UNews - Brandi Van Eeuwen

Horns dynasty team inducted into Alberta Sports Hall of Fame

trevor.kenney — Wed, 25 Feb 2015 19:40:56 +0000

They dominated women's rugby for three years, winning consecutive Canadian Interuniversity Sport national championships in 2007, 2008 and 2009. On Wednesday, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women's rugby championship teams were inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.

The Horns' title run was capped by a dominant performance at the CIS championship tournament in 2009.

The Horns will go into the hall as part of the 2015 inductee class that also includes: Carla MacLeod (Hockey); Kevin Martin (Curling); Bruce MacGregor (Hockey); Bill Warren (Builder); Hugh McPherson (Builder); James (Bearcat) Murray (Builder); David and Jean Folinsbee (Pioneer Award – Badminton); Peter Maher (Bell Memorial Award); Chris Koch (Achievement Award); and Joey Moss (Achievement Award).

Following the program’s first Canada West title and a CIS bronze medal victory in 2006, the Pronghorns returned to the CIS Championships in 2007 in London, Ont. The Horns defeated the host Western Mustangs 15-10 to win the program's first national title and kick off a run of dominance that not only boosted the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's national reputation but inspired a new generation of rugby players throughout southern Aberta.

Brittany Orr was named CIS tournament most valuable player and Canada West rookie of the year, while Ashley Steacy (nee: Patzer) garnered recognition as a CIS All-Canadian.

While the Horns knew they were guaranteed a berth in the 2008 CIS Championship as the host program, the team earned its third consecutive Canada West title to enter the tournament as the top seed. On their home field, the Pronghorns repeated as national champions with a 29-15 win over St. Francis Xavier ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in front of more than a 1,000 hometown fans.

Steacy was named CIS Tournament MVP and the Pronghorns laid claim to six of the 15 tournament all-star spots. Brandi Van Eeuwen was named both the Canada West and CIS rookie of the year.

The 2009 season was truly a special one for the Pronghorns as they went undefeated in Canada West conference action, outscoring their opponents 217-7 in four conference games before winning the Canada West title with a 30-0 victory over the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta Pandas.

The Horns' dominance was cemented at the CIS Championship tournament in Vancouver. The U of L opened the tourney with a 51-3 thrashing of the Western Mustangs before dispatching Quebec champion Concordia 15-0. A 25-0 victory over Ontario champion Guelph Gryphons set up another championship matchup with St. FX. Once again, the Pronghorns prevailed, winning 20-3 for their third consecutive CIS Championship.

On their run to the title in 2009, the Horns outscored their opponents an unfathomable 444-13. Steacy was named CIS Player of the Year, while Andrea Letal was the tournament MVP and Neil Langevin was named Canada West and CIS Coach of the Year.

The 2015 Alberta Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet was held May 29, 2015.

Pronghorns women's rugby team kicks off season

trevor.kenney — Fri, 20 Sep 2013 17:49:55 +0000

For the first time since 2007, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women’s rugby team enters the Canada West season as the hunter and not the hunted after seeing their reign of six consecutive conference championships snapped in 2012.

The ‘Horns will not have a home game until the Canada West Championships and will play all four of their conference games on the road, starting this weekend with a trip to the west coast to face the Victoria Vikes and UBC Thunderbirds.

In addition to losing their conference crown, the ‘Horns also had their 22-game conference winning streak snapped in the process, losing to the Calgary Dinos 31-18 during the regular season. It was the Dinos who also put an end to the ‘Horns' reign as conference champions, beating the U of L 33-32 in a thrilling Canada West semifinal.

Heading into the 2013 season, the ‘Horns will need to fill some key holes left by the departure of five-time Canada West all-star Brandi Van Eeuwen, fly half Laura Murphy-Burke, scrum half Alex Hendricks and heart and soul leader Kendra Reeves. Despite these departures, the cupboard is far from bare with the return of 2013 Canada U20 members Sarah Gordon and Ashley Delaney. Add in team captain Jillian Ankutowicz, Kim Leavitt, Tiffany Wideen and Lindsey Duxbury, and the leadership group will be solid.

Newcomers Allison Toews and Lisa Hildebrand have also impressed early for the ‘Horns.

