The Trent Excalibur varsity women’s rugby team won their third straight game as they beat the York Lions 17-12 Friday night. The win improves Trent to 3-1 on the season and leaves them currently tied for second in the Russell Division.

Trent jumped out to a 17-0 lead with two tries in the first half and one in the second half.  The visiting Lions did their best to battle back as they were able to add two tries in the last 15 minutes of the game, but Trent shut the door on the comeback tightening up defensively to earn the win.

Similar to Trent’s last game, the scoring was lead by a front row player.  Rookie prop Karlie Robinson paced the Excalibur with two tries. Kaitlin Newton also picked up a try for the Excalibur.  Newton’s score marked the third straight game registering a try.  Celeigh Harris added a convert. Tierra Thomas-Reynolds scored both York tries.

The Excalibur will close out the regular season on October 7 when they host the first-place McMaster Marauders.  Kick-off at Justin Chiu Stadium is 7 pm. Trent currently sits in a play-off and the postseason schedule will be finalized after next weekend’s games.

First half goals against were the story as both Trent’s men’s and women’s soccer teams fell to the Ryerson Rams Wednesday night in Toronto. The women’s squad dropped a 7-3 decision while the men fell 2-0.

Despite producing their highest goal output of the season, the Trent Excalibur women’s soccer team was not able to over come five goals in the game’s first 35 minutes. The Excalibur were down five goals before Shannon O’Brien (Peterborough, Ont.) scored her first career goal in the 39^th minute. Ryerson would add one more goal before half time.

Ryerson would add another marker 15 minutes into the second half, but showing no quit the Excalibur battled back with two goals of their own. Sarah Batley (Peterborough, Ont.) scored her first of the season in the 68^th minute, while O’Brien added her second of the game in the 84th. The effort in the second half fell short as the game finished 7-3

It was back to back Ryerson goals in the 31^st and 35^th minute that was the undoing of the Excalibur men as they fell 2-0 to Ryerson.The Ryerson defence held strong for most of the game as the Excalibur were credited with only one shot on goal in the game.

By allowing two goals in the loss, it marks the first time this season that Trent keeper Josip Bosjnak (Pickering, Ont.) has allowed more than one goal in a game. With the loss the Excalibur fall to 3-3-1 and sit tied for fourth place in the OUA East division.

Both the men’s and women’s teams return to action in the upcoming weekend. The women will host Ottawa for a noon kick-off on October 1 and both teams will host Carleton on October 2 with the women’s game at 1 pm and the men’s game at 3:15 pm from Justin Chiu Stadium.

Record Day Propels Lauren Wizowski to Provincial Honour

The Trent University Department of Athletics & Recreation is celebrating today as fourth-year women’s varsity rugby player Lauren Wizowski was named the Pioneer Energy Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Female Athlete of the Week for the period ending September 25.

Wizowski, a veteran prop and team captain, tied a Trent Excalibur record by scoring four tries in a 37-5 win over the Laurier Golden Hawks last week.  The native of Lindsay, Ont. showed great versatility for her position, scoring in several manners. Wisowski's four tries came on a 60 metre run stemming from a stolen pass, a 30 metre run, and tough mauling and rucking near the try line.

The award is the first time a Trent Excalibur player has been named an OUA Athlete of the Week since rugby player Lianne Schumacher scored four tries in a game during the week ending September 29, 2008.

Wizowski and her women’s rugby teammates hold a 2-1 record and sit in third place in the OUA Russell Division.  The team returns to action on September 30 when they host the 0-3 York Lions.  The game will kick-off at 7 pm from Justin Chiu Stadium.

Weekend highlights include rowing regatta, a new location for alumni homecoming festivities, varsity games, art show and more!

Thousands of alumni and their families are expected to return to Trent University this weekend for the annual Head of the Trent and Alumni Homecoming, taking place from Friday, September 30 to Sunday, October 2.

This annual Trent event attracts alumni, students and community members alike for a busy weekend full of activities framed around the exciting Head of the Trent rowing competition, the largest single day event of its kind in North America. 

