Assiniboine men set for breakout season

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This article was published 27/10/2021 (1668 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Joel Small isn’t just pumped up because he’s returning to the Assiniboine Community College Cougars sideline after a year void of matches.

He and assistant coach Brendan White feel the roster they’ve assembled has the potential to be one of their best ever. The Cougars open the 2021-22 Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference season at home against Providence on Friday evening.

“This is the most excited I’ve been about an entire group. From our top few guys all the way to the depth of our bench is pretty nice. I haven’t had this before so Brendan and I are pretty excited about the season for sure,” Small said.

“Last year we had a good crew with lots of energy, excited to get going and we ended up missing out on the entire season. Luckily I returned about seven or eight of those guys. Now in their second year, had a full year of practice under Brendan and I, their energy is high, they’re ready to go.

“They feel like they missed out on a big piece of their life last year, so they’re excited to get going for sure.”

This season is unique as Red River dropped out last year and has yet to rejoin the conference, so all four remaining teams take part in the playoffs after playing each other six times apiece for an 18-match calendar. The winner heads to the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association championship for the first time ever.

While there’s no urgent need to stay out of last place besides a battle for seeding, Small said the approach from the outset of the season is no different.

“You have to peak at the right time, just like if there were 20 teams in the league. You have to be playing your best come playoffs. I think that benefits us being a young team. We returned a lot of players but they haven’t had any court time, any stressful game experience or anything like that,” Small said.

“We’re probably going to have some ups and downs on the mental side of the game and the serve and pass type thing, so I think that benefits our team down the stretch.”

The Cougars have a unique combination of outside hitters with a terrific top end. Former Team Manitoba practice squad right side Vaughn Zimmer leads the way. The six-foot-six lefty from Inglis and the Major Pratt (Russell) Trojans will see his fair share of sets in the front and back row.

Six-foot-three Carter Beattie from Kipling, Sask., brings a physical presence at left side.

Former Neelin Spartans standout Tegan Nagorski, who graduated high school in 2011 and played two years at Lethbridge College, is returning to the college game for a year while taking the public safety officer program.

Second-year and captain Talon Frick is back in the middle, along with Vincent Massey product Josh Budach.

Justyn Halkett and Hayden Crampain are battling for the libero spot.

Each position has some depth, either as injury insurance or change-of-pace guys, except setter. Former Elton Sabre Austin Steele barring an emergency backup situation.

“Austin is our guy, 100 per cent. As long as he stays healthy he’ll be our guy all year,” Small said.

“We have a couple of outsides that can carry the load if needed but we have those options from everywhere on the court. I like running a mixed up, smooth offence … Steele likes running kind of a fancy offence and we have the ability to do that with our attackers.

“Our offence can look a lot different, again, it comes down to that serve and pass.”

The full year away and lack of local pre-season tournament leaves MCAC teams with a whole bunch of questions about each other. The defending champion Canadian Mennonite University Blazers turned over a number of key pieces, Providence loaded up on talent and earned exhibition wins over a couple of college teams out west. St. Boniface’s posted roster is still from 2019-20.

“We’re going in blind basically,” Small said. “So all we can do is work on our game and go out and get the guys focused on what they need to do on the court no matter what the other side brings.”

MCAC matches are available on team-hosted livestreams. ACC is limiting spectators with three passes per Cougars player to share with fully vaccinated friends and family, who will be charged $5 cash at the door if not students.

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