trevor.kenney — Fri, 25 Oct 2013 22:30:40 +0000

Erica Williams’s father Len was able to get out of bed and go for a walk the other morning. For that, his daughter was thankful – it was a good day.

Since being diagnosed with terminal cancer in April, the good days have dwindled for Len, and likewise for his daughter, a fourth-year forward for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women’s hockey team. That has not dissuaded Erica from pushing forward with a positive attitude culled from the example her father displayed throughout her childhood in Weyburn, Sask.

Erica Williams has taken a positive approach as she deals with her parents' illnesses.

“I obviously don’t know what he’s feeling right now but I can understand that he wants to be his best for his family so he’s decided not to do any more chemotherapy treatments and is just focusing on the quality of his days,” she says. “I think that’s pretty courageous, but he’s a pretty brave guy so I wouldn’t expect anything less from him.

“There are days where I’m sure he’d want to just lay in bed but he still manages to get in the car and come out here to Lethbridge and spend some time with me for a couple days – that’s just who he is.”

Williams and her teammates will have Len on their minds this weekend when they take on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan Huskies for a pair of Canada West games at Nicholas Sheran Arena (the puck drops at 7 p.m. both Friday and Saturday night). The entire weekend will double as a fundraising effort for the Len Williams Coaching Legacy Fund and the Jack Ady Cancer Centre.

“I couldn’t imagine,” says Erica, her voice cracking, “being on a different team because they have all been so supportive, everyone has done their best for this.”

Williams is self-described as “pretty loud”, an outgoing personality, but that has all changed since the phone call she received late one evening in April.

“I’d talked to my mom beforehand about the tests my dad was getting and we’d broken it down into option one, two and three, with three being the worst-case scenario where they had found cancer everywhere,” says Erica. “When she called, all she said was “It’s option 3” and I had to end the call and cry it out.”

Four days later, Erica returned to Weyburn, having postponed her finals to be with her family. The night she arrived home, her mother suffered a stroke, further compounding the family’s troubles.

After an extensive hospital stay, her mother is recovering, and Erica says the family had a very good summer. Her father was able to take part in a number of community events in support of the legacy fund established in his name, and reconnected with countless people he’d influenced as a coach and prominent Weyburn citizen.

For Erica, getting back to school and playing hockey was an important aspect of returning some normalcy to her life. Now in her fourth year, she is readying to graduate with a double major in psychology and sociology. She has already applied to graduate school at the U of L, looking to get her master’s of counseling in psychology or, as a back-up plan, apply to the social work program.

“As every day goes by I think about what was good that day,” she says about how her philosophy on life has been affected by her parents’ illnesses.

The support she receives from her teammates has been invaluable.

“There are a lot of times when nothing is said but nothing needs to be said. They’ll just come up to me and give me a pat on the back because they know what I’m going through and I know what it means,” she says. “We don’t talk about it but we don’t need to. They are so understanding – it’s hard to put into words.”

The weekend’s activities will include a raffle and silent auction, as well as a jersey auction of the special periwinkle-coloured jerseys the Horns will wear against the Huskies.

Over the summer, Williams and her family raised in excess of $65,000 for the legacy fund, helped in no small part by the contributions of her famous uncle, Dave ‘Tiger’ Williams. The former Toronto Maple Leaf great was able to use his hockey connections to bring in a number of items for auction, including two tickets to any Leafs game this season in the Alumni Box, a gift that netted $16,000 at auction.

This weekend, a Taylor Hall signed jersey, four lower bowl tickets to a Calgary Flames game, gift baskets and more will be up for grabs at Nicholas Sheran Arena.

Len Williams won’t be able to attend but he’ll no doubt be on everyone’s mind. His daughter wants the weekend to be a celebration of everything her father represents.

“My dad got to go for a walk yesterday morning, and even though he wasn’t feeling that good, he got to go for a walk,” says Erica. “That was something to celebrate.”

Horns soccer looks to build off success

trevor.kenney — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 16:34:59 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns have finalized their schedules for the Canada West soccer season and for the program's men's team, the focus will be on building off of last season's 18-point performance, a franchise best.

The men's program will open its 2013 campaign with a home-and-home series against the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Dinos, Sept. 7-8 (at home on Sunday, Sept. 8). That's the start of a 15-game schedule that will also see the Horns play host to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan Huskies, Mount Royal ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Cougars, UNBC Timberwolves, UBC Thunderbirds and the Trinity Western Spartans.

The Horns won four games last season and narrowly missed the playoffs with 18 standings points. They will once again play in the six-team Prairie Division, looking for one of three playoff spots.

