UNews - Tiffany Wideen

Wideen, Slomp earn Athlete of the Week honours

trevor.kenney — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 21:08:36 +0000

Tiffany Wideen and Scott Slomp were named Pronghorn Subway Athletes of the Week following weekend Canada West athletics action.

A fourth-year centre on the Pronghorns women's rugby team, Wideen led the Pronghorns to a third place finish at the Canada West Championship tournament, earning her recognition as the female Athlete of the Week.

Wideen scored a team high 21 points in the Horns two games. In addition to kicking the ball well all weekend, for both points and field position, Wideen also led the Horns' defensive effort.

In the club's heartbreaking 29-18 semifinal loss to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Dinos, Wideen kicked two penalty goals and converted one of the Horns two tries on the day. On Sunday, in the third place game, Wideen scored one try and hit four converts to lead the Horns to a 33-22 victory over the UBC Thunderbirds.

On the men's side, Slomp, a fourth-year defender, provided fantastic defence and exceptional leadership for the Horns, who lost both games on the road this past weekend.

Slomp has played every minute of every game since transferring from Lethbridge College after one season and in 13 games this season he has recorded five shots on goal.

Horns women's rugby third in Canada West

trevor.kenney — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 15:29:48 +0000

For the second consecutive year, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women's rugby team has had to settle for a third place finish at the Canada West Championships, downing the UBC Thunderbirds 33-22 on Sunday afternoon.

Kara Loewen recorded two tries, while Tiffany Wideen, Sam Wright and Nicole Ronsky each added singles for the Pronghorns. Wideen also converted four of the five Pronghorn tries. Gillian Boag, Gabrielle Hindley, Catherine Ohler and Mackenzie Lee responded with tries for the T-Birds. Ohler was also credited with a convert.

Looking to rebound from a disappointing 29-18 loss to the Calgary Dinos in the second semifinal Friday afternoon, the Pronghorns stormed out of the gate, pushing the Thunderbirds deep into their own end. After the T-Birds held a ball up in the end zone once, the Horns kept the pressure on and were finally rewarded with a try less than five minutes in. Sam Wright touched the ball down and Wideen made the convert.

With the ball bouncing down the field, Kara Loewen snatched the ball in full flight, broke a T-Birds tackle and raced for the 'Horns second try. Second-year winger Nicole Ronsky scored the Horns' third try of the half, racing 45 yards past all T-Birds defenders. Wideen hit for her third convert.

UBC stormed back with 12 unanswered points to make the score close. A string of solid passes across the field sprung Mackenize Lee, who touched the ball down for the T-Birds' first score. Ohler then hit the convert.

Before the half was out, fourth-year scrum half Gabrielle Hindly scored an unconverted try to cut the Horns' lead to 21-12 at the half.

The U of L continued its strong play in the second half with Wideen scoring her own converted try, while Loewen recorded her second of the day a short time later, outracing T-Birds defenders after the ball was kicked into the end zone.

Not going down without a fight, UBC stormed back with two tries of their own to account for the final score.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta Pandas later won the championship game over the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Dinos to advance to the CIS National Women's Rugby Championships later this month in Quebec.

U of L plays host to Canada West Women's Rugby Championships

trevor.kenney — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 17:16:20 +0000

Coming off a dominant and undefeated Canada West regular season, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta Pandas head into this weekend's Canada West Women's Rugby Championships as the top seed and the team to beat.

Joining the Pandas in Lethbridge are the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Dinos, host ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns and the UBC Thunderbirds.

The Pandas will play the Thunderbirds in Friday's first semifinal at 11 a.m. at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Community Sports Stadium, while the second semifinal will be a rematch of last year's thrilling semi in Edmonton, with the Dinos and Pronghorns squaring off at 1 p.m. The Dinos ended the Horns' six-year run as conference champions last year with a 33-32 victory.

Following their first conference championship in seven years, the Pandas were truly the class of the Canada West this season, racking up a 4-0 record and outscoring their opponents 192 to 20, or an average of 48-5 per game. The Pandas are also the top ranked team in the country and have claimed the CIS top ranking in the past three polls.

