Written by: Duncan Forbes
The Tigers began the season with a win over York, followed by a
tough two-match series against the University of Winnipeg at home,
losing 3-2 and 3-0. They then went on the road south of the border
for a three-game stint at Penn State. After dropping two games
against Monterrey Tech and Ohio State, the Tigers rallied back hard
with a huge 3-2 victory over the host Penn State, who were ranked
14th in the NCAA.
The dramatic win over Penn State spurred a seven-game winning
streak that lasted until November 16 and included a huge 3-0
victory over the reigning CIS champion Laval Rouge et Or. They
opened the regular season with an 8-2 record to head into the
holiday break.
The Tigers had a stellar January, going 4-1 with their only
loss coming against Sherbrooke. They finished the season by
splitting a two-game series against UNB in Fredericton, finishing
at 13-4 and in first place in the AUS.
The stage was set for yet another showdown between the Tigers
and the Varsity Reds as both teams eyed the AUS crown. In the first
game at Dalplex, the Tigers outlasted the Varsity Reds, as
championship MVP Bryan Duquette’s 23 kills led the Tigers to
a 3-2 victory. In the second game, the Tigers were down 2-0, but
stormed back to win the next three sets to win their 26th
championship in 28 years.
Kristen O’Brien, Connor Maessen and Jonathan Macdonald
were all named to the AUS all-star team, while Matthew Donovan was
named the AUS rookie of the year.
With their 35th AUS championship win, they were off to the CIS
championship in Calgary, AB, as the fourth seed. They faced off
against the Laval Rouge et Or, a team they’d beaten twice
before in the season. The Tigers couldn’t keep up with the
Rouge et Or and fell 3-0 in the quarter-final. They then faced the
Montreal Carabins in the consolation semifinal, claiming a tough
3-2 victory.
The win put them in the fifth-place game against the
third-seeded Trinity Western Spartans. The Tigers won the first set
but dropped the next three to lose 3-1, placing the Tigers in a
very respectable sixth place.
Jonathan Macdonald was named a CIS second team all-Canadian
and Matt Donovan was named to the CIS all-rookie team.
AUS coach of the year Dan Ota would like to thank the other
team staff whose commitment had a big impact on the team’s
performance over the season. Assistant coach Russ Lawrence put
countless hours into video and game plans so that the team was
always prepared to face their next opponent. Mental skills coach
Andrew Ling taught the group how to stay focused and seize
opportunities to create momentum in key moments in a game.
Trainers Chrissie Terry, Matt MacKenzie and Tristram Hannah were
on hand to keep the Tigers healthy throughout the year.
Strength and conditioning coach Devon Norris kept everyone in
peak physical form and statistician Pat Coolen collected game and
training data to give the team an edge over the competition. The
Tigers success this season was truly a team effort, and these
individuals all made significant contributions behind the
scenes.