The ‘Horns' first opponent, the Victoria Vikes, will look to rebound from last season’s winless campaign and welcome a fresh, elite group of recruits to the fold. The Vikes boast 15 new members, 11 of whom competed provincially this past summer.

The UBC Thunderbirds enter the 2013 Canada West women’s rugby season with a new coach in Maria Gallo, who is working to replicate the success she enjoyed as a player at both Guelph ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta. The former national team member won three CIS championships and was named the CIS Most Valuable Player in 2002.

Gallo takes over a relatively young squad that returns most of its players from last season, which ended with a loss in the Canada West bronze medal game. There are no fifth-year seniors on the roster, but there is a large group of third- and fourth-year players who will provide leadership.

The Canada West Championships will be hosted by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Oct. 18-20 at the
U of L Community Sports Stadium.

Gallagher, Waldner earn top athlete honours

trevor.kenney — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 21:22:31 +0000

Championship thrower Kayla Gallagher and four-time Academic All Canadian basketball player Derek Waldner were named Pronghorn Female and Male Athlete of the Year respectively this past weekend as Pronghorn athletics held its annual Blue and Gold Banquet.

Over 275 athletes, administrators and special guests were in attendance for the supper and awards ceremony at the Lethbridge Lodge. The guest speaker for the event was former Pronghorn Dana Mckechnie.

Female Athlete of the Year

In only her first year of eligibility, Kayla Gallagher burst onto the track scene and served notice that she will be a force on the CIS throwing scene for years to come.

At the Canada West Championship meet, the Truro, N.S. native earned two medals, winning her first Canada West weight throw title with a throw of 16.85 metres, nearly a metre further than her closest competitor. She also earned a silver medal in the shot put event. With her gold medal in the weight throw, Gallagher was a first-team Canada West All-Star.

Heading into the CIS Championship meet in Edmonton, Gallagher was ranked fifth in CIS, but a new personal best throw of 18.24 metres earned her the gold medal. The throw was nearly two metres better than her previous personal best and she won the event by almost a metre. The throw was also the furthest ever by a first-year thrower in CIS History. The win also earned her a first-year All-Canadian award.

Male Athlete of the Year

In his final season as a Pronghorn, senior basketball player Derek Waldner capped his career with an exceptional season and will go down in 'Horns history among the best to ever don the blue and gold.

Named a second team Canada West all-star, Waldner led the nation in rebounding and rebounding average with 252 rebounds and an average of 11.5 boards per game. The 252 rebounds also set a new Pronghorn single season record. Waldner was also seventh in Canada West scoring, averaging 16.6 points per game.

Waldner finishes his five-year career with the 'Horns as the school's all-time leading rebounder with 874 and leader in games played with 108. He also sits fifth in scoring with 1139 points and compiled 29 double-doubles (double figures in both points and rebounds) in his career.

The consummate student-athlete, Waldner has been a four-time Academic All-Canadian and is well on his way to finishing his degree with a fifth Academic All-Canadian Award.

Other major award winners included:

President's Award (Academic achievement)

For the second year in a row a member of the Pronghorns women's hockey team receives the prestigious President's Award. Presented to the student athlete with the highest academic standing at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, this year's winner is Jasmin Teske. Like her former teammate Megan Bach last season, Teske achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA, while balancing her large commitment to the team.

Team Academic Award (Team academic achievement)

The women's hockey team received the team academic award with a combined GPA of 3.10

Team MVPs (as voted by team members)

Men's Soccer – Matt Medoruma
Women's Soccer – Taura Willoughby
Men's Hockey – Brent Henke
Women's Hockey – Amy Van Buskirk
Men's Basketball – Derek Waldner
Women's Basketball – Ali Cameron
Women's Rugby – Brandi Van Eeuwen
Men's Swim – Ryan Thornley
Women's Swim – Kara Declark
Men's Track – Peter Millman
Women's Track – Kayla Gallagher

Medoruma, Van Eeuwen earn awards

trevor.kenney — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 17:57:13 +0000

Matt Medoruma and Brandi Van Eeuwen have been named Subway Pronghorn Athletes of the Week following their efforts in Canada West play this past weekend.

