Weekend Recap - Week 15

Thunder Athletics was in full swing this past weekend as Badminton, Basketball, Curling, Hockey, and Volleyball were all playing. Here’s what happened last week:

Badminton

The second Badminton tournament of the year was hosted by the King’s University this past weekend. Thunder Badminton put together a strong effort, participating in Men’s/Women’s Singles, Men’s/Women’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles events.

In the Singles events, Emma Tran finished 4th in the Women’s division, while Raphael Motel also finished 4th in the Men’s division. In the Doubles events, Lauryn Psutka & Emma Tran ended up 4th on the Women’s side, while Raphael Motel & Jonathan Su claimed 2nd place in the Men’s category.

There’s one more tournament to go before Badminton Championships, as NAIT will play host to Tournament #3 on February 2nd.

Basketball

Men’s Basketball fell short against Lakeland College in a tough 84-72 loss at Ralph King on Friday night. Despite a slow start that saw them trailing 30-12 after the first quarter, Concordia battled back with a strong third-quarter performance, outscoring Lakeland 24-13. Yaadvir Dhaliwal led the Thunder with 24 points, hitting three three-pointers and going 7-for-9 from the free-throw line. Milton Lendein also contributed significantly with 17 points and 11 successful free throws. However, Lakeland’s balanced attack proved too much for Concordia to overcome. Lakeland’s efficient shooting, particularly from beyond the arc at 42.9%, kept them in control throughout the game.

Saturday was more of the same, as the Thunder struggled offensively in a 76-55 loss to Lakeland, despite a strong first quarter where they led 18-16. The Thunder's had a tough shooting game as they finished with a 32.8% field goal percentage and shot just 18.8% from beyond the arc. Milton Lendein led the team with 13 points and 8 rebounds, while Yaadvir Dhaliwal added 11 points. Lakeland pulled away in the second quarter with a dominant 30-point effort, and Concordia was unable to recover.

Men’s and Women’s Basketball will be at home this coming weekend, as they host Northwestern Polytechnic this coming Friday and Saturday.

Curling

Thunder Curling put on a strong showing at the Winter Regional competition, with both the mixed and women's teams delivering solid performances. The mixed team finished with a 2-2 record, securing victories against SAIT (7-2) and Portage (8-2) but falling short in hard-fought matches against Red Deer (6-2) and Lakeland (9-7). Despite the losses, the team showcased resilience and competitive spirit throughout the event.

The women’s team had an impressive run, finishing with a 4-1 record. They dominated their opponents in several matches, including a commanding 9-0 win over NAIT and a 10-1 victory against U of A Augustana. The team also secured wins against Red Deer (6-1) and Lakeland (9-4), with their only setback coming in a close 7-5 loss to SAIT. Overall, the Thunder women's squad demonstrated exceptional skill and consistency, positioning themselves as strong contenders moving forward.

Both teams now look towards the ACAC Curling Championships happening February 7th-9th in Red Deer.

Volleyball

Both Volleyball teams faced off against the nationally ranked Lakeland Rustlers on Friday and Saturday this past weekend.

On the women’s side, the Thunder faced a tough challenge against the undefeated Rustlers, falling in straight sets with scores of 25-17, 25-17, and 25-10. Despite the difficulties, Emma Thompson led the team with 8 kills and an ace, while Olivia Spelt contributed 4 kills. The Thunder also faced pressure defensively, managing just 10 total digs and 4 blocks against Lakeland’s relentless attack. Concordia showed moments of resilience but was unable to overcome the Rustlers' strong play. Saturday the Thunder women faced a similar fate as they fell to Lakeland College at home in straight sets, 26-24, 25-12, and 25-17. Despite a promising start, Concordia struggled to maintain momentum. Emma Thompson again led the Thunder with 10 kills, while Stephanie Kendziora contributed 6 kills and 5 digs. Defensively, the team recorded 32 digs and look to build on the positives from this hard-fought match.

CUE Men’s Volleyball put up a valiant effort but ultimately fell to Lakeland College in four sets, 28-26, 18-25, 20-25, and 13-25. The Thunder started strong, winning a tightly contested first set with an impressive .542 hitting percentage, but struggled to maintain consistency throughout the match. Brodie Wight led the team with 13 kills, while Setter Hasit Desai dished out 40 assists. Defensively, the team registered 24 digs but was unable to capitalize on key moments. Saturday at Ralph King may have been the best game for the men’s program this season, as Concordia pushed Lakeland to the limit in an intense five-set game but ultimately fell short, losing 3-2 (27-25, 17-25, 22-25, 25-16, 9-15). The Thunder came out strong, taking the opening set in a thrilling back-and-forth exchange, but struggled to maintain momentum in the following frames. Brodie Wight led the offence for Concordia with a game-high 18 kills, while Kurt Niehoff and Alexi Dufour contributed 10 and 8 kills, respectively. Setter Zach Fernandez recorded 40 assists and 5 blocks, facilitating a balanced attack. Concordia’s serving game showed promise with six aces, including two each from Niehoff and Dufour, but they were unable to capitalize in the decisive fifth set. Defensively, the Thunder registered 35 digs, with Austin Wilson leading the back row efforts. At the net, the team recorded 16 total blocks, as Tyson Assaly’s seven block assists anchored the front line

Despite the losses, Thunder Volleyball showed flashes of offensive strength and will look to build on their performance moving forward. Both teams will travel to Grande Prairie to take on the Northwestern Polytechnic Wolves twice with games Friday and Saturday.

Hockey

The Concordia Thunder had two games this past weekend against the division leading SAIT Trojans. Friday night’s road game the team fell 4-1 to the Trojans. After an early first-period goal by Zachery Carlson, the game was tied 1-1. However, SAIT regained the lead with a power-play goal from Brandon Machado and extended their advantage with additional goals from Reece Richmond and Colby Ball. Machado sealed the win with an empty-net goal in the third. Despite a strong performance from goaltender Drew Sim, who made 38 saves, Concordia struggled with discipline, accruing 20 penalty minutes, which hindered their comeback chances. Saturday night was a different story as the Thunder defeated the Trojans 7-5 in an exciting game at Clareview. Despite an early 2-1 lead for SAIT in the first period, Concordia responded with a dominant second period, scoring five unanswered goals. Dylan Handel had a standout performance with three assists, while Zachery Carlson, Isaac Leik, and Krz Plummer each contributed key points. SAIT managed to rally with two goals in the second period and one in the third, but Concordia's offense proved too much. Goalie Drew Sim earned the win for Concordia, making 41 saves, while SAIT's Andrew MacLean struggled in goal, allowing seven goals on 30 shots.

Thunder Hockey continues to push for the postseason as they battle the Red Deer Polytechnic Kings this coming Friday and Saturday night.