The Memorial Sea-Hawks (0-17) welcome the UNB Varsity Reds (8-8) to town for a three game series to cap off their 2019-2020 season on February 7th, 8th and 9th. The Hawks are coming off of three straight losses to the Acadia Axewomen last weekend, while the Varsity Reds lost their last two games to the Saint Mary's Huskies.
The Hawks will need full contributions from the team in order to pick up some wins against a tough UNB team. A notable player for the Sea-Hawks is 1st year setter Erica Rafuse, who is coming into the game 6th in the AUS in aces per set, with 4.55. She comes into the match after a 15 ace performance on Sunday, February 2nd. Rafuse was also able to get 6 digs and 3 total blocks in Sunday's game as well, scoring 3 points in the game.
On the other side, the Varsity Reds come into the matches sitting at 4th in the standings, and with some wins this weekend and losses from Acadia, they could jump to 3rd in the standings. A notable player for the Reds is 3rd year setter Paige Lehto, who comes into the game 4th in aces per set, with 8.57. She is coming off a huge performance where she had 42 aces to go along with 8 digs and a block assist on February 1st against Saint Mary's.
Staying motivated can be a challenge in seasons where teams struggle, but Head Coach John Slauenwhite has said that the team has been staying positive all season as they look to the future. The team has set new individual and team goals to help them prepare for the final weekend of the season.
Slauenwhite, when asked about the team's mentality heading into the final home games of the season, said "It's been three months between our last home games and the team is looking forward to playing in front of our fans. We have the best turnout of fans in the AUS, and it's always tough playing on the road. All of the pressure at this point of the season is on UNB and not us."
The Hawks will look to have an impressive showing at home this weekend as they look to avoid going winless on the year. UNB will provide a tough matchup, but Memorial has all of the tools to finish the season on a high note.
The Sea-Hawks play UNB on Friday at 7:00 PM NST, Saturday at 7:00 PM NST, and on Sunday at 1:00 PM NST. Head to the Fieldhouse to support the Sea-Hawks in their final home games of the season. You can also watch the games live on www.austv.ca, follow the live scores of the games on www.goseahawks.ca or follow the games on Twitter.
Written by: Darnell Downs