The bronze medalists at the 2012 CIS championship, this year's Pandas squad is perhaps the most veteran and experienced team in the country, with a roster that includes the majority of their players and starters from the 2012 season. On top of that, Chelsea Guthrie, a 2012 CIS All-Canadian and Canada West MVP, helped Canada to a third place finish at the 2013 Summer Universiade Games in Russia, a team that was coached by Alberta's head coach Matt Parrish, who won the Coach of the Year Award in Canada West last season as well.

Also back with the team this year are Amee Svatos (Back Row), Miranda Monty (Back Row), and Rebecca Fairbairn (Back 3), all of whom were all-stars last season, while Svatos, who is originally from Canby, Oregon, was the conference Rookie of the Year in 2012 after joining the Pandas from the Team USA U-20 squad and Oregon State ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. Louis Chavarie (Lock) is also a key player for the Pandas. Third-year back-three player Alanna Fittes, however, has been the straw that stirs the drink for Alberta in 2013. The Rimbey, Alberta native led Canada West in points scored (63), tries (8) and converts (10), while she also scored a penalty goal.

The second seeded Dinos, building off their first appearance in the Canada West Championship game a year ago, finished second in the Canada West standings for the second year in a row, and for a program that is only in its fifth season in the conference, have made a quick ascension up the rugby ranks.

The Dinos, ranked in the CIS Top Ten all season, opened the campaign with a tough loss to the Pandas but then swept their trip through BC, soundly beating both the Victoria Vikes and UBC Thunderbirds. In a preview of this Friday's second semifinal, the Dinos concluded their conference schedule hosting the U of L Pronghorns in early October with the game ending in a 26-26 draw.

For the Horns, while it is always a benefit to play on your home field, the 2013 season has been a roller coaster ride. After opening the season with a disappointing loss to the Victoria Vikes, the six-time Canada West Champions finished with a 1-2-1 record. The 'Horns rebounded from that season opening loss to beat the T-Birds, but after their draw with the Dinos, the 'Horns were beaten handily by the Pandas.

From the start of the season it has been a challenging year for interim head coach JJ Ondrus with captain Jillian Ankutowicz and Canada U-20 member Sarah Gordon missing the entire season due to injury. The club's depth was further tested with other key injuries during the regular season.

Offensively, the 'Horns relied on a balanced attack with eight players scoring at least one try. Senior Kim Leavitt (Back Row) led the way in tries (4), while fourth-year Tiffany Wideen (Centre) took over the kicking duties this season and hit six converts.

The fourth seeded UBC Thunderbirds went into the final weekend of the regular season needing to win and win big to qualify for the conference championships. Under the leadership of first year head coach Maria Gallo, the Thunderbirds had lost their first three games of the season but with their impressive 63-17 win over the Victoria Vikes, the T-Birds punched their ticket to Lethbridge.

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.

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.

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.

Horns rugby to play major role on U20 team

trevor.kenney — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 16:51:07 +0000

Four ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns women's rugby players have been named to Canada's U20 National Women's Team that will compete at the U20 Nations' Cup in July.

Jill Antkutowicz (second-year), Lindsay Duxbury (first-year), Juhee Thompson (first-year) and Tiffany Wideen (first-year) will all p[articipate in the Nations Cup, to be hosted by Santa Barbara, Cal. July 11 to 24. The event will feature matches versus the traditional participating nations of England and the United States, with the addition this year of a U20 squad from South Africa.

Horns head coach Neil Langevin is also the head coach of the U20 program and he said the selection process was very detailed.

"Our staff went coast to coast this spring looking for talent," says Langevin. "Clubs, schools and provincial programs all helped out by identifying and developing players to move to the international stage. With the 2016 Olympics a definite reality for some of these athletes, this group's development is an important part of the medal quest. "

He likes the makeup of the final squad.

"The 26 selected players are a diverse group from across the country and will be expected to perform well at this summer's Nation Cup," says Langevin.

In addition to the four current Horns on the national team roster, Langevin says another four players on the U20 squad are headed to the U of L this fall. Cassandra Orr (Vulcan, Alta.), Bailey Campbell (Lethbridge, Alta.) and Sarah Gordon (Surrey, B.C.) were all originally named to the squad and have verbally committed to the Horns. Ashley Delany was named to the non-travelling reserve side but has now been called up for the Nations Cup.

For more on the U20 team and the Horns, follow this link.

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.

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