News Updates 2002-2003

Coach's Notes
(24 February 03)

Although we did not play this past weekend, there are a couple of things on which to bring you up-to-date. The division standings are:

1. Laurentian
2. Queen's
3. York
4. Ottawa

We will play York on Thursday, February 27th, 8pm at Carleton University. Laurentian and Ottawa will play at 6pm.

The two winning teams will play the OUA East Championship on Friday at 8pm. The Provincial Championship will be played on Sunday, March 2 at the site of the OUA West Champion.

Note: Should McMaster win the OUA West (they host Laurier in the final on Wednesday), thereby earning their way to the Nationals, a Bronze Medal game will be played between the East & West Finalists with the winner also advancing to the Nationals. The location of the Bronze game would be at an Ontario West division school, neutral site.

The Nationals are being hosted at McMaster on March 7-10.

Gaels Finish Second, Enter Playoffs on Roll
by Frank Dixon
(23 February 03)

It hardly seemed possible in early January, but the Queen's Golden Gaels finished the season brilliantly, won 9 of their last 11 games, posted a 12-8 won-lost record, and ended in second place in the OUA East division at the close of the regular season last Friday.

The Gaels will play the York Yeowomen on Thursday, Feb. 27 in the first round of the OUA East playoffs at Carleton in Ottawa. York also has a 12-8 record, but the Gaels got second place based on head-to-head games with the Yeowomen. Each team won once, but Queen's has a superior point spread total. Laurentian, which finished a perfect season at 20-0, will play the surprising Ottawa Gee-Gees (11-9). The defending Ontario champions, the Toronto Varsity Blues, shockingly missed the playoffs.

Queen's had some major changes to the roster to grow into this season, since three fifth-year players from last year's team -- two-time OUA All-Stars Jen Jackson and Heather Box, and five-time Academic All-Canadian Erin Cressman -- all graduated. Injuries were also a constant challenge for the Gaels. They twice lost their co-captain and starting point guard Casey Pratt to injury, and Casey was unable to play in 2003, having knee surgery a few weeks ago. Star post Erin McDiarmid, another co-captain, and rookie guard Claire Meadows, a key reserve and ace defender, also missed important games because of injuries. Senior guard and co-captain Andrea Hanson also missed playing time because of pneumonia and hand injuries.

The 12-8 record does not really do justice to how well the Gaels played this season. According to assistant coach Tim Orpin, "We easily could have been 15-5." Three games, against Brock, Guelph, and Ryerson, got away late after Queen's had been well in control. The Gaels lost to Brock in overtime and by one point to both Guelph and Ryerson.

Through all the struggles, the play of Erin McDiarmid was the force that held the team together. Erin averaged more than 16 points per game to lead the team, hit a career high of 30 against Guelph, was a constant threat on the boards, and finished among the leaders in minutes played. A cinch OUA All-Star, Erin also should get strong consideration for All-Canadian honours.

Dealing with opposition presses was another concern, and it was mid-season before the young Gaels really got comfortable with this. Point guards Nathalie MacNeil and Kyla Burwash had their playing time expanded greatly after Pratt's injuries, and it was trial-by-fire for the two sophomores. They came through with flying colours.

Dramatically improved play from MacNeil, Burwash, post Amy Goodday, and forward Jen Bittner, as they gained needed experience, provided a surge which swept the Gaels from last place on Jan. 10 to second at season's end. Those four players, while certainly talented, had all been reserves before this season. Goodday averaged over 11 points per game, and grabbed more rebounds than any OUA East player. Bittner was the only Gael to start every game, averaged nearly ten points per game, and often began with a scoring burst. MacNeil and Burwash both provided terrific all-round ball, with solid playmaking, defence, and useful scoring, mainly from the outside. All four players should get strong All-Star consideration.

Two rookies also made key contributions for the Gaels. Meadows came through with clever playmaking and terrific defence. Lindsay Robb, although a bit undersized at 5'10" for the post, was able to play some important minutes there, allowing head coach Dave Wilson to start both McDiarmid and Goodday in the post, where they made Queen's the only team in Canada with two players among the top 14 national rebounding leaders.

As the season progressed, it became apparent the Gaels were a defensive powerhouse, holding opponents to some embarassingly low point totals (Windsor 34, Western 40, Toronto 40). Queen's finished the season ranked third in Canada in fewest points allowed, behind only Simon Fraser and Laval.

