Strong Winter season for Durham Lords Posted on March 22, 2024 at 12:28 pm. From the basketball and volleyball court to the indoor soccer pitch, Durham College (DC) athletes gave fans a lot to cheer about this winter. Six teams in three sports made us #DCProud with their hard work and sportsmanship while adding to the ever-expanding Durham Lords trophy case. They won two Ontario Collegiate Athletic Association (OCAA) medals to bring the 2023-24 total to seven, a school record. “We picked up right where we left off from the fall season,” said Scott Dennis, Athletic Director. “It was a pretty amazing year.” Here’s a look at the DC teams who kept us on the edge of our seats all winter. Women’s Basketball Our women’s basketball team finished seventh in the OCAA East Division with a 3-11 record, but the challenging year still had some bright spots. The emergence of OCAA Women’s Basketball Rookie of the Year Emma Bergen bodes well for the future. In addition to those honours, she won the East Division Scoring Champion title with 20.6 points per game. The forward was also first in field goal percentage (52.9) and near the top in rebounds. Dennis – “It was a rebuilding year, but we saw one of the new stars of the league emerge in Emma Bergen. We’re excited to see where they go next year.” Men’s Basketball The Lords were almost unbeatable on the basketball court this year, finishing first in the East Division with a 17-1 record. They were at or near the top of the provincial rankings all year and even held the top spot in the nation at one point. Earning the right to host the provincial championship, they fell just short of edging the Humber Hawks in the semi-final before bouncing back against St. Clair College to win bronze. O’Shane Taylor-Douglas was peerless, earning nods as the East Player of the Year, East Defensive Player of the Year, East First Team All-Star, OCAA Championship All-Star and a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association All-Canadian. Mark Stoop was named an East Second Team All-Star, while Jasean Elliott and Rudy Fakih earned spots on the East All-Rookie Team. The Lords were recognized as the East’s Best Defensive Team, and Desmond Rowley was honoured as East Coach of the Year. Dennis – “They reached the number one spot in Canada for the first time since 1997, and we had a chance to host the OCAA final four and had sold-out crowds. They didn’t make it to nationals, but they left it all on the court. It was a great year for Coach Rowley and the Lords.” Women’s Volleyball A strong year for women’s volleyball ended just shy of a provincial medal. Finishing third in the East with a record of 14-4, the Lords finished fourth at the OCAA championship after bowing out to Loyalist in the bronze medal game. There was plenty of individual hardware to go around. Amanda Larsen was named a East First Team All-Star as well as an OCAA Championship All-Star. Aislinn Pedersen was recognized as an East Second Team All-Star, and Chelsea Oke was named to the East All-Rookie Team. Dennis – “We always have a very competitive team and they made it back to the final four. The St. Clair Saints had the coach of the year and the player of the year, and we came back and beat them. It was a great victory for the team.” Men’s Volleyball The Lords were competitive in men’s volleyball, finishing sixth in the East with an 8-10 record. Their pursuit of a provincial medal fell short, losing to St. Clair College in the championship qualifier. Dennis – “They were a competitive team. We’re looking forward to next year. I believe we’re bringing back the majority of the lineup, so it should be more of a veteran team.” Women’s Indoor Soccer It was a short but successful season on the indoor soccer pitch. At Regionals, the Lords went 3-1, scoring 13 goals and allowing only one. That put them in a good position for the OCAA Championships at the Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan, where they won a bronze medal with a win over St. Clair. Kayla Edelhofer was named an OCAA Championship All-Star. Dennis – “They won the bronze medal, so it was double bronze for our women’s soccer program this year. They were one goal shy of making it to the gold medal match, but overall, it was a great season for them and a nice way to cap off their year with another bronze medal.” Men’s Indoor Soccer The men’s team had a good showing at Regionals, earning a 2-1-1 record with a +7-goal differential. At the OCAA Championship in Vaughan, they put in a good effort before falling short in the group stage. Dennis – “They also made the final four. That was their goal, to make it to the championships and play against the best teams in the province and they competed hard.” There will be even more DC student athletes to cheer for next winter with the return of Varsity Curling. “We are always looking for opportunities to expand athletics and recreation programming for our students and bringing back Varsity Curling is a great fit,” said Dennis. SHARE:
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