Medoruma, a fifth-year midfielder playing the final home games of his Canada West career, led the Horns men's soccer team to a win and a tie against the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, keeping the Horns playoff hopes alive.

Medoruma chipped in a valuable assist in the Horns' 2-0 victory over the Golden Bears on Saturday and was a force in the midfield Sunday as the U of L secured another point in its quest for a playoff spot.

The Horns head to face the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan this weekend, needing at least a win and a tie to overtake the Huskies for the final playoff position.

On the women's side, fifth-year prop Van Eeuwen capped her Horns career with a four-try performance against the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia in the Canada West women's rugby bronze medal game.

Van Eeuwen was also named a 2012-13 Canada West All-Star for the fifth consecutive season.

Horns roll to Canada West title

trevor.kenney — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:45:34 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns won their sixth straight Canada West championship Sunday afternoon with a convincing 41-0 win over the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta Pandas at Calgary's McMahon Stadium.

The game was really never in doubt, with the Pronghorns finding the end zone just 40 seconds into the game and nver looking back.

Canada West rookie of the year Kayla Moleschi broke through the Pandas' defensive line right off the opening kickoff, racing to the goal line to give the Horns their early lead.

The U of L maintained pressure for most of the first half, earning a penalty goal try for Laura Murphy-Burke eight minutes later. She finished with an 11-point day, including four converts.

Tiffany Wideen scored a try just over the halfway mark of the first half, and Juhee Thompson notched a buzzer-beater for the Horns in the waning moments of the opening period to give Lethbridge a 20-0 lead at the half.

Lethbridge would add three more converted tries in the second half. Moleschi touched for her second of the day, while Brandi Van Eeuwen and Genevieve Ahart added one each to make the final 41-0.

The Pandas did have several chances within 10 metres of the Lethbridge goal line, but the Horns defence stood up and turned over the ball each time to keep the Pandas out of the end zone.

Following the game, the Canada West all-stars and award winners were announced, with Lethbridge earning a number of accolades. All-stars included Brandi Van Eeuwen (prop), Kelsey Willoughby and Juhee Thompson (back row), fly half Murphy-Burke, and Moleschi and Cassandra Orr (back three).

The Horns also took both major player awards in the 2011 season, with Moleschi earning rookie-of-the-year honours and Willoughby being named the Canada West MVP.

In the early game, the host Dinos scored a try in the final minute to upend the Victoria Vikes 20-15 for their first-ever playoff victory in CIS competition.

The Pronghorns qualify for the CIS Women's Rugby Championship hosted by Trent ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Peterborough, Ont. Nov. 3-6 as the lone Canada West representative.

Pronghorns duo named All-Canadians

trevor.kenney — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 15:39:59 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women's rugby players Brandi Van Eeuwen and Kelsey Willoughby were named to the CIS All-Canadian team at the CIS women's rugby awards banquet Wednesday night in Peterborough, Ont.

Van Eeuwen is a third-year prop from Duncan, B.C., who is enrolled in the nursing program at the U of L. Willoughby is a second-year flanker from Lethbridge who is in the Faculty of Education.

The Horns are in Peterborough, at Trent ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, for the CIS Women's Rugby Championships. They enter as the three-time defending national champions and five-time Canada West champs. U of L opened the tournament against Queen's Gaels on Thursday morning and scored a nail-biting 15-12 overtime victory.

The Horns are back in action Saturday morning (9 a.m., MST) when they meet Concordia Stingers in a game that will be broadcast at SSN Canada.

For a wrap-up of this morning's action, visit our ThisisMyU website and the women's rugby blog.

Horns win CIS rugby crown

trevor.kenney — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:47:18 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns are three-time national champions after successfully defending their national title for the second consecutive year, beating the St. Francis Xavier X-Women 20-3 in the CIS women's rugby gold medal game on Sunday at Thunderbird Stadium in Vancouver.

The Pronghorns were in the driver's seat all game, as the X-Women, like every opponent Lethbridge has faced this year, were unable to break down the CIS champions' defence once they fell behind. Andrea Letal (Calgary, Alta.), who was named the CIS tournament MVP, scored a try 11 minutes into the contest, and that turned out to be all the 'Horns needed to take home the gold.

