UNews - Alberta Pandas

Busy weekend upcoming for Horns Athletics

trevor.kenney — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 18:23:28 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women’s hockey team took a small step back last season, missing the Canada West playoff party. On Friday night, the Horns will begin their quest to return to the post-season when they open the regular season against the defending Canada West champion UBC Thunderbirds at Nicholas Sheran Arena.

With 19 players returning from last season, the Horns have an experienced group, led by senior defenceman Glenda Edie and fourth-year defenders Courtney Minor and Katie Mucha. Add in the returning goaltending tandem of Crystal Patterson and Shauntelle Williams, and the Horns are in good shape in their own zone.

Despite being one of the lowest scoring teams in the conference last season, the Pronghorns possess a group of talented forwards and will need to score by committee to generate the offence needed to get them into the playoffs once again. Megan Bailey had a breakout season last year and her team leading 16 points tripled her output from the previous season. Third-year forward Kirsten Reeves led the Horns last season with 12 goals, putting her in a tie for third in the conference, and she will be leaned on heavily for production again this season.

With seven of their first eight games at home to start the year, the Horns have a great opportunity for a fast start.

Puck drop for both Friday and Saturday nights is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Nicholas Sheran Arena.

Horns Soccer

The Proghorns men's and women's soccer programs are both on the road this weekend, the men heading to Winnipeg to face the Wesmen, while the women are on the west coast to challenge the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Victoria and Fraser Valley.

Coming off a weekend split last weekend with the Mount Royal Cougars, the men’s soccer team is at 2-6-0 on the season. With seven games remaining in the season, the Horns are only four points out of a playoff spot.

The Horns, who have scored just seven goals in eight games, will need to generate more offense if they are to make a push to the post-season. Guilherme Costa leads the teams in goals with two, both coming from the penalty spot.

The Wesmen (2-4-2 CW), won just one of their first six games but earned four points last weekend in Calgary, beating the Dinos 3-2 before completing the trip with a 1-1 tie the next day.

On the women's front, the Horns (0-5-2) are still searching for their first victory of the season after suffering two losses in Saskatchewan last weekend, dropping a 2-0 decision to the Saskatchewan Huskies and 2-1 to the Regina Cougars.

Offensive production continues to be the Horns undoing so far this season, only scoring three goals thus far.

Defensively, the Horns have been solid, having only allowed 11 goals in seven games.

Friday night, the Horns face the Victoria Vikes (4-2-0), before travelling to Abbotsford on Saturday to meet up with the Fraser Valley Cascades (2-3-1).

Women's Rugby

Heading into the final weekend of the regular season, the Pronghorns women’s rugby team heads out on the road for a pair of games versus provincial rivals Calgary Dinos and Alberta Pandas.

Sitting at 1-1 and with a guaranteed spot in the Canada West Championship tournament (which the Horns host Oct. 18-20), this weekend’s results will determine the seeding for the Canada West semifinals.

Friday in Calgary, the Horns will have revenge on their mind when they face the Calgary Dinos (2-1). The Dinos ended the Horns' 22-game conference winning streak last season with a 31-18 win and then knocked the Horns out of title contention with a 33-32 victory in the Canada West semifinal in Edmonton.

The Horns are led by Kim Leavitt’s three tries, which places her in a tie for second in the conference, and Tiffany Wideen, who has taken over the kicking duties this season and has connected on three converts. For the Dinos, Natasha Loucks leads a balanced attack with three tries and Kate Scotland has connected on six converts and two penalty goals for 18 points.

Sunday, the Horns take on the defending Canada West champion Alberta Pandas (3-0). So far, the Pandas have yet to be tested. Following their 62-17 trouncing of the Dinos to open the season, the Pandas shut out both of their BC opponents on the road, beating the Victoria Vikes 49-0 and the UBC T-Birds 39-0.

Men's Basketball

Finally, the Horns men's basketball team will host MacEwan ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ for a pre-season tilt, Friday night at 7 p.m. in the 1st Choice Savings Centre gym.

MacEwan is currently an Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) team but will be joining Canada West next season. The matchup will be a solid first test for the Horns, who are itching to get into game action after a long practise schedule.