The regular season concludes on Oct. 27 followed by three rounds of playoffs in four days at the home of the first-place finisher in the five-team Pacific Division. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of New Brunswick in Fredericton, N.B. is the site of the 2013 CIS men's championship tournament, Nov. 7-10.

On the women's side, the Horns are coming off a one-win season but with 21 players eligible to return from last season's roster (that included 11 first-year players), it should be a much more seasoned and cohesive group.

The Canada West women's set-up differs from the men in that only one, 13-team division exists, with the top eight teams qualifying for playoffs.

After opening the schedule on the road with games against the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta and Mount Royal ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Cougars, the Horns will host the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Winnipeg Wesmen on Saturday, Sept. 14 at the U of L Community Stadium.

The Horns will also play host to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Manitoba Bisons the next day and host the UNBC Timberwolves, UBC Thunderbirds and Trinity Western Spartans to round out the home schedule.

Canada West playoffs open with quarter-finals on Oct. 26, after which teams will be re-ranked for semifinals and medal matches on Nov. 2-3. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Toronto hosts CIS Nationals, Nov. 7-10.

For a look at the complete Pronghorns soccer schedule visit the website at www.gohorns.ca. For season tickets, call Pronghorn Athletics at 403-329-2681.

Horns hockey schedules finalized

trevor.kenney — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:09:12 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's and women's hockey teams open their 2013-14 Canada West hockey schedules in early October, and with both teams coming off non-playoff seasons, will need a quick start to get off on the right foot.

The Horns women's team hosts the first home game of the season when they welcome the defending Canada West champion ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia T-Birds to Nicholas Sheran Arena on Oct. 4-5. That weekend will mark the start of a stretch that sees the Horns host seven of their first eight games at Nicholas Sheran.

The following weekend (Oct. 11-12), the Regina Cougars come to town, before a home-and-home set with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Dinos follows. The streak of home games concludes Oct. 25-26 when the Horns entertain the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan Huskies. Of course, with so many home games ot start the season, the U of L will be forced to play the majority of its road schedule in the season's second half, and will host just four home games after Christmas.

On the men's side, the Horns will play the opposite schedule of their women counterparts, opening the season with seven of eight games on the road, including an Oct. 11-12 series at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Regina that marks the beginning of their conference schedule.

The U of L will open on home ice Oct. 18 with the front end of a home-and-home series against the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Dinos.

During the first half of the season, the Horns will only skate on home ice six times, hosting the defending Canada West champion ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta Golden Bears (Nov. 8-9), Mount Royal ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ (Nov. 22) and UBC Thunderbirds (Nov. 29-30) in addition to the Dinos.

After the holiday break, the Horns will play eight of their remaining 12 games at Nicholas Sheran Arena. Puck drop for all homes games at Nicholas Sheran Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m.

For season tickets, call Pronghorn Athletics at 403-329-2681. Check out the full schedules at gohorns.ca.

Basketball nets weekly awards

trevor.kenney — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 21:35:21 +0000

Basketball players Erin Skippon and Julian Spear Chief-Morris were recognized with Subway Pronghorn Athlete of the Week awards following their strong weekend performances against the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan Huskies.

Skippon is a fifth-year transfer from Queen's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ who has been a huge reason why the Horns women's basketbal team has opened with a strong 3-1 start to the Canada West season.

During the 'Horns 67-61 win over the nationally ranked Huskies, Skippon led all scorers with 20 points and narrowly missed out on her first double-double in a Pronghorn jersey, grabbing eight rebounds. A post player, Skippon has provided the 'Horns with exceptional leadership and helped with the team's transition to a new system under new head coach Erin McAleenan.

Through two weekends of the conference schedule, Skippon is averaging 11.5 points per game and just under six rebounds a night.

On the men's side, Spear Chief-Morris, a senior forward, has played a prominent role in the 'Horns 3-1 start to the season, even though he has been asked to learn a new position in his final year of eligibility.

The natural guard has made a seamless transition to a forward position and combined to score 38 points in the 'Horns weekend split with the nation's seventh-ranked Huskies.

Friday night, Spear Chief-Morris led the 'Horns in scoring with 23 points in a 98-89 loss. The next night, he scored 15 points, while adding six rebounds and two assists in the 'Horns 99-87 win.

On the season, Spear Chief-Morris is second on the 'Horns in scoring, averaging 14.5 points per game.

Taking a run at breast cancer

trevor.kenney — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 19:16:59 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women's hockey team has set a lofty goal, and it has nothing to do with what happens on the ice.

