Team sees new opportunity
Nov. 13, 2009 - Regina Leader-Post
By Tim Switzer
Don't call it a rematch.
And don't think the University of Regina Cougars women's basketball team is playing for revenge or trying to settle a score when it plays host to the Simon Fraser Clan today (6:15 p.m., Centre for Kinesiology, Health and Sport).
Still, when the Clan comes to town, Cougars players can't help but be reminded of some bad memories.
Last season, the Clan handed the Cougars three of their six losses all season -- one in the regular season, one in the Canada West final and one in the CIS championship game at the CKHS, the setting for tonight's battle between the No. 1 Clan and the No. 4 Cougars.
"We're looking at this game for this season only," said fifth-year forward Carmen Stewart. "There will always be a little part of that (revenge thought) in the back of our minds, but it's a new season, a new chance at the national championship so we'll take it like that."
The Cougars (who graduated seven players from the 2008-09 national runner-up squad) are a very different team from last season. Simon Fraser graduated only one player -- guard Courtney Gerwing -- who was a major contributor to the most-recent national title.
That means the Clan stills boasts a roster that includes Laurelle Weigl (a member of Canada's senior national team) and Robyn Buna (the MVP in the title-game win over Regina) as well at Matteke Hutzler, Lisa Tindle and Kate Hole (who all averaged better than eight points per game last season).
"They're really big so we're going to have to rebound," said fifth-year Cougars guard Stacey Walker. "They execute so well off other people's mistakes so as long as we minimize our own mistakes, we should be OK."
Regina (2-0) still believes it can contend with SFU (3-0).
"We're playing really well right now," said Stewart. "We're better than we thought we'd be this early. Hopefully that's good enough to be with them."
Cougars head coach Dave Taylor is actually more concerned with Saturday's contest against the Trinity Western Spartans than he is tonight's game.
"That's a team we have to beat in terms of the playoff picture," he said. "I want us to play well against Simon and see where we match out. If that's a win, loss or whatever, we'll see, but in terms of playoff implications, I don't think it's as big a game.
"We've changed over as a team so much and we had a good pre-season. Hopefully by the end of the year we'll be playing our best basketball and at that point we'll see where we match up. It's too early and we're making too many changes to even have the discussion about us being close to the No. 1 team."
Potentially, tonight's game could be the last between the Cougars and Clan. Simon Fraser is to join the NCAA Division 2 next season and may or may not see the Cougars again come playoff time.
"I'll really miss them when they leave the league because they're one of the teams that make us better," Taylor said. "In everything we do, we look to see what we need to do to compete with the Simon Frasers of the world. When they leave the league, it's going to hurt it. That was a competitor I admired and we strived to be as successful as. We've been successful, but we haven't matched their level."
If it is the last meeting, Walker can think of only one way she'd want to say goodbye.
"I think I've beaten them once in my career at the Final Four (in 2008), but it has never been at home," she said. "It'll be really special to have them in our own gym and come out with a win."