New season brings new coaches to AUS womenÕs hockey
The Atlantic university women’s hockey conference heads into a new season without a Jordan sister behind the bench.
Both the Saint Mary’s Huskies and Dalhousie Tigers enter the 2011-12 campaign, which opens tonight, with new head coaches.
Lisa Jordan left SMU in April after guiding the Huskies’ program through its first 14 years. She was replaced by Chris Larade.
Nearly two weeks after Jordan’s departure, her twin sister Lesley Jordan was let go by Dal after nine seasons. Longtime assistant coach Sean Fraser has taken over as bench boss on an interim basis.
"They (Jordans) had some good runs with both programs," said St. Francis Xavier X-Women head coach David Synishin, who’s entering his 10th season, the longest-tenured coach in the league.
"It will definitely be different without them around. But with the people who were hired, you will see some good things from them as well."
Larade, a former assistant to Synishin, is ready to put a tumultuous off-season behind him.
Saint Mary’s University decided to axe the women’s program because of budgetary reasons in late March. The program was eventually saved but Lisa Jordan turned down a four-year contract offer from SMU to take a new head coaching position at Ryerson University. Larade was hired in May.
"I’ve been thrown in here but it’s been great," said Larade, a native of Cheticamp.
"I was thrilled to get the position especially with what happened to the program. It’s a fresh start. We’re trying to create a new culture and put the onus on accountability and hard work. The girls, to their credit, have put everything behind them and their response has been fantastic."
For Fraser, the setting is familiar after spending the past six seasons assisting Lesley Jordan. He will serve as acting head coach for 2011-12 before the position is publicly posted toward the end of next season. Phone messages left for Fraser seeking an interview were not returned.
His Tigers will be tested this evening as they visit the defending conference champion X-Women in the league’s season opener.
Here’s a glance at Nova Scotia’s three AUS women’s hockey teams:
• St. F.X. X-Women (24-0-0, first in the conference): Their only loss last season came in the final of the CIS championship, a 5-2 decision to the No. 1 McGill Martlets in the gold medal game.
The silver was the first medal in Canadian university women’s hockey for a Nova Scotia school.
Nearly all of last season’s core returns, including CIS all-Canadian Suzanne Fenerty, leading scorer Janelle Parent and CIS rookie of the year Alex Normore.
"They haven’t missed a beat since winning in March last year," Synishin said. "We will be three lines deep."
• Dalhousie Tigers (10-11-3, fourth): Dal, host of the 2012 AUS tournament in March, has 17 returning players.
Jocelyn LeBlanc has led the Tigers in scoring in each of her four seasons. She returns for a fifth season, needing two points to pass Kim Carcary as Dalhousie’s all-time leading scorer.
Also leading the charge are SMU transfer Jenna Currie and veterans Robin Mullen and Robyn Nicholson.
• Saint Mary’s Huskies (10-12-2, fifth): Not only did SMU lose Jordan to Ryerson, she took the Huskies’ leading scorers — Lauren McCusker and Kyla Thurston — with her to Toronto.
The blue-line is solid with captain Kayla Oakley, Rebecca Mosher and freshman Taylor Williamson of Edmonton.
"Scoring will be an issue," Larade said. "We have a sound D corps, our goaltending will be all right but it will be scoring by committee."