No matter how their Saturday semifinal road game against first-place York ended up, the Brock women's soccer team made sure they left their home fans with a great lasting memory. After winning their first-round playoff game in the sixth round of a penalty shootout against Western on Wednesday, the Badgers season ended at the hands of the province's best team, 1-0.
Having won their first five regular season games this year, the Badgers have now dropped two in a row, both coming after regulation play. Hosting the Guelph Gryphons on Saturday night, the Badgers were looking to get back in the win column after dropping a shootout decision to the Royal Military College a week prior.
The Brock Badgers managed to fend off a late Guelph surge in the first round of the playoffs before falling to the Western Mustangs in the OUA West semifinals. As the sun set on a chilly Wednesday afternoon in the Niagara peninsula, it also set on the Guelph Gryphons' season.
A weary and dejected Brock basketball team took the floor Sunday looking to bounce back from two disappointing losses on Thursday and Friday. The ensuing slaughter of Memorial University may have been just what the Badgers needed. "Sometimes we look like national champions, and other times we look like a team that gets beat by 40 every night," said interim point guard Scott Murray, filling in for the injured Brad Rootes, a statement with which many would agree.
Rohan Steen is a Badger. He always has been, really, if not in uniform, then at least in spirit. Born and raised in nearby Welland, Steen grew up playing basketball with and around the rest of Brock's current cast of Niagara-born basketball players. Does it really matter that he spent the past two seasons honing his game in Toronto, emerging last year as an Ontario University Athletics East second-team all-star for York University? The 6'2" Steen had originally swapped schools after having completed his freshmen and sophomore seasons with the Badgers, in an attempt to broaden his horizons, see more of the world and mature as a person.
With great strides taken this year toward success, the Brock cross-country team is on its way to becoming a dominant program, no longer seen as a pushover. The Badgers started out in the right direction when they made the decision to hire rookie head coach Curtis Gadula.
Brock News: The Badgers' women's hockey team led the first place Guelph Gryphons in the second period Thursday night by a score 4-0, however, they then allowed five straight goals, eventually losing 5-4. The women's next game is at Western on Nov. 3. The women's basketball team went 1-1 on the weekend beating Ryerson, 90-72 for their first win of the exhibition season, and then falling to the University of Alberta, 75-57.
Brock rowers had a good showing this past weekend, capturing 10 medals, including three golds. Queen's University was the overall champions in the women's division, while the University of Western Ontario captured the men's title. Brock's Fraser Berkhout was a gold-medallist in the men's heavyweight singles race, and followed up that title by teaming up with Josh Locyestien to capture a second gold in the men's doubles.
Red Sox nation and bandwagon hoppers rejoice: The Boston Red Sox have again won the World Series. After 86 years of "suffering", Boston has won two championships in four years. While great for Sox fans, it might be tough finding a place in history for this team's win.