McAleenan enthused about opportunity

trevor.kenney — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:04:25 +0000

Erin McAleenan has no problem admitting she has a competitive side that sometimes gets the better of her. It's a feisty edge she's ready and willing to bring to the Pronghorns women's basketball program as its new voice and leader.

McAleenan was tabbed as the 10th coach in the program's history in April, taking over a team searching for some bite and subsequent success.

"I played the point and I was very competitive," says McAleenan, a point guard for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Acadia Axewomen from 1999 to 2003. She comes to the Horns off a three-year stint as assistant coach with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta Pandas.

"I wasn't afraid to be physical to the point that the game allowed. I played in the women's league in Edmonton while I coached there . . . my competitive edge maybe takes over sometimes," she laughs.

New Horns women's basketball head coach Erin McAleenan is ready to get to work.

A Sussex, New Brunswick native, McAleenan is getting her first crack at being a head coach at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) level. Her pedigree is impressive, including a wealth of provincial and national team coaching experience. Currently, she is in her second year as head coach of Alberta's U17 provincial team, and later this month she'll spend two weeks as an apprentice coach/manager with the Canadian National Women's Team as it prepares for the London 2012 Olympic qualifying tournament.

Her penchant for coaching stems from her father, a high school teacher and coach, who she describes as turning Sussex into a basketball town when they moved to the area in the 1970s. McAleenan began coaching as a Grade 8 student when she would help out at summer basketball camps for kids.

"When I went to university, I wanted to be a physiotherapist, probably because I had suffered a lot of injuries and was really interested in that line of work," she says. "Over time I realized that I really preferred working with kids. I ran all the summer camps at Acadia while I played there and when I was graduating (with a BSc) I knew I wanted to get into education."

She worked at a private school as an associate faculty member while she pursued her education degree at Trent ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, coaching high school boys and girls and earning provincial team experience within the Ontario Basketball Association. After working as the lead assistant coach for the Ontario U17 provincial team, she met Alberta coach Scott Edwards at 2008 Nationals tournament in Charlottetown, and he encouraged her to move out west for the assistant's position at ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta.

"While I loved teaching and working with high school kids, I think both my competitive side and my personal experience of playing CIS led me to want to try and make a difference with athletes at this age level," she says.

She comes to the Horns with her eyes wide open, understanding she's entering a basketball hotbed with deep community roots. Gaining the trust of that community will be central to her success.

"I don't think it's going to be easy but I think I'm the right person for the job," she says. "I'm definitely a people person, I want to go out into the community and develop those relationships. It's not going to happen overnight and like any relationship it'll take time for people to get to know me and to trust me and support the program I'm leading."

Her approach is grassroots.

"I want to connect with people, get involved with the high school and junior programs and expand our summer camp options," says McAleenan. "The more I can get out in the community and give back, the more people will get to know me so that we can create those relationships."

The Pronghorn program has the capability to lead basketball development in southern Alberta and McAleenan says her players can benefit from taking on that responsibility.

"I want to be able to give my student athletes opportunities to develop their leadership skills in the community and to do their part in being better role models, especially for younger females, whether that is through basketball specifically or other things I think we could get involved in," she says.

It all lends to creating an environment for success, both as students and as student-athletes.

"I'm thrilled to be given the opportunity to work with these young student-athletes and I value the role we have in their development," says McAleenan.

GET THE FACTS

· McAleenan considers herself a defense-first coach whose teams score off transition opportunities and good shot selection

· She was an assistant coach with the Canadian Developmental National Team at the 2011 Pan Am Games

· Adopted, McAleenan has a brother who played basketball at Bishop's ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and is currently living in Ottawa, as well as three half-brothers and two half-sisters, all living in New Brunswick

· McAleenan had never met U of L President Mike Mahon while they were both at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, but she did teach his son Seann a physical activity course at U of A and his other son, Brennan, was a physical therapist for the men's basketball program in her first year with the women's team

This story first appeared in the May issue of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

McAleenan looks ahead as new Horns coach

trevor.kenney — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:40:06 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge welcomed Erin McAleenan as the new Pronghorn women's basketball coach recently, the 10th head coach in the program's history.

"We are really excited to have a dynamic young coach whose vision will help move our program forward," says Executive Director of Sport and Recreation Sandy Slavin. "

McAleenan comes to the 'Horns from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta Pandas, where she spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach. She also brings a wealth of national and provincial team experience to the program.

