News

Athletics update

Winter sports in full bloom
Midway through the year's middle term, Shawnigan athletes and coaches are looking forward to tournaments and playoff runs.
 
 
Ice hockey:
 
Travelling to Ontario for the annual MacPherson Tournament, the Midget Prep team showed just how far Shawnigan's hockey program has come.
 
Four years after joining the CSSHL as a fully-fledged hockey program, the school's top team returned once again to St. Andrew's College for an event featuring the top high school squads in North America. At first glance, this year's results look similar to years past, with Shawnigan compiling a 0-3-1 record over three days. However, a closer look shows a 2-1 loss to St. Andrew's – the eventual tournament winners and perennially one of the top programs on the continent. The boys also earned a 3-3 tie against Connecticut's Salisbury School and suffered a narrow 1-0 loss to Boston Advantage.
 
The same weekend, Shawnigan's Bantam Prep squad ventured to Denver, Colorado for a series of exhibition games against some of the top programs in the region. An eye-opening experience for the players, the trip included tours of Colorado College and Denver University's hockey program, and an experience at an Air Force NCAA game.
 
Meanwhile, Shawnigan's Girls Prep team enjoyed home ice for the final time this season, hosting the top two teams in the Province – and arguably the country – the girls lost all four games, -dropping to 6-17-1 on the season. The weekend was still special for the girls, however, as they celebrated Seniors Night on Friday evening. Before their matchup against OHA, the team recognized 11 graduating players, nine of whom have been with the team since its debut three years ago.
 
 
Squash:
 
Squash teams at all levels have had a busy month of competition in January.
 
The Shawood tournament on January 19th saw good sportsmanship and friendly competition between Shawnigan and Brentwood teams. Coach Lynne Grass commended a particularly strong showing from Lonsdale's players, with Edward R. and Caesar Z. winning the Gold and Silver divisions, respectively, and Damon K. as the Silver runner-up. Kudos also go to Teddy H. who was the Gold division runner-up, and Maria M. who took the consolation round for the Bronze division.
 
The ISA Squash Tournament on January 25th brought teams from BCS and SMUS to Shawnigan to compete. Coach Mike Johnson reports that fiercely contested matches brought out the best once again from Shawnigan players, noting exceptional performances from Aaron W. and Thomas D. The Senior Boys’ team held their ground to claim a 3-2 victory over SMUS. Meanwhile, the Senior Girls came second with a narrow 3-2 loss to SMUS, while the Junior Boys lost all matches 5-0.
 
 
Field Hockey:
 
Shawnigan's winter term indoor team astounded Coach Andi Conroy with an impressive performance at last weekend's Malcolm Fernandes Memorial Tournament in Duncan. Featuring eight strong club teams, the event saw Shawnigan's short-benched team play four games in three days, losing only one matchup – their semifinal game against the Wildcats. At the end of the tournament, Birklee A. was recognized as the top scorer overall, while Sophie M. was also singled out for her strong play.
 
 
 
Basketball:
 
 
The Senior Girls' season so far has been characterized by injury and illness, although the team is still in a strong position heading into playoffs. Shawnigan finished the regular season in first place overall, and will head to the South Island Championship as the top seed.
 
Coach Darrin Austin says Brentwood's tournament has posed the biggest challenge so far, and that the team has "had moments of really good play, and also some moments of … not as strong play!" The South Island tournament runs Feb 7-10 at PCS, and will be preceded by the four-team Shawnigan Invitational tournament this weekend on campus.
 
The Junior Girls are heading to crunch time after a strong season of development. At the conclusion of their season, the girls finished second overall in their league, setting up a one-game showdown against Brentwood on Thursday, with the winner heading to the Island Championship.
 
The Junior Boys are also in dogfight heading into the final week of the regular season. The boys face Gulf Islands Secondary on Thursday, with the winner potentially earning a berth at the Island Championship. Coach Anctil says his team is "very athletic and has shown glimpses of outstanding potential."
 
The Senior Boys are winding down a short regular season, and are looking forward to upcoming challenges. This weekend, the squad head to the Countdown Tournament at Brentwood. The following week, Coach Pasquale's team will miss Ski Week for a six-game exhibition road trip.   
 
 
News and notes:
 
Two former members of Shawnigan's Midget Prep hockey team are looking forward to this summer's NHL Entry Draft. Jacson Alexander and Zach Okabe have both been listed among the top North American prospects, joining 15 other current and former CSSHL athletes. This year's draft runs June 21-22 in Vancouver.
 
Shawnigan rugby coach Shannon Atkins is adding another job to her long list of responsibilities. Coach Atkins has been named the Head Coach of the BC Under-16 Girls' rugby 15s team.
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