The ball has been bouncing well for the Blues early in the season as both the Capilano University men’s and women’s teams were off to 4-0 starts heading into this weekend’s play in the PacWest league.
On the men’s side the Blues boast a lot of new recruits but the early returns have looked good as they try to reach the PacWest podium after finishing in fourth place last season.
Newcomer Greet Gill, a third-year transfer from UBC Okanagan, is powering the early-season push for the Blues. The six-foot-four forward from Osoyoos is averaging 24.3 points per game, good enough for third in the league, and sits atop the rebounding leaderboard with 11.5 boards per game.
On the women’s side the Blues have already scored wins over Douglas College and Vancouver Island University, their two top rivals in the PacWest conference. Last season the Blues lost a heartbreaker against VIU in the league championship game.
The early-season success has the women ranked No. 7 in the country while the men sit at No. 8. It’s also buoyed the confidence of both teams as they have travelled around the province racking up wins.
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“There’s kind of a buzz around the gym where both teams are contending for a championship and supporting each other,” said women’s head coach Ramin Sadaghiani. “It’s awesome to see (the men) also come out to a good start.”
The strong start for the Blues women likely has something to do with the way last season ended, said Sadaghiani. Capilano hosted the provincial championships last March and was poised to claim the title but fell apart in the fourth quarter of the final, giving up a 28-5 run in the final eight minutes to lose 65-51. Most of the key pieces from that team are back this year and they’ve spent six months stewing over last season’s loss.
“I think it’s a bit of unfinished business from last year, everybody kind of feels it,” Sadaghiani said. “We were so close to getting to the national tournament and kind of fell short at the end there. I think we’re starting the season with the goal to get back into the championship game and also to win and make it to nationals. I think the girls have that in the back of their minds and I think it’s definitely something that we can achieve this year with the team that we have.”
Third-year guard Sherrie Errico is leading the league in scoring with 16.8 points per game.
“She’s playing with a purpose this year,” said Sadaghiani. “She’s being aggressive and she’s playing with a lot of confidence to start the year.”
The Blues have a balanced attack, with fourth-year forward Carmelle M’Bikata and second-year guard Brittney Wertman, a transfer from Langara, also cracking the top 10 in scoring. Point guard Ashley De La Cruz Yip leads the league in assists while second-year forward Robyn Aulin-Haynes, an Argyle grad who transferred from UBC-O, has provided a strong inside presence with M’Bikata and fourth-year Carson Graham grad Karyn Nelson.
“The team has kind of matured and is playing with a lot of confidence,” said Sadaghiani, adding that they’re intent on doing everything they can to erase last year’s heartbreak.
“We just know that we’ve got to be a little bit better, a little bit stronger than last year. We were good enough to win it last year, we just, for whatever reason, fell short. It was a good experience year and I think we’re coming into our own this year and stepping up as a contender.”
Written by: Andy Prest
Photography by: Paul McGrath
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