Highlights of this year’s weekend-long event include:

41st Annual Head of the Trent Rowing Regatta
The 41st annual Head of the Trent, North America’s largest single-day head race regatta, gets underway at 9 a.m. on Saturday, October 1.
Over a thousand athletes from all over Ontario, Quebec and the North-Eastern United States, and representing more than 50 universities and clubs, will travel to Peterborough to participate in this year’s regatta. Races take place on the Trent-Severn Waterway, starting at the Parkhill Road Bridge and winding through the Trent Canal to finish 5km later at Trent’s Symons Campus, cheered on by an enthusiastic crowd. The race’s rich history and unbeatable atmosphere make the Head of the Trent this region’s premiere rowing event.

Homecoming Festival – New Location
The Homecoming festival returns this year but is now located in the Ceilie and Champlain College Riverside beside the Great Hall. Running from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, the festival includes a licensed area and BBQ, and lots of fun children’s activities including face painting, balloons and games.

Steam Whistle Green Initiatives Featured at Beer Garden
The popular annual beer garden is returning this year, featuring, for the first time ever, Steam Whistle brew poured into completely biodegradable cups made of a cornstarch resin that is 100% compostable within 50 days. The beer garden is the main fundraiser for the Trent University Rowing Club. Express entry is available for alumni with valid alumni card (must be 19+ to enter).

Opening of the Spencer J. Harrison Art Show and Sale
Artist, activist and alumnus Spencer J. Harrison is opening his latest art show and sale at Alumni House on Saturday, October 1 until Thursday, October 6. Mr. Harrison will be at the show to meet Alumni and friends on Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Tribute Events to Honour Retired Director of Alumni Affairs, Tony Storey ‘71
On Friday, September 30, a special series of events will be taking place on campus in recognition of Tony Storey’s retirement. From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., local artist Spencer J. Harrison will preview his art at Alumni House before officially launching his show on Saturday afternoon. Beginning at 4 p.m., a speaker series entitled, Ideas That Change the World, will take place in Lady Eaton College, room 201, with guest panelists including Spencer J. Harrison, Professor John Wadland, Nigel Roulet and Emily Morrison. Finally, alumni and friends are invited to attend a reception and dedication of the Tony Storey courtyard at Alumni House from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.  

Annual General Meeting – Alumni Association
The Annual General Meeting of the Alumni Association will take place on Saturday, October 1 at 10:30 a.m. in Alumni House at Champlain College. All members of the Alumni Association are invited to attend the meeting and participate in the election of the new Association President. Candidate profiles can be found on the Alumni Association website at www.trentu.ca/alumni/alumniassociation.php.

Varsity Sports
In addition to the rowing regatta, be sure to check out the following varsity and alumni sporting events:

Friday, September 30

• 7 p.m. - Varsity Women’s rugby game vs. York, Justin Chiu Stadium

Saturday, October 1

• 10 a.m. - Trent Alumni soccer game, Justin Chiu Stadium
• 12 p.m. - Varsity Invitation swim meet, Alan Marshall Pool, TCSRC
  Varsity Women’s soccer game vs. Ottawa, Justin Chiu Stadium
• 12:30 p.m. - Alumni volleyball game, gymnasium, TCSRC
• 3 p.m. - Varsity Men’s rugby game vs. Humber, Justin Chiu Stadium
• 7 p.m. - Varsity Men’s lacrosse game vs. Queen’s, Justin Chiu Stadium

Sunday, October 2

• 1 p.m. - Varsity Women’s soccer game vs. Carleton, Justin Chiu Stadium
• 3:15 p.m. - Varsity Men’s soccer game vs. Carleton, Justin Chiu Stadium

For more information, go to the Head of the Trent web site.

The Trent University rowing team participated in the Head of the Rideau regatta in Ottawa on Sunday and thanks 12 medal finishes the Excalibur earned the most post among university teams. By winning the university division, the Excalibur were awarded the Kandahar Cup.

The Trent charge was led by first place finishes by the varsity lightweight women’s four,  the junior varsity women’s four, the varsity women’s eight and the varsity lightweight women’s eight.

There were also five Excalibur boats earning second place finishes. These boats include the varsity women’s four, varsity lightweight women’s double, varsity men’s and varsity lightweight fours and the varsity men’s eight.

Third place finishes were earned by Trent’s varsity lightweight men’s double, varsity women’s four B-boat, and the varsity men’s eight B-boat.