"We were really well composed and the girls played exactly the game plan we asked them to," said Horns' head coach Neil Langevin. "The defence has been the hallmark of this group and it's just a wonderful group to coach. We played defence first. We kept the ball in their end as much as possible and tried to force them into mistakes."

That strategy paid off for Lethbridge, as they extended their lead in the 26th minute when sustained pressure in the X-Women's end of the field resulted in a penalty goal attempt for Ashley Patzer (Lethbridge, Alta.) from about 20 yards out. The All-Canadian and tournament all-star made no mistake, splitting the uprights to put her side up 8-0.

Brittany Orr (Fort Macleod, Alta.), also named to the tournament all-star team, provided the nail in the coffin just a few minutes later. She received the ball on the right wing 30 yards from goal, cut back to the middle of the field to beat a St. FX defender and scored to put her side up 13-0. Patzer's conversion made it 15-0, giving the X-Women little hope of getting back into the game against the stifling Pronghorns defence.

Courtnay Malcom (New Glasgow, N.S.) did get her side on the board before the half-time break, nailing a penalty goal from 20 yards in the 34th minute, but the X-Women could do nothing offensively in the second half. They did push deep into Pronghorn territory occasionally but were never able to finish their drives before the Pronghorn defence won back the ball.

"Our back three were important all weekend," said Langevin. "All the girls did a great job clearing the ball and we credit them a lot because they did face some pressure."

Letal added to her MVP credentials early in the second half with another try, this time a 30-yard sprint down the right wing to all but seal the win for the Horns, putting them up 20-3. It was their second straight meeting with the X-Women in the title game, as they won gold with a 29-15 result last year.

In addition to Letal, Patzer and Orr, Lethbridge's Alex Hendricks (Lomond, Alta.), Kelsey Willoughby (Lethbridge, Alta.) and Brandi Van Eeuwen (Duncan, B.C.) were also named tournament all-stars. Asya Bartley (Ottawa, Ont.), Tyson Beukeboom (Uxbridge, Ont.) and Ghislaine Landry (Toronto, Ont.) were named to the all-star team for St. FX.

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

Depth the key to title defence

trevor.kenney — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:04:34 +0000

These Pronghorns are out to prove they're more than a one-trick pony.

The defending CIS
national champion women's rugby team is looking for a repeat performance and it'll get that opportunity on home soil when the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ hosts the national championship tournament Oct. 30 through Nov. 2 at the Lethbridge Sports Park.

A year ago, the Pronghorns showcased their depth in capturing just the second CIS title in the history of Pronghorn Athletics. With their captain away on a national team tour and injuries sprinkled throughout the lineup, the Horns still found a way to win, beating ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Western Mustangs 15-10 in the title game.

"That was kind of the hallmark of the team last year," head coach Neil Langevin says. "No matter how many injuries we had or people away, the group stepped up. This year, instead of being one or two deep in every position, we've tried to be two or three deep in every spot."

An exceptional recruiting class has netted a handful of rookies who have already contributed at the CIS level, including first-year players Brandi Van Eeuwen and Kendra Reeves, who have helped transform the team's identity.

"Our game plan is to still run the ball wide and use our speed but we wanted to address the fact we'd been physically handled in the past by other teams, such as ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta," Langevin says.

Despite a 9-5 loss to the Pandas in the Canada West seeding tournament in September, the Horns controlled the trenches, only failing to capitalize on opportunities.

"That's the first time I could say we actually physically dominated U of A."

With captain Ashley Patzer and last year's CIS nationals most valuable player Brittany Orr back, the Horns (who lost just four players to graduation) are loaded for their attempted repeat. It's a trend Langevin expects will continue.

"With the strength of the high school league here, the program is sustainable for a long time," he says. "Out of our 32, eight of them are first-year players."

That the Pronghorns get to showcase this talent in front of a local crowd only adds to the excitement.

"Our girls don't get a chance to play at home and that's exactly why we wanted to host," Langevin says. "We want to show southern Alberta what this sport, for women, looks like."

UNews - Brandi Van Eeuwen

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