The Brock Badgers have returned to action following a month-long break of regular season games due to exams and the holidays. With the Badgers anxious to hoist more provincial and national hardware this February and March, here is where all six teams – both men’s and women’s hockey, basketball and volleyball – stand in the OUA entering the new year.
Men’s Hockey (14-4-0 record; 1st in the OUA West)
The Badgers men’s hockey team has had one their best starts to the season ever, reaching third in the U Sports national rankings in late November, the highest Brock has ever been ranked.
Jacob Roach leads the team in points with 28, which includes 13 goals – tied for second-most in the OUA – and 15 assists, the fourth-highest in the league, while Badgers’ goalie Connor Ungar has been rock-solid in the net. The former Moose Jaw Warrior netminder ranks third in the province in goals against average at 2.18 and second in save percentage, stopping 93.2 percent of shots faced for 536 saves this season.
However, despite those dazzling records and statistics, it hasn’t all been glorious for the Badgers.
The Badgers have lost their last three games before the break, losing to Laurier, Ottawa and Carleton all on the road. Head coach T.J. Manastersky will look to Roach and Ungar to get the team back on track, hoping to avoid dropping more winnable contests and maintain their lead atop the OUA West standings.
Women’s Hockey (5-7-0-2 record; 6th in the OUA West)
The Badgers women’s hockey team enters January hoping that the new year can spark a new-look offence. The team enters 2024 in sixth place in the OUA West but is only three points back of Western for fourth place in the division and the final playoff spot.
A large part of why the Badgers sit at the bottom of the standings is due to sub-par goal- scoring. Through 14 games this season, the Badgers have scored the third-fewest goals in the OUA with 24, which accounts for only 1.71 goals per game, which is also the third-fewest.
Brock’s leading goal scorers Jenna Duarte and Madelyn Walsh will be relied on to initiate the offence, while noteworthy players who’ve yet to feature on the stat sheet this season will be looked upon to ramp up their play to push the team to the playoffs.
Men’s Basketball (4-5 record; 4th in the OUA Central)
The Badgers men’s basketball team has had an up-and-down start to the 2023-24 campaign. After winning their first three games, defeating all three of the teams from Toronto – Toronto Varsity Blues, York Lions and TMU Bold – the Badgers lost five of their next six games including the final three before the break.
While three of their five losses have been by six points or fewer, the main reason for their accumulation of losses is due to their lack of offence. The Badgers’ offence ranks in the bottom half of the league in most offensive categories, including the fourth-fewest points per game (71.3) and the sixth-worst field goal percentage (40.1 per cent).
Luckily for the Badgers, their defence is one of the best in the OUA, which is why they’re able to stay in these tight games. Brock’s defence has allowed the fourth-fewest points per game (71.3) while limiting opponents to a field goal percentage of 38 per cent and a three-point percentage of 27.5 per cent – both rank third in the league.
The Badgers’ defence will hope that their 2023 dominance can carry into 2024 to contest the 6-4 McMaster Marauders for the division title and ultimately compete for the Wilson Cup.
Women’s Basketball (5-4 record; 2nd in the OUA Central)
The Badgers women’s basketball team will reflect on 2023 as a year of missed opportunities, dropping close contests, losing to the country’s best team – undefeated Carleton – by two points in overtime as well as a one-point defeat to Laurier in the final game before the break.
While those two results could’ve swayed playoff positioning, Mike Rao’s side must be happy where they are, especially knowing that their best basketball is still to come.
Madalyn Weinert leads the entire country in points per game with 20, while rising star Oluwatito Akinnusi’s 11.1 rebounds per game ranks fifth in Canada.
The Weinert and Akinnusi duo has been unstoppable through nine games this season and expect their chemistry to develop even further in the second half. Paired with the other Brock starters – Noor Bazzi, Angeline Campbell and Olivia Fiorucci – the OUA’s fourth-best offence will be fun to watch to close the season and once again compete for the Critelli Cup and a U Sports national championship.
Men’s Volleyball (6-2 record; 4th in the OUA)
The Badgers men’s volleyball team has been relentless to open the season, as they still managed to win games despite the ongoing off-court controversy surrounding ex-head coach Matt Ragogna, as reported by TSN’s Rick Westhead.
Fortunately for the players, the new year marks a new era in Badgers men’s volleyball as Ian Eibbitt, a former assistant coach for McMaster, was named as interim head coach in mid-December in place of Ragogna.
While the change in coaches doesn’t completely nullify the adversity the team faces because of Ragogna’s alleged actions, it gives them an opportunity to get back to what they do best, which is playing volleyball.
On the court, the Badgers have been dominant in their six wins, being assertive in net play and on serves. In net play, the Badgers have the second-highest hitting percentage in the league at .284 per cent. Outside hitter Devin Cooney is fifth in the OUA in kills with 94, as setter Grant Reddon’s 8.57 assists per set ranks fourth in the province. On serves, the Badgers registered the third most aces in the first half of the season with 53. Cooney leads the team with eight aces, as Liam Strong and Kylar Code each have seven.
Expect net play and a strong service game to continue to be the strength of this team especially if they want to propel up the OUA standings and compete with Ontario’s best teams for the Forsyth Cup this March.
Women’s Volleyball (7-1 record; T-1st in the OUA)
The Badgers women’s volleyball team is tied for first in the OUA, winning seven of their eight matches to open the season, which puts them third in the U Sports national rankings entering January.
Sara Rohr leads the OUA in assists per set with 10.08 as her attacking duo of Sadie Dick and Madison Chimienti rank 12th and 13th in kills with 74 and 73, respectively.
The most crucial weekend of the second half is the second-last weekend of the regular season, Feb. 2nd and 3rd when the Badgers make the trip down the QEW to Hamilton to face the McMaster Marauders, who are also 7-1.
Those two games will be massive in determining playoff positioning especially since it will likely determine the top seed in the province. The number-one seed is critical since the OUA’s first-place team will have home-court advantage all the way until the Quigley Cup Championship, a game in which the Badgers have hosted and won the past two seasons and are hoping they can do it again for a third straight season.
For more information on the Brock Badgers head to gobadgers.ca.