This fall, Tigers teams competed from St. John鈥檚 to Victoria and many places in between. Most teams have their seasons underway, building towards the AUS and CIS championship climax, while others have already met a dramatic conclusion. With the end of the semester upon us, it鈥檚 now time to highlight a few of the many individual and team athletic accomplishments we鈥檝e witnessed so far this season.
Defending champs claim title again
It was another superb season for women鈥檚 soccer with successes both on and off the pitch. Finding their rhythm before mid-season, the women went on an eight-game winning streak, finishing second in the AUS regular season standings. In the playoffs, Dal went on to upset the number-one ranked Capers in the AUS final, earning their second consecutive AUS championship. At the CIS championship in Victoria, B.C., the women fought hard and won the consolation final to secure fifth place. Keeper Taryn McKenna and defender Kristy McGregor-Bales were named AUS all-stars, while midfielder Emma Landry was named a CIS all-Canadian along with co-captain and AUS MVP Rieka Santilli.
Honourable mention efforts
Both cross country teams and the men鈥檚 soccer team held nothing back this season, earning very respectable AUS finishes. The cross country men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 teams claimed second place at the AUS championship, while runners Matt McNeil and Holly Van Gestel finished second in their respective races. On the pitch, the men鈥檚 soccer team once again made their way to the semifinals of the AUS playoffs where Nathan Rogers completed a spectacular hat-trick against UNB only to come up short of the win with a 4-3 finish. Recognized as AUS all-stars for their performance on the field during the soccer season were Bezick Evraire, Nathan Rogers and Kerry Weymann, who was also named a CIS second-team all-Canadian.
Dal student-athletes sweep top academic honours
AV俱乐部 student-athletes ranked in the top 10 Canadian universities in terms of academic excellence in 2011-12. Among the 93 Tigers CIS Academic All-Canadians honoured in November were Miranda McMillan and Nathan Musoke, two of the CIS Top Eight Academic All-Canadians. Both science students, Musoke and McMillan achieved perfect 4.3 GPA鈥檚. Musoke is currently a third-year member of the track and field team, and McMillan is a fifth-year defender on the hockey squad.聽
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Tigers ranked amongst top in the country
The women鈥檚 volleyball team has been on fire from the start, claiming their first tournament victory at the Queen鈥檚 Invitational in mid-October. Currently sitting at the top of the AUS standings the Tigers have been ranked by the CIS as one of the top ten teams in Canada for eight consecutive weeks. Heading into the holidays ranked fifth in the country, they are on a five-game win streak and have a regular season record of 9-2. With no signs of slowing down, this team will be one to watch after the holidays as they vie for the AUS championship and national title.
Women鈥檚 basketball tied at second in the AUS
With two tournaments during their preseason, the Tigers have been steadily building momentum ever since. After coming out on top in a nail-biter against UPEI at Dalplex on December 1, the team now sits in a tie for second place with StFX. With Dal鈥檚 Keisha Brown and Tessa Stammberger both in the AUS top ten for points, the black and gold will aim to pick up where they left off in the new year. Don鈥檛 miss their first game back on January 5 at Dalplex when they face StFX at 6pm.
Swimmers making waves with new head coach
Once again the Tigers swim team has had an excellent start to the season, this time under the leadership of new head coach Lance Cansdale. Having already competed in a number of meets including the Dal Invitational and the Canada Cup, many of the Tigers swimmers have already qualified for the CIS championship. The women鈥檚 team has 15 athletes who have met the CIS time standard, while on the men鈥檚 side nine swimmers have qualified. On top of an impressive 24 CIS qualifiers, seven individual swimmers have also broken AUS records. You can find a complete list of AV俱乐部 record breakers .