Cascades take on…Cascades?
The UFV basketball and volleyball teams spent last Saturday competing against one of the toughest opponents they’ll face all year: themselves. Well, not quite, but it was close to the truth as the Cascades took on their predecessors during the annual alumni games.
Men’s Volleyball Preview
Last year, despite the team’s 5-9 losing record, the scrappy line-up was able to secure the sixth and final berth in the BCCAA playoff tournament in Kelowna, handing the powerhouse UBC Okanagan Heat with their only loss of the season along the way. The Cascade spoke with head coach Greg Russell about his hopes for the upcoming season.
The Adventures of Sean & Paul: Cheerleader Tryouts
Over the course of this semester, we’re going to show you exactly what happens when a couple average blokes attempt things that should probably be left to professionals, while also shedding light on some UFV programs that are often overlooked. We’re Sean and Paul, and, as you can see to the left, we’re two of the least flexible men on campus.
Cheerleading Team Preview
The UFV Cheer Team is all set to start the new season under the leadership of head coach Brooke Ostendorf. This year they hope to continue performing at the Envision Athletics Centre during varsity games, as well as beginning to attend national competitions. The Cascade spoke with head coach Brooke Ostendorf about the coming year.
Rowing Preview
The rowing team is coming off an impressive 2010-2011 season, in which the women’s team placed third at the Western Canada Championships and tenth at the Nationals. The Cascade talks with Liz Chisholm, who is beginning her tenth season as head coach.
Women’s Basketball Preview
The Cascade speaks with Head Coach Al Tuchscherer about the upcoming season.
Men’s Soccer Preview
Head Coach Alan Errington is entering his eighth season of coaching the UFV men’s soccer varsity team. He has coached all levels of the sport, including working with the Vancouver Whitecaps as well as being a staff coach with Canada’s World Cup team that played in the 1986 World Cup Finals in Mexico. The Cascade met with Coach Errington to discuss the coming season.
Women’s Soccer Preview
The UFV Cascades women’s soccer team is coming off of their most successful season ever. The Cascade speaks with head coach Rob Giesbrecht to get his thoughts on the coming season.
Men’s Basketball Preview
The Cascade speaks with assistant coach Adam Friesen on last season’s highlights, new additions to the team, and more.
Building a championship team
In the world of university sports, summer is the offseason. It’s a time when the focus of a coaching staff shifts to the long-term goals of implementing new tactics, scouting potential competition, and planning for the year ahead. For UFV’s Men’s Soccer Coach Alan Errington, like most of UFV’s coaches, it’s also a time for recruiting raw talent, a process with many of the same difficulties and consequences as for any professional team. The recruits of today are the veterans of tomorrow, and the task of choosing “the best” out of thousands of potentials is not one to be taken lightly.
The practicality of spandex
Women’s volleyball is a sport that generally draws a lot of attention – especially male attention – for its intense action, riveting pace, and skin-tight uniforms. Two of those three are common to most court sports, yet the third presents a bit of a puzzle. What is it exactly that justifies that most memorable component of women’s volleyball, spandex? Why has it permeated almost every level of play, and what does it do for our athletes that normal shorts cannot? Every spectator has, at one point, turned to his or her neighbour and asked a variation of one of these questions, and few, if any, have received a valid response.
UFV Legends: Peter Van Brederode
Paul Esau interviews outgoing UFV Volleyball legend Peter Van Brederode about Coach Greg Russell, grad school, and beach volleyball in San Diego.
UFV Legends: Alyssa Gaukel
The UFV sports season is winding down, and it’s time to acknowledge those who have played their last game in the green-and-white, scored their last points, and dug their last hit. Over the coming weeks, The Cascade will be interviewing each of these individuals, recognizing them both for their character as leaders and their skill as players. These men and women are the “legends” of UFV Sports.
UFV Legends: James Elliott
The UFV sports season is winding down, and it’s time to acknowledge those who have played their last game in the green-and-white, scored their last points, and dug their last hit. Over the coming weeks, The Cascade will be interviewing each of these individuals, recognizing them both for their character as leaders and their skill as players. These men and women are the “legends” of UFV Sports.
