THE MATCHUP

            Memorial Sea-Hawks are opening the 2019-2020 AUS season in St. John's with a clash against UNB Varsity Reds. These two teams met only two times last season with UNB coming on top both times. However, the Sea-Hawks got their revenge as they won an exciting first round matchup in the playoffs with Varsity Reds, eliminating them from the championship race. The opening weekend will give an insight of what to expect from these two teams, as both of them will look to get a head-start in the AUS with a pair of wins.

            The Varsity Reds finished last season with a record of 12 wins and 8 losses, ending up in the 4th place of the AUS. After finishing this year's preseason 1-5, they will be looking to pick up their form and gain some steam against the Sea-Hawks. Their roster underwent some changes this season. The loss of steady contributors Ja'Yon Leak and Jane Boyle will surely be felt by the Varsity Reds, but this team still has a number of good returning players who are looking forward to a successful 2019-2020 season. UNB will once again be led by their 4^th year guard Mikaela Dodig, who earned the AUS Second Team All Star honors last year. Dodig will be the player to watch as she is averaging 16 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game through six preseason games, leading the Varsity Reds with an all-around effort. Grace Simpson and Eva Tumwine will provide 5^th year experience for UNB coming off of strong season in the AUS last year in which they were in the top 15 in both points and rebounds per game. It will be also interesting to watch the development of the AUS All-Rookie Team member from last year, Katie Daley. Daley had a strong preseason, averaging 9.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, showing that she is ready to handle the responsibility in her second year with the Varsity Reds.

HAWKS EYE

            Sea-Hawks will look to continue their run of success from last season. After eliminating the Varsity Reds in the first round, Memorial ran out of steam in the AUS championship game against Acadia, wrapping up a fairly successful season. This preseason the Sea-Hawks went 4-4, providing solid performances all-around. The challenge of this season will be to fill the void that was left after Stewart, Wright and Ezekiel graduated last year. The player that will assume the leadership role for the Sea-Hawks this year is Haille Nickerson, a 5^th year guard out of Grimsby, Ontario. Nickerson had a great 2018-2019 AUS campaign for the Sea-Hawks, often providing instant scoring from the bench. With Ezekiel and Stewart gone (both AUS All-Stars last year), Nickerson has been determined to take the leadership spot, averaging 21.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in 6 preseason games.

Nickerson stated: "Many Girls have been stepping up into bigger roles and we have a great team dynamic. I am going to try my best to lead by example on and off the court. I'm very excited for this season".

Another player that will look to make the jump in only her 2^nd year for the Sea-Hawks is Alana Short. She will look to be one of the most improved players this season with her all-around game, averaging 9.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3 assists per game through 8 preseason games.

"Personally, I am hoping to take on a bigger leadership role both on and off the court this year. I am going to try my best to be a consistent scorer, rebounder, and defender for our team", Short said.

The Sea-Hawks also have a potential All-Rookie Team candidate in Hannah Green, a 6'2" first year forward out of Flatrock, NL. She looked poised to make an impact right away in preseason, providing a steady presence inside with 9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. With strong performances from Ines Salat, a 3^rd year guard from Barcelona, and Ashley Collins, a 3^rd year guard from Goulds, Sea-Hawks look like they are ready to start off the season on a winning note.

COACHES COMMENTS

Head Coach Mark English believes that the team had a very successful preseason and that the team learned a lot from it.
"We played a lot of close games , two going to OT, so I think the team definitely took some valuable experiences from that heading into regular season play", English said. When asked about the team's goals this season English stated: "Not to look any further ahead then today. Just need to keep pushing ourselves and each other to be better than we were yesterday".

He believes that as long as the Sea-Hawks stay focused and positive, there is a great chance for success in the AUS this year.




Written by: Kosta Tiodorovic