She was an assistant coach with the Canadian Developmental National team at the Pan Am Games in 2011 and an apprentice coach with the Canadian Senior National team in summer 2011.

As well, McAleenan has coached in the both the Alberta and Ontario Basketball Associations with numerous teams, including the head coach of the Alberta U17 girls last summer and this coming summer.

"I am thrilled about my appointment as head coach," says McAleenan. "I am looking forward to working in such a strong basketball community and for a university that prides itself of personal connections and community engagement."

"My first priority will be to meet with the current student-athletes and prepare our vision for next season."
Prior to joining the U of A Pandas as an assistant, McAleenan spent five years teaching and coaching high school basketball at Trinity College School, a private school in Port Hope, Ontario.

The Sussex, New Brunswick native also played at the university level, playing for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Acadia from 1999 to 2003.

"I am extremely excited to have been given the opportunity to be a CIS head coach, as I value the role that we have in developing student-athletes both on and off the court," says McAleenan. "I believe that with a strong work ethic, passion and commitment, we can be the program that excels in developing future leaders in the community while being committed to excellence on the court."

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Women's Basketball Coaches
Glen Alexander (1972-73)
Jack Lilja (1973-77)
Donna Roman (1977-79)
Louisa Zerbe (1979-86)
Cal O'Brien (1986-87)
Trix Baker (1987-91)
Dori Johnson (Rodzinyak) (1991-2000)
Shannon Finnie (2000-04)
Donna Branch (2004-12)
Erin McAleenan (2012- present)

Beattie, Spear Chief-Morris earn honours

trevor.kenney — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:40:44 +0000

Ashley Beattie and Julian Spear Chief-Morris helped their respective teams to key victories over the weekend, strengthening their bids for Canada West playoff spots and subsequently earning recognition as Subway Pronghorn Athletes of the Week.

Ashley Beattie

Locked in a dog-fight for a playoff position, 'Horns captain Beattie led the 'Horns to a three-point weekend versus the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta Pandas. Prior to this season the 'Horns had never beaten the Pandas, but won the season series with the Pandas this year with a 3-0-1 record.

Friday night, Beattie assisted on the tying goal with just under two-minutes remaining to force overtime, a game in which the 'Horns won 3-2 in a shootout.

In the series finale, Beattie scored the 'Horns lone marker in a 2-1 shootout loss. With the three points, the 'Horns remain one point ahead of the Manitoba Bisons for the final playoff spot and will visit the Bisons this weekend.

Julian Spear Chief-Morris

After missing nearly the entire 2010-11 season, Lethbridge product Julian Spear Chief-Morris had his best weekend of the season in helping the 'Horns earn a weekend sweep over southern Alberta rivals ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Dinos. It was also the first time the 'Horns had swept the Dinos in 12 years.

Friday night, Spear Chief-Morris sparked the team out the gate, hitting four first half three pointers, en route to 19 points and a 90-80 'Horns' victory. On the night, he was 6-of-10 from the field, including 5-of-7 from behind the arc, while also grabbing seven rebounds.

Saturday night, Spear Chief-Morris scored seven of his nine points in the fourth quarter to help seal the weekend sweep with a tight 80-72 victory. He also recorded four rebounds and two steals.

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.

Day Chief sparking Horns men's hockey

trevor.kenney — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:03:19 +0000

Winston Day Chief helped the Pronghorns men's hockey team remain in the hunt for a plyoff spot while Kailey McMaster did her best to assist the women's hockey team against one of the top teams in the country. for their efforts, Day Chief and McMaster earned honours as Subway Pronghorn Athletes of the Week.

Since joining the Horns after the Christmas break, forward Winston Day Chief has had an immediate impact and been a key component in the Horns playing themselves back into post-season contention.

This past weekend in Edmonton, Day Chief recorded six points in the Horns' weekend split with the CIS second ranked Alberta Golden Bears.

Friday night, Day Chief registered a career high four points (all assists) in the Horns' 8-6 loss to the Bears. He also recorded three shots on goal and was a plus-4.

The next night, in the Horns' 5-4 victory, Day Chief scored once and added an assist, while registering another five shots on goal.

