BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
The Laurentian University womenÂ's basketball
squad are poised for another crack at an OUA championship.
TheyÂ're already the fifth ranked squad in Canada, according to
the CIS.
Last season, the Lady Vees compiled a 17-5
record. Led by high-scoring guard Tierney Hoo, who averaged
16.14 points a game, CIS Rookie-of-the-Year Cassandra
Carpenter, and a group of smart, skilled players, the Lady Vees
were an almost unstoppable force, until the playoffs.
The team disposed of QueenÂ's University in
the first round. In the OUA East Final, the Lady Vees fell to
the University of Ottawa Gee Gees, a team they had beat twice
in the regular season.
With the bitter taste still lingering, the
Lady Vees are steadfast in their commitment to win a coveted
championship.
The squad lost two key veterans to graduation
in Cara Dodsley and Carolyn Plummer, and Christal Blanchard
left the team because of knee injuries.
Â"We had quite the turnover in the
off-season,Â" said head coach Mike Clarke, Â"but we have some
good players coming in.Â"
Rookies Shannon Chellew and Vanessa Jakola,
both from Sudbury, and ChathamÂ's Jessica Ross will be counted
on to fill the gaps.
The Lady Vees core will be made up of four
fifth-year players, including last yearÂ's leading scorer Hoo,
Brianne Henry, Caitlin Blackadder and Kate Walker. The four
will form the foundation for the team to lean on during the
season. The foursome will be joined by an impressive collection
of
second-year players, including Carpenter,
Ashley MacSporran and Christianne Bauck.
Â"We want to win a championship, play to our
full potential and have no regrets,Â" said Henry. Â"WeÂ're all
hard workers and we have great team dynamics.Â"
There will be plenty of eyes on Hoo, who has
the chance to reach 1,000 career points, and take over the
all-time OUA career scoring lead. She has 976 career points,
and is 384 points away from the overall career lead.
Â"I will give it my best shot,Â" said Hoo.
Â"Now that I am close, I want to accomplish it.Â"
Carpenter, 20, will also be relied on to put
up points. As a rookie, she finished as the 10th leading scorer
in the OUA and was the fourth-leading rebounder.
Clarke expects a balanced attack from the
team on both the offence and defence.
The team is eager to win a
championship.
Â"An OUA Championship is what we are gunning
for because our fifth year players have won the regular season
every year, and now itÂ's time for more,Â" said Clarke. Â"I
think they are ready to win.Â"