Meadows missed the last five regular season games, but has been recovering nicely, and hopefully will return for the playoffs this week. Hanson is also the healthiest she has been all season, and would like to close her Gaels' career with performances similar to two years ago, when she came off the bench and hit a flurry of points which crushed Toronto in a playoff game. Queen's won the Ontario championship that season, and they have five players from that team (Pratt, McDiarmid, Goodday, Bittner, and Hanson) still on their roster, to provide experience under pressure.

So, onto the York game. Talent levels between the teams are comparable, but the teams play contrasting styles. The Gaels favour a body defence and an up-tempo game all over the floor, both of which accentuate their great team speed, conditioning, and athleticism. York plays a zone defence and a more patient half-court game, which can be frustrating to face. However, York lost its last four games, and the Gaels will have had nearly two weeks off to prepare for this playoff game, time much needed to rest injuries after a long season. This writer predicts a Queen's win in a close, hard-fought game.

Should the Gaels defeat York, they will likely play Laurentian (which has been unbeaten) on Friday, for a spot in the CIS championship. That would be a difficult matchup, but Queen's was tied with Laurentian with only two minutes left in the game, last fall, playing without McDiarmid. No team is unbeatable, as Queen's proved two years ago when they upset the heavily favoured V's in the East title game.

The Gaels could have another chance to make the nationals, depending on what happens in the OUA West playoffs. McMaster as host qualifies automatically, but if Mac also wins its division (they finished first in league play), then the West runner-up will play the East runner-up for Ontario bronze and a third Ontario berth in the nationals.

Queen's is its healthiest in weeks, well-rested, and playing very well. This team could go a long way in the post-season.

Coach's Notes
(18 February 03)

Our league play is finished. Hard to believe that 5 weeks ago we were sitting in last place with only 3 wins and 6 losses. Thanks to winning 9 of our last 11 games, we have moved into second place in the OUA East division. York, currently in third place, can earn second with a win over the currently undefeated Laurentian Voyageurs. In any case, we will face York in the opening round of the OUA East Final Four. Laurentian will take on either Ottawa or Toronto (to be decided this Friday). The first round of the playoffs will be played on Thursday, February 27 at Carleton University with game times at 6:00pm and 8:00pm. I have yet to see what time we will play York.

We are taking a few days off to rest and recover from the bumps, bruises, tears and pulls common with a long season. Claire Meadows did some light jogging for the first time on the weekend, and if all goes well, may be able to play next week. Keep your fingers crossed.

Coach's Notes
(10 February 03)

Some good news from the weekend -- we have now (absolutely) secured a playoff berth, but it remains to be seen whether we finish in 2nd, 3rd, or 4th. We have won 8 of our last 9 games and have two games remaining: Friday, Feb. 14 at Carleton and Saturday, Feb. 15 at Ottawa -- both games at 6pm.

Casey Pratt underwent successful knee surgery on Tuesday and re-joined the team on Saturday (on the bench, of course). She will spend about 6 weeks on crutches, making it a real challenge to get around Kingston with all the snow. Her rehabilitation therapy will begin immediately and knowing Casey's diligence, the issue of not doing too much is likely to arise.

Claire Meadows checked in with the orthopedic surgeon last week to rule out meniscus (cartilage) damage to her knee. The ilio-tibial band seems to be causing the problem (she has been having minor problems with the IT band all season). She is getting better each day as her range of motion is slowly returning to normal. It is unclear as to when she will return to the court.

Coach's Notes
(3 February 03)

A couple of solid performances this past weekend have climbed us into sole possession of third place. Our next two weekends are on the road, as we head to Sudbury for a game against Laurentian on Friday, February 7th and then down to Toronto to play York on Saturday, February 8th. Both games are at 6pm. The following weekend we head to the Nation's Capital to take on Carleton and Ottawa.

Of concern is the injury to Claire Meadows who injured her knee in the Toronto game. I'm not sure the extent of the damage or the prognosis at this time. To update Casey Pratt's situation, she will be undergoing re-constructive knee surgery for a torn ACL on Tuesday of this week. All of us are very grateful to Andrea Hawkins (Claire Meadows' high school coach and Q's grad) for her assistance in accelerating the process of having Casey treated.