In eight games with the Horns, he has accumulated two goals and eight assists and has helped the Horns to a 6-2 record since the start of the new year.

Fifth-year goaltender Kailey McMaster, despite dropping both games to the CIS third ranked Alberta Pandas, stood tall in the Horns' goal, turning away 88 of the 96 shots she faced.

Friday night, McMaster kept the Horns in the game all night, stopping 41 of 45 Panda shots in a 4-3 loss.

On Saturday night, she was once again stellar in the Horns' goal with 47 saves in a 5-1 loss to the conference's top offensive team.

On the season, McMaster sits fifth in the conference in save percentage at 0.906 and sixth in goals against average at 2.92 per game.

Weekend Pronghorn action on campus

trevor.kenney — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:02:29 +0000

Pronghorns men's hockey, as well as the men's and women's basketball teams, all have home dates this weekend as Canada West action comes to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge campus.

Men's Hockey

The Horns (3-6-1 CW, 7-11-1 overall) host the defending Canada West champion and CIS second ranked Alberta Golden Bears (8-1-1CW, 11-2-1 overall) Friday and Saturday nights at Nicholas Sheran Arena (7 p.m. puck drop).

The Horns look to put an end to a four-game losing streak, while the Bears have won three straight after sweeping UBC in Vancouver last weekend.

After only dressing 14 players in Saskatoon over the Halloween weekend, the Horns are slowly getting healthy and should have all but two players back from injury. All three of the Horns wins this season have come at home, while the Bears have yet to lose in regulation time on the road. Their only road blemish is a 3-2 shootout loss in Calgary.

Live stats for both games can be found at: http://www.leaguestat.com/canadawest/mens/en/stats/schedule.php?date=2009-10-09

Women's Basketball

The women's basketball team (0-4 CW, 6-6 overall) hopes to end some early woes and pick up its first victory of the regular season after being swept last weekend by the Regina Cougars. The Horns held leads both nights last weekend in the fourth quarter but were unable hold on versus the fourth ranked Regina Cougars.

This weekend's opponents, Fraser Valley Cascades (0-2 CW) and Thompson Rivers WolfPack (2-0 CW) are coming off bye weeks, with the WolfPack sweeping the Cascades during the conference-opening weekend.

Friday night the Horns face the WolfPack, followed by the Cascades Saturday. Tip-off for both Friday and Saturday nights is 6 p.m. at the 1st Choice Savings Centre.

Men's Basketball

The men's basketball team (1-3 CW, 3-6 overall) looks to gain some momentum after a convincing 16-point victory over the Regina Cougars in their series finale last Saturday. Despite struggling offensively, hitting on less than 30 per cent of their shots, the Horns played tough defence, only surrendering 54 points and found a way to win.

Thompson Rivers (0-2 CW) and Fraser Valley (2-0 CW) are coming off their bye weeks. During the opening weekend of conference action, the Cascades swept Thompson Rivers in Kamloops.

Former Pronghorns' guard Barnaby Craddock coaches the Horns' Saturday night opponent, Fraser Valley.

Tip-off is scheduled to follow the women's game both nights at approximately 8 p.m.

Horns Swimming

The swim team hosts Memorial ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ from St John's, Newfoundland for a dual meet Saturday afternoon, beginning at 3 p.m. at the Max Bell Aquatic Centre.

Women's Hockey

The women's hockey team (3-3 CW, 6-6 overall) will finally return to the ice after being off for the past two weeks.

The Horns face a tough task as they travel to Edmonton to face the perennial women's hockey power Alberta Pandas (10-0 CW).

The Pandas have only surrendered 9 goals in 10 conference games and are coming off a home sweep of the UBC Thunderbirds last weekend.

Puck drops both nights at Clare Drake Arena in Edmonton at 7 p.m.

Live stats for both games can be found at: http://www.leaguestat.com/canadawest/womens/en/stats/schedule.php?date=2009-10-09

Pronghorns ready for CIS challenge

trevor.kenney — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:05:57 +0000

The two-time defending champion ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns will have to get by a number of usual suspects in order to capture a third consecutive CIS women's rugby title, beginning Friday in Vancouver.

The 12th annual CIS tournament, hosted for the first time by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia, gets under way Friday morning with six round robin matchups, culminating on Sunday afternoon with the gold medal final.