Women’s Basketball takes UFV to new heights
UFV is filled with hints of our growing school: overfilled classrooms, capped waitlists, the proposed U-District, and so on. The growth is also reflected in the women’s basketball team, which has just completed a tremendous season. Unfortunately, their year was capped off with a 78-69 loss to Toronto on Saturday, March 12, at the CIS East Regional Tournament. However, the fact that the Cascades even reached that tournament has been unprecedented in the history of the program.
UFV Legends: Kim Mintenko
The UFV varsity sports season is winding down, and it’s time to acknowledge those who have played their last game in the green-and-white, scored their last points, and dug their last hit. Over the coming weeks, The Cascade will be interviewing each of these individuals, recognizing them both for their character as leaders and their skill as players. These men and women are the “legends” of UFV Sports.
UFV hockey team will fold without funding
This story all began when I was casually talking with a fellow student and I mentioned the UFV hockey team. That student looked at me with confusion and said, “UFV has a hockey team?” That was the breaking point for me, and I began my journey into exposing the nitty-gritty truth behind this overlooked and underfunded team.
Cascade Playoff Report: Feb 20-26
The Women’s basketball team was the success story of the week with an amazing two game sweep of the Winnipeg Wesmen in the first round of the 2011 CIS playoffs. The seventh seeded Cascades (12-12) were expected to quickly fall to the Wesmen (20-4), yet defied expectations by reeling in two commanding victories, 77-63 and 77-64. UFV enjoyed strong play from Tessa Klassen, Sarah Wierks, and Aleisha Luyken.
Cascades collar Bobcats
The Cascades Basketball team secured the seventh playoff spot in Canada West last weekend with a decisive sweep of the Brandon University Bobcats, (75-68 and 102-67). Coming into the doubleheader in a precarious three-way battle for the final two play-off spots, the Cascades needed a strong performance to keep their post-season aspirations alive. They got it, and finish the season with a 10-14 record and a chance to play the Trinity Spartans in the first round.
Cascades slouching towards playoffs
The whole is less than the sum of its parts. That is the phrase that comes to mind when describing the current state of the UFV Men’s Volleyball team. Beset by a string of bewildering losses, the Cascades are straining to hold on to the sixth and final playoff spot in the BCCAA, despite boasting one of the most talented rosters in the province. All the parts are there, yet the cogs aren’t meshing, the pistons aren’t firing, and the gearbox is frozen somewhere between “neutral” and “broken.”
Cascades left broken-hearted by Cougars
The Cascades Men’s Basketball team fought hard in their weekend double-header with the University of Regina Cougars, yet somehow dropped both in two of the most entertaining games of the season. Despite having picked up the double ‘L,’ the Cascades mustered solid performances on both nights and came within a couple blown calls of reversing the situation entirely. Regina improves to 12-6 on the season while UFV falls to 6-12. Saturday was also “CIS Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Fight Against Breast Cancer,” complete with matching pink shoelaces for the team.
The art of the cheer
Cheerleading is a tough sport. Historically, there are few activities as underappreciated and as over-stereotyped as the art of the cheerleader, despite the excruciating physical demands and intense training it requires. Contrary to popular belief, the ability to clap like a seal and date members of the football team do not a cheerleader make; just ask Coach Brooke Ostendorf and her team, the UFV Cascade Elite.
Cascades split weekend double-header
The Envision Athletic Centre was the host to some hardwood madness last weekend as the Cascades Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams battled it out against two strong squads from the University of Alberta. Both ranked fourth in their separate leagues, U of A’s Golden Bears (Men) and Pandas (Women) were the favorites coming into Friday night’s games, despite being named after two of the laziest mammals in the world. A quick Google search revealed that a golden bear is so lazy that it does not actually exist, while a panda is, well, a panda.
The mysteries of volleyball: Q&A with Brynden MacTavish
Over the last few months, I’ve spent some quality time in the Envision Athletic Centre, watching the UFV Men’s Volleyball team compete against some of the best talent in B.C. While appreciating the intricacies of high-level volleyball, I’ve also been formulating a list of questions about the sport and its more enigmatic elements.
