By Bill Cowin
By no stretch of the imagination was 1994-95 a banner year for Ryerson, but it could have been classified as a turning point for many of the Rams teams.
Things got off on the right foot in September when the men’s soccer team came charging out of the gate. The team became the first in Ryerson’s history to be ranked in the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union’s top 10, when they checked in at #9 in midseason.
The second half of the season was heartbreaking for the team as they tied for the last playoff spot with the Carleton Ravens. Carleton was given the nod for the spot as they had a better record against the division-leading Laurentian Voyageurs.
While it was a disappointing end to what had looked like a promising season, it was solid groundwork for next year.
The women’s team did not fare as well as the men’s, finishing 2-9-1, but has good things to look forward to with Jules Glover, a first-year journalism student anchoring the team in goal.
As fall wore on, the men’s hockey team took to the ice. The 1993-94 season saw the Rams improve to a record of 4-20-2 from just 1-20-1 the year before. This year, they set their sights on a playoff spot.
Early in the season, the team couldn’t buy a win at home, dropping close games to such strong teams as Guelph, UQTR and Ottawa. In the second half of the season, the Rams hit the ground running, capturing their first home-ice victory with a crucial 7-6 decision over the Laurentian Voyageurs. But early in February, the Rams’ playoff hopes came to an end when they lost to Waterloo, 5-4 in overtime, and Laurier, 5-1, and the Voyagers defeated the same teams.
The team has a lot to look forward to next year, though. Rookie goaltender John McGowan proved to be a strong back-up to starter Andrew Escott and will be joined by such offensive stars as Tyler Fee. Eric Tonellato and two-time MVP Ian Richardson.
Both the men’s and women’s volleyball teams were plagued by a lack of players this year. By the end of the season, the men’s team led by Ryerson’s Male Rookie of the Tunde Tairu, barely had enough players to field a team. But they did manage to capture their first regular season victory in three years with a 3-2 decision over Laurentian on Nov. 19. Recruiting will be crucial, more so than for any of the other Ryerson teams, for any success the teams can hope to have next year.
In other court action, the men’s basketball team was right in the middle of things. Last year the Rams dropped their first two games of the season before tearing up the league and finishing in second place with a record of 9-3.
This year the Rams showed they could overcome adversity. After a disappointing 1-3 start, the Rams won six games in a row before losing their final two to finish 7-5. In the first round of the playoffs, the Rams walked into Ben Avery Gym in Sudbury and knocked off their long-time nemesis Laurentian, 101-91.
In the division finals, the Rams had to take on the University of Toronto Varsity Blues. The Blues controlled most of the game but the Rams came back to tie the score at 72 in the dying minutes. The Blues charged right back though, and handed the Rams a heartbreaking 79-73 loss.
At that point, the Rams still had one chance left to go to the national championships in Halifax: a wild card spot. That chance disappeared when the CIAU awarded its top spots to McMaster and the University of Alberta.
That decision not only brought an end to the Rams season but also to Alex Beason’s collegiate career. In both of his two years at Ryerson, Beason led the OUAA in scoring, was the League All-Star, A Second Team All-Canadian and Ryerson’s Male Athlete of the Year.
On Feb. 11, the Rams retired jersey numbers 25, 44 and 45 in honor of seniors Lui Cinello, Ainsworth Slowly and Beason, all of whom will be leaving Ryerson this year. That leaves three huge holes in the starting line-up up for the Rams to fill next year.
For the women’s team, the season started slowly but picked up steam during the course of the year. The team’s record was only 2-10 but down the stretch they played with confidence and had their sights set on a playoff spot. One of the bright spots for the Rams this year, and for the future as well, was Karen Ure. Ure led the team with 83 rebounds in 12 regular season games, earning her Ryerson’s Female Rookie of the Year honors.
Other stand-outs for the Rams this year include Allan Measor and Bonnie Somlyai in badminton, Graham Longwell and Sarah Creighton-Wiebe in Squash, and David Glover and Tanis Darling in swimming. Leading Ryerson’s impressive fencing squads this year were Rolf Meindl, Paul Campanelli, Lazzlo Palotay, Jayson Kellay, Frank Liu, Melanie Sherwood, Andrea Stewart, Raye Lemke and Jennifer Trabert. Trabert captured the second OWIAA crown of her collegiate career and was named Ryerson’s Female Athlete of the Year.
Back in September, I told you that the 1993-94 season showed that there was a light at the end of the tunnel for Ryerson athletics, and that by this time, it would be clear to see just where the end of the tunnel was. Well, 1995-96 is starting to look very bright.
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