Joining Canada West champion Lethbridge in Vancouver are the AUS champion St. Francis Xavier X-Women, OUA champion Guelph Gryphons, QSSF champion Concordia Stingers, OUA finalist Western Ontario Mustangs, as well as the tournament host UBC Thunderbirds.

Lethbridge, Concordia and Western will battle in Pool A on Friday, while StFX, Guelph and UBC hope to make it out of Pool B. The top two teams from each group at the end of round-robin play advance to the semi-finals.

In Pool A, the Pronghorns will face a familiar foe and a new rival.

Lethbridge and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Western Ontario, which lost 39-7 to Guelph in the OUA final last weekend, have battled no less than five times over the past three years at the CIS tourney, with the 'Horns holding a 3-2 edge including a 2-0 advantage in the medal round. They'll meet at 11 a.m. (MT) Friday morning.

Meanwhile, Lethbridge and Concordia ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ will square off for the very first time at the CIS tourney Friday at 4 p.m. (MT), in the third and final Pool A duel.

The Stingers, whose best result at the national championship is a fourth-place finish in the inaugural tournament back in 1998, booked their ticket for Vancouver with a 13-10 overtime win on the road over previously undefeated Laval in the Quebec final.

The Pronghorns enjoyed another sensational season in 2009. The defending champs outscored their Canada West opponents 333-7 in six overall duels, including a 30-0 win over the five-time national champion Alberta Pandas in the conference final, en route to a fourth straight Canada West banner.

The Pronghorns' toughest opposition might come from Pool B as St. Francis Xavier and Guelph also come into the championship with perfect conference records and have been ranked just behind Lethbridge in the coaches' poll. Both the X-Women and Gryphons have revenge on their minds, as they fell to Lethbridge in last year's CIS final and semifinal round, respectively.

SSN Canada will have live webcasts of Saturday's semifinals at noon and 2 p.m. (MT), as well as Sunday's bronze-medal game at 1 p.m. and championship match at 3 p.m.

Horns roll to Canada West title

trevor.kenney — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:24:21 +0000

For the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women's rugby team, it's all about the numbers. Sunday afternoon in Edmonton, that number was four, as in the number of consecutive Canada West championships they'd won. In two weeks, the number they'll be looking for is three, meaning a third consecutive national crown.

The Horns are well on their way to achieving that goal after cruising through the Canada West tournament this past weekend. After throttling UBC Thunderbirds 86-0 in the semifinal round, the Horns rolled past host ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta Pandas 30-0 in the championship game. In keeping with the numbers' theme, the tally for the weekend was 116-0.

"The effort had to be there today because the U of A kept coming, and they didn't give up throughout the match," Pronghorns head coach Neil Langevin told Matt Gutsch, U of A sports information. "We knew that they would be very structured and that we would have to put together something really special here today to get past them. We're obviously very proud of the effort and happy that we got the win."

Canada West Player of the Year Ashley Patzer scored a try, two converts and two drop goals to the lead the Pronghorns to the victory. Ashley Zaremba, Andrea Letal and Brittany Orr also added trys for the Pronghorns, who now head to the CIS national championship tournament undefeated on the year and likely as the #1-seed. They'll be seeking their third consecutive CIS crown.

Sunday's championship tilt was the seventh time in the last nine years Alberta and Lethbridge have met in the conference deciding game, with the Pronghorns having now won the last three battles against their provincial rivals.

Alberta won five straight CIS titles from 1999 to 2003 and six straight Canada West banners from 1999 to 2004 until the Pronghorns took over as the dominant rugby program in the country.

The Horns ran up a 19-0 lead by the half and kept the game under control in the second stanza. Patzer, behind an impressive line performance, was her usual game-changing self.

"I do believe she is one of the top five players in the world, and we're really proud of her," Langevin told the U of A. "She has grown so much in her five years, and not just as a player, but as a leader and as an individual."

For his part, Langevin was named 2009 conference coach of the year.

The CIS national tournament is set for Nov. 6-8 in Vancouver. Patzer and company have two weeks to prepare for a final run at a third straight national title.

"We just have to go home now and prepare to compete for that next championship," Patzer says. "We just need to stay together as a team and stay focused as a team, and make our week of practice really worthwhile."

UNews - Alberta Pandas

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