It was another memorable season for many AV俱乐部 Tigers varsity teams. Below is a breakdown of sportswriter Mike Still鈥檚 top 10 moments/stories from the 2016-17 season.
10: Three Dal athletes win U SPORTS community service awards.
Breakdown: A number of Dal athletes made an impact in their respective sports as well as in the community. (cross country), (men鈥檚 soccer) and (men鈥檚 basketball) were all honoured at season鈥檚 end with both the AUS and U SPORTS student-athlete community service awards. Women鈥檚 soccer player also received AUS community service award honours.
9. Midfielder Maya Venkataraman scores first goal of her AUS career in 3-0 win over Moncton.
Breakdown: had a solid rookie season for a young Tigers women鈥檚 soccer squad. Her five points led all players and her three goals were tied for the team lead 鈥� the first of which came against Moncton on Sept. 25. The goal came in the 90th minute and cemented the team鈥檚 first win of the campaign.
8. Women鈥檚 basketball defeats Cape Breton 64-62 in opening week of season.
Breakdown: Despite missing the playoffs in 2016-17, the women鈥檚 basketball team made a statement in the opening week of the season, defeating the eventual AUS champion Cape Breton Capers 64-62. Three players scored in double figures, led by veteran with 19 points and five rebounds. Rookie point guard also added 11 points and six rebounds, proving to be a player of the future for the Tigers.
7. Goaltender Corbin Boes records 47 saves in 2-1 shootout win over UPEI.
Breakdown: Arguably the biggest loss for the men鈥檚 hockey team came at the Christmas break, when two-time AUS all-star goaltender suffered a broken ankle and was lost for the remainder of the season.
The team had finished the first half of the campaign with the second fewest goals allowed in the conference, and were right in the thick of the playoff race with a 6-9-3 record. Boes was also leading the conference in minutes played, as well as save percentage (0.933) One of his best performances came on Oct.22, when he made 47 saves in regulation and three more in the shootout to stymy the playoff-bound UPEI Panthers 2-1.
6. Outside hitter Jeffrey Walton hits four aces in five serves against Laval.
Breakdown: The men鈥檚 volleyball team was relatively young in 2016-17, but flashed glimpses into the future in second-year and first-years and .
Walton, an outside hitter, was particularly impressive at the service line in a 3-1 win over RSRQ powerhouse Laval in mid-January.
His [Walton鈥檚] run of four aces in five serves during the first set was one of the most impressive serving runs I鈥檝e witnessed in my coaching career; it definitely set the tone for the rest of the match. We sent a loud message that when we are on our game, we can beat anyone,鈥� says Ota.
5. Trent Lynds named AUS men鈥檚 rookie of the year in cross-country.
Breakdown: Rookie was a standout athlete for the men鈥檚 cross-country team all season long. He finished with numerous top-10 finishes during AUS competition and also placed 15th at the AUS championship 鈥� his first time competing at that distance. He was honoured at season鈥檚 end as the AUS rookie of the year.
4. Women鈥檚 track and field team wins 28th AUS title in a row with less than 20 athletes competing.
Breakdown: Earlier in the season, the StfX women鈥檚 team was ranked higher than Dal. Knowing they had to win virtually every event, the women didn鈥檛 disappoint, taking the AUS title. Standout sprinters and were injured for the vast majority of the year, however rookie and UNB transfer , along with distance phenom all answered the call. Reynolds was honoured at season鈥檚 end with the AUS rookie of the year award.
3. Backstroke/butterfly specialist Phoebe Lenderyou keeps AUS undefeated streak alive.
Breakdown: Originally hailing from Newcastle, England, won every conference event she competed in this season 鈥� including six gold medal finishes at the AUS championships 鈥� to successfully keep her conference undefeated streak alive. She culminated another impressive campaign with a bronze medal finish in the 100-metre backstoke at nationals, one place better than her performance from the year prior in the same event.
During her time with the Tigers, Lenderyou has now gone a perfect 48-for-48 in AUS competition. She was also rewarded for her efforts with a second straight nod as AUS female swimmer of the year.
2. Outside hitter Anna Dunn-Suen tallies 15 kills in AUS championship win over Memorial.
Breakdown: provided invaluable leadership on the attack all season long for the Tigers, which culminated in a fifth-straight AUS title. She had 15 kills, 8 digs and two solo blocks in Dal鈥檚 3-0 AUS title game win over Memorial. Dunn-Suen also had 18 kills in a 3-2 win over Moncton on Jan. 15.
1. Men鈥檚 basketball wins bronze at nationals.
Breakdown: The men鈥檚 basketball team was impressive from start to finish in 2016-17, finishing the AUS campaign with a third straight conference banner. They continued to roll at nationals on home court with victories over Alberta and McGill to take home third place 鈥� the best finish in team history. Fifth-year senior was named a tournament all-star while sharpshooting forward led the way points-wise for a second-straight year.
AV俱乐部 Mike Still
Mike joined the Tigers staff for the 2016-17 while pursuing a one-year journalism degree from King's College. Currently doing an internship with Global Television in Edmonton, Mike was also a sportswriter with the Manitoba Bisons before making the journey to Halifax.
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