Coach's Notes
(20 January 03)

Casey Pratt has been diagnosed with ACL damage to her knee and will be out for the rest of the season. We are in the process of trying to get surgery ASAP to get her ready in time for next fall. While she is extremely disappointed, she is helping out the other point guards from the bench.

Erin McDiarmid couldn't get out of bed on Friday prior to our game against Western -- she had the stomach flu. When I picked her up on Saturday to drive over to RMC, I thought she was in her street clothes and would be joining us on the bench. When I walked into RMC's gym, she dressed in her game uniform ready to warm up. Even the Western coach asked me about her, since she was very pale. The game reports (including the Whig Standard Report, accessible from the main page) tell how she did.

Up next we host Ottawa on Friday, February 24 at 6:00pm in Bartlett, followed by Carleton on Saturday, also at 6:00pm. Both will be difficult and critical games. Have a great week.

2002 Fall Term Wrap-Up
(02 December 02)

The fall term has come to a close. While we are not in the position we would like to be at this point, there is reason for optimism. We have three league wins, beating Laurier, Waterloo and Toronto. Our losses have been tough battles: two 8 point losses (playing without Ontario's top scorer, Erin McDiarmid), two 1 point losses, and one loss in overtime (Casey Pratt, our starting point guard was injured for the overtime game and one of the 1 point loss games). To say that we are competitive is an understatement. As our experience continues to grow in our all-new offensive scheme, our 'reads' and execution will continue to improve. Defensively we rate in the top 5 in the country: an impressive statistic especially considering our size and CIS experience.

We return to the court shortly after Christmas to prepare for the Concordia Tournament in Montreal, December 29, 30 & 31. League play resumes on January 10 at McMaster, followed by Lakehead (in Thunder Bay) on the 11th.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a safe and enjoyable holiday season. Thank you for your interest and support of Queen's Basketball.


Tim Orpin teams up with Canada Basketball
(22 June 02)

Heading into his 17th season with the Queen's Golden Gaels, Coach Orpin has expanded his coaching vitae to include a position with Canada Basketball. Selected as an assistant coach with Canada Basketball's inaugural Ontario version of the Centre of Performance, Tim will spend four weekends training the province's best female basketball prospects. The Centre of Performance, first piloted in British Columbia in 2001, opened its doors in Ontario following try-outs in Hamilton and Toronto in the spring of 2002. Thirty-four athletes, ranging in age from 14 to 18, were selected from over 400 hopefuls to attend training sessions provided by the province's top coaches. Among the 34 selected athletes is Queen's incoming freshman, Claire Meadows. Coach Orpin feels the 5'9" Brantford native is ideally suited for the Centre of Performance (and Queen's) with her athletic and scoring ability. The athletes will receive training in the skills identified by the National Team coaching staff, as those necessary to compete on the world stage. It will serve as a developmental program to prepare Canadian athletes at an earlier age - a program that mimics what is being done at the Young Women's and Senior National levels of programming.


Dave Wilson Headed Back to Brazil
(22 June 02)

Queen's Head Coach is headed back to Brazil for the second consecutive summer, this time as an assistant coach with the newly formed Young Women's National Team (under 21 years of age). Following last summer's experience at the "Mega Camp" held at Queen's University that brought together the country's top 34 players, Dave headed to Brazil with the Senior National Team to compete in the Tournament of the Americas (COPABA). This summer, immediately following the Queen's hosted Mega Camp (July 1 - 10), Dave will be headed back to Brazil, this time with the Young Women's National Team - again to compete in the Tournament of the Americas. The tournament serves as a qualifying event to next summer's World Championships being held in Dubrovnik, Croatia from July 25 to August 3, 2003. Another name familiar to Queen's fans will also be making the trip to Ribeirao Preto, Brazil. Serving as team manager, Erin McDiarmid (heading into her fourth year with the Gaels) with be working the Mega Camp for the second consecutive year and was selected as the Young Women's Team manager by Canada Basketball. The team heads south on July 11th, with competition beginning on the 17th. The medal rounds will be played on the 21st.

The following teams will be competing, with only the top three teams qualifying for the World Championships:

Canada, United States, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Argentina, Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

"I am excited to be involved with international basketball again this summer. The experiences are providing me with insight into how the game of basketball is played in different parts of the world. I look forward to implementing some of the skills and strategies with the Queen's team," commented Wilson.

2001-2002 News Archives

2000-2001 News Archives