The Horns are taking on breast cancer with their second annual Pink in the Rink weekend, Oct. 21-22, when they host ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan Huskies at Nicholas Sheran Arena.

"Our goal this year is to make it equivalent to the men's Movember event," says fifth-year forward Megan Bach of Champion, Alta. "We really want to raise as much money as possible to truly make a difference, and to help create a future without breast cancer."

The Horns women's hockey team will be sporting special pink jerseys Oct. 21-22 to help raise awareness of and funds for the fight against breast cancer. Pictured here (L to R) are Breanna Frasca, Megan Bach, Leanne Gerwing and Glenda Edie.

The fundraising initiative involves a series of raffles and auctions, as well as pledge opportunities as three Horns players will cut off their hair in support of the Locks of Love campaign.

"I think most people on our team, through their extended families, have all been affected by cancer in some way," says second-year goaltender Leanne Gerwing of Aborfield, Sask. She, along with third-year defenceman Glenda Edie of Dugald, Man. and rookie forward Breanna Frasca of Kamloops, B.C., will cut her hair for Locks of Love.

"Breast cancer hits especially close to home because we're all women. Both my grandmas had breast cancer and survived it ,and so did my billet in high school. There are so many girls where it's an experience that is close to them, that this weekend means a lot."

The Horns will be wearing special pink jerseys for the two-game series against the Huskies, after which they will be auctioned off to fans. Raffle tables will be set up all weekend, with mini laptops, hockey camp registrations, a breast cancer-themed double quilt (valued at $750) and many more items up for grabs. As well, Florida Panthers forward and Lethbridge minor hockey product Kris Versteeg has donated a signed jersey for auction.

Bach says the community has been generous in its support of the initiative and the team has found open doors as it connects with southern Alberta businesses.

"When we approached some of the local businesses, they often had their own personal stories of cancer in their families," she says. "It's one of the reasons they really wanted to help out and we're so appreciative of their efforts."

Those wishing to support the Horns and the Breast Cancer Foundation can do so by attending the games and taking part in the silent auctions and raffles. People can also donate to the cause through Locks of Love pledges at the Horns Athletics Office, or by calling 403-329-2228.

"We have a history of supporting various Breast Cancer Foundation events through basketball and now with women's hockey, this is just another great way to increase awareness of breast cancer and raise some money for the cause," adds Robb Engen, the manager of business development for Sport and Recreation Services.

Horns men's hockey team adds 'Canes' captain

trevor.kenney — Tue, 24 May 2011 20:01:05 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's hockey team didn't have to look far for their latest recruit. Lethbridge Hurricanes captain Mike Reddington will stay in the city he has called home for two years and join the Pronghorns for the 2011-12 Canada West season.

"We are excited to have Mike on board, he is a proven winner,"says Horns head coach Greg Gatto. "He will give us a right shot defenseman and some needed leadership, having been the captain of the Hurricanes.
"It also further builds our relationship with the Hurricanes, and hopefully we can continue to have graduating players stay in the city and help our program."

After missing the post-season by only two points last year, Gatto's main priority in the off-season is to shore up the Horns' blue-line. With the addition of Reddington, the Horns believe they have taken a step in that direction.

Reddington, a second round Western Hockey League bantam draft pick, began his WHL career with the Spokane Chiefs and was a valuable member of the Chiefs' 2008 Memorial Cup championship team. During the Chiefs' Memorial Cup season, Reddington posted a plus-22 rating over 71 regular season games. Reddington is a 20-year-old Port Coquitlam, B.C. native.

At the start of his third season in the WHL, Reddington was traded to the Hurricanes where he closed out his junior career, serving this season as the team's captain. Over five seasons in the WHL, the gritty, hardworking defenseman collected 80 points in 329 career games.

The Horns will open training camp the first weekend of September and see their first conference action Sept. 30, hosting the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan Huskies.

Horns host T-Birds in key series

trevor.kenney — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 17:25:21 +0000

It may only be December, but the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's hockey team is in danger of slipping out of the Canada West playoff race if it can't find a way to put together a winning streak.

This weekend, the Horns (4-5-3) will put the wraps on the first half of the season, hosting the UBC Thunderbirds (5-4-3), Friday and Saturday night. The puck drops at 7 p.m. nightly at Nicholas Sheran Arena.

Coming off of their fourth consecutive weekend split, the Horns are still at the bottom of the Canada West standings but are only five points out of third place and will make up their games in hand this weekend. The Horns beat the 6th ranked ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan Huskies last Friday before losing the next night.

