Weekend Recap - Week 14

Thunder Athletics kicked off the winter semester with a packed weekend of games. This week saw Basketball, Hockey, and Volleyball all in action. Here’s what happened last week:

Basketball

Thunder Basketball was on the road this past weekend, making the trip to Fort McMurray to face the Keyano Huskies on Friday and Saturday. 

Friday night for Women’s Basketball was a tight game the entire way, with Keyano holding onto a slim 33-32 point lead at halftime. The game continued to remain close after the third quarter, but a 14-9 fourth quarter push from the Huskies is what gave them enough separation to seal the win with a 66-59 final. Georgia Bowman led the team in points on the night with 13, while rookie forward Grethe Winchell led the team with 9 rebounds. Fourth year guard Jaycee May also contributed on defence, leading the team with 4 steals. Saturday versus the Huskies was more of the same, as the Thunder kept it close in the first two quarters but lost steam in the final two, losing the game 65-49. Chloe Sutherland was dominant all game, scoring a team high 21 points while also leading the team with 8 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.

For Men’s Basketball, Keyano brought their A game on Friday night, defeating Concordia 88-59. The Huskies outscored the Thunder in each quarter leading to a decisive win. Roka Phalen Baker was an impact player off the bench this game, scoring 11 points and adding 4 rebounds with only 13 minutes of play. Saturday was a bounce back game for the Thunder, defeating the Huskies 80-78. A back and forth game, Keyano took the early 21-20 lead after the first quarter. Concordia responded by taking the second quarter 24-22 and leading the game 44-43 at the half. The Huskies took back the lead by the end third quarter, but thanks to an amazing fourth quarter effort for the Thunder where they outscored the Huskies 21-13, they pushed ahead in the final minute and took the win. Fifth year guard Yaadvir Dhaliwal scored an impressive 31 points, while fifth year forward Milton Lendein put up an efficient 19 points, shooting 6 for 8 and going 7 for 8 from the free throw line.

Men’s Basketball will be playing a home and home series against the Lakeland Rustlers this week. Friday will be their first home game of the new year before travelling to Lakeland for a road game on Saturday. Women’s Basketball will have the week off before they host the Northwestern Polytechnic Wolves on January 24th and 25th. Women’s Basketball now sits at 2-10 while Men’s Basketball stays at .500 and in a playoff spot with a 6-6 record.

Volleyball

Thunder Volleyball had two home games each this weekend to start the winter semester, welcoming the Keyano Huskies to town for games on Friday night and Saturday afternoon.

It was a tough weekend for Thunder Volleyball as both teams lost both games in straight sets. On Friday night, Women’s Volleyball had sets with scores of 25-18 (KC), 25-22 (KC), and 25-21 (KC), while Men’s Volleyball had set scores of 25-18 (KC), 25-16 (KC), and 25-18 (KC). Saturday’s set scores were 25-18 (KC), 25-20 (KC), and 25-15 (KC) for Women’s Volleyball and 25-14 (KC), 25-15 (KC), and 25-23 (KC) for Men’s. Fourth year Right Side Emma Thompson had a breakout weekend, racking up double digit kills on both days for the first time this season. Her 23 kills were a team high over the two games. Logan Kranrod continued to add to his block total, getting 4 over the weekend. He currently sits second in the ACAC in Blocks Per Set and third in the ACAC in Solo Blocks.

Thunder Volleyball are playing again this coming weekend, as they travel to play the Lakeland Rustlers on Friday followed by hosting the Rustlers at Ralph King Athletic Centre on Saturday.

Hockey

Thunder Men’s Hockey got the new year off to a fantastic start, defeating the Portage College Voyageurs on both Friday and Saturday night.

Friday’s game was a hard fought 4-3 victory for the Thunder. After a 1-1 first period, Concordia took control in the second, with Grayson Reid and Hopp each scoring to give them a 3-1 lead. Portage College mounted a late comeback in the third with power-play goals from Jayden Watson and Mikal Chalifoux but fell short as the Thunder’s defense and goaltender Griffin Bowerman, who made 40 saves, held firm. Saturday night’s home game saw the Thunder dominate Portage College in a commanding 6-0 victory, led by standout performances across the lineup. The scoring began early, with Ryley Morgan, Dylan Handel, and Isaac Leik each scoring to give the Thunder a 3-0 lead by the first intermission. Concordia kept the momentum in the second, with Noah Wilson and Andrew Kennedy each finding the back of the net, pushing the game to 5-0 at the end of two periods. Alex Bend capped off the scoring in the third, while goalie Griffin Bowerman earned a shutout with 22 saves. It was a big point weekend for many athletes, as six players had 2 points or more over the weekend.

With two big wins, Thunder Hockey now has a 5-9 record and holds on to the final playoff spot for ACAC Hockey Championships. Their next games will be this coming weekend, as they head on the road to battle the first place SAIT Trojans on Friday, then host SAIT the next day at Clareview Rec Centre.