Earlier this season in Vancouver, the Horns and T-Birds split a weekend series with the Horns winning 5-4 in overtime and the T-Birds rebounding the next night with a 5-0 win.

Winston Day Chief and Nick Hotson continue to be offensive catalysts for the Horns, with Day Chief leading the team with 12 points in 12 games. Hotson sits two points back with 10.

Freshman Max Grassi, also with 12 points, leads the Thunderbirds, while Jordan White has seen the bulk of the action in the Thunderbird net, playing all but 40 minutes through 12 games.

After this weekend's games, the Horns will take a month hiatus for exams and the holiday season, but return to action January 6-7 in a home-and-home series with the Calgary Dinos.

Pronghorns head out on the road

trevor.kenney — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 22:08:08 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns athletic teams will be on the road this weekend with all Canada West action taking place away from the
U of L campus.

The Pronghorns soccer teams head to Saskatoon and Edmonton for weekend matches with ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan Huskies and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas.

After dropping its season opener to the Fraser Valley Cascades, the Pronghorn men's soccer team (1-1) rebounded with a 1-0 victory over the previously CIS fifth-ranked Victoria Vikes. The Horns will look to build on Sunday's victory against two other teams that also opened the season with a weekend split. The Huskies and Golden Bears kicked off their respective schedules against one another in Saskatoon with the Bears winning the first game 1-0 and the Huskies responding with a 3-1 win on Sunday.

Saturday afternoon, the Horns will face the Huskies, while Sunday the squad moves on to Edmonton to match up with the Golden Bears.

The Horns women's team dropped its opening two games to the top-ranked TWU Spartans and third-ranked UBC Thunderbirds respectively, and will attempt to hit the win column versus the Huskies and Pandas.

The Pandas kicked off the season with a convincing sweep of the Huskies in Saskatoon and moved into the CIS top-10 ranking at number 8. The Pandas kicked off the season with a 5-0 win and completed the sweep of the Huskies with a 1-0 victory.

In other action, the Horns men's hockey team will continue its non-conference pre-season schedule, traveling to play the Mount Royal Cougars in Calgary on Saturday night. The Horns have won both their pre-season contests to date.

The women's rugby team opens its pre-season schedule in Calgary Saturday, facing the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Dinos.

Horns bring in recruits

trevor.kenney — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 22:08:40 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women's hockey program will have a new look this fall as nine new players have committed to play for the Horns for the 2010-2011 season.

Third-year head coach Chandy Kaip has added a balance of positions into the fold with four forwards, two defenders and three goaltenders.

With the graduation of mainstay goalie Kailey McMaster and backup Ashley Kavanagh not returning, it was imperative that Kaip find a new stable of goaltenders. True freshmen Leanne Gerwing and Crystal Patterson will battle it out with college transfer Shauntelle Williams for playing time in the Horns' net.

Up front, a quartet of incoming forwards includes a mix of skill and grit. Leading the way is Megan Bailey from the Westman Wildcats. She will be joined by Erica Williams, the Alberta's Midget Leagues' seventh leading scorer, Chelsea Minor and Angela Burke.

Rounding out the new recruits is a pair of defencemen, Courtney Minor and Katie Much. Courtney is the twin sister of Chelsea Minor, while Much played last season with the Sherwood Park AAA Fury.

For a detailed look at all the recruits, follow this link to the Horns' web page.

The U of L opens its Canada West season on the road, Oct. 8-9 against the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan Huskies. The Horns' home opener goes Oct. 16 when they host provincial rival ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Dinos.

Horns hockey still alive

trevor.kenney — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:36:17 +0000

There's still a chance the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's hockey team will reach the Canada West playoffs - but it's a slim one.

The Horns sat back and watched Canada West play this past weekend, experiencing a bye week as teams above them in the standings jockeyed for position into the final weekend. When it was all said and done, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Dinos and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan Huskies both secured weekend sweeps and in the process, locked up post-season berths.

The only shot now for the Horns rests with the club sweeping Saskatchewan this weekend at Nicholas Sheran Arena and the Regina Cougars going into Winnipeg and sweeping ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Maniotoba Bisons. No other scenario will result in the Horns reaching the post-season.

Currently, the Horns sit three points back of the Bisons but Manitoba (14-10-2) took the season series 3-1, so even a tie in points would go the way of the Bisons. The Horns (12-11-3) will host the Huskies Friday and Saturday nights at Nicholas Sheran Arena with the puck dropping at 7 p.m. each evening.

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Horns play with greater purpose

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