Also on the day, the Excalibur novice rowers faired well, earning second and third place finishes in the women’s eight race and second and fourth place finishes in the men’s eights.

The strong showing in Ottawa will put the Excalibur rowers in a position to be successful for the upcoming Head of the Trent which takes place October 1, with festivities running all day on the Trent campus.

Watch LIVE as the Trent Excalibur host the Seneca Sting in OCAA Men's Rugby action.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/trent-men-s-rugby

 

With the OUA golf season fast approaching, the Trent Excalibur have compiled a list of 12 golfers who will be vying for a spot on the 6-man team.

The chosen atletes will be part of the brand new Trent Excalibur golf team who will compete at the OUA Championship, hosted by Queen's University.

The preliminary list is available here

Defense was the theme of the Trent Excalibur men’s soccer home opener, but a goal in the 67^th minute was enough to power the home side to a 1-0 win and sending the Queen’s Gaels to their first defeat of the season.

Scoring chances were slim during the contest, but the visiting Gaels held the advantage in opportunities in the first half.  The Trent defenders stood strong, and veteran keeper Josip Bosjnik was up to the task when balls made it through the defense.  Bosjnik made 6 excellent saves in the first half to keep the score knotted at zero.

The second half was played in an end to end style, with neither team pushing the possession or pace. Trent was able to capitalize on their best chance of the half. In the 67^th minute Devon Coutu headed a corner kick past the Queen’s keeper Dylan Maxwell to record the game’s only goal.

Bosjnik was named Trent’s player of the game in making nine saves to record the clean sheet.  With the shutout, Bosjnik has allowed only two goals in four games and his goals against average of 0.50 puts him among the tops in Ontario University Athletics.

With the win, the Excalibur improve to 2-2-1 on the season and move into sole possession of fourth place in the OUA East Divison. They return to action Sunday when they host the Royal Military College Paladins for a 3:15 pm game time  from Justin Chiu Stadium.

New team seeking five players to golf in Fall 2011 season

With the opening of the 2011-12 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) season, Trent University Director of Athletics, Bill Byrick, is excited to announce the addition of a new Excalibur Men’s Varsity Golf program.

The newest addition to the Trent Excalibur varsity line-up will begin competing in the OUA in fall 2011 and has been made possible with the support of an anonymous donor and a strong partnership with the Peterborough Golf and Country Club (PGCC).

“A golf program has been something we’ve been looking at for many years at Trent and thanks to a great deal of support from members of the community and the great people at the Peterborough Golf and Country Club this is now a reality,” said Byrick. “We’re very pleased to add our twentieth varsity team and I think it gives more of our students a chance to represent the University at an elite level.”

As a partner in the team, the PGCC will provide playing privileges and access to practice facilities for the team over the course of the OUA golf season. Additionally, the club will host a duel meet in late September.

"The Peterborough Golf and Country Club looked at this as a great opportunity to partner with Trent University in the development of their student athletes through the game of golf. Our relationship with Trent University over the years has been an exceptional one and this commitment to their Golf program enhances that relationship,” said Robert Lauzon, General Manager and COO at PGCC. “We look forward to this partnership as a lasting opportunity to give back to the community and Trent University for all of the support they have given to the club over the years."

Joining the new golf program in the role of coach and manager is Peterborough icon Pete Dalliday. Dalliday will bring his years of experience in the Peterborough golf community to Trent, and will look to use his knowledge of the game to supplement the skills of team members. Providing additional coaching support during the season will be PGCC Head Pro Chris Jones, a former OUA golfer himself, and his talented staff.

“The addition of varsity golf at Trent is very exciting and I’m happy to be a part of it,” said Dalliday. “The University joining forces with Peterborough Golf and Country Club is a great a fit and this team wouldn’t be possible without that support.”

The Trent golf program has already attracted interest from student-athletes who have played on the Ontario amateur circuit and the team is currently seeking players to round out the five-player men’s team. Golfers with competitive experience, preferably with Golf Association of Ontario events, and an established handicap of less than seven are encouraged to contact Bill Byrick billbyrick@trentu.ca or Blair Hough blairhough@trentu.ca by September 22, 2011.

The crown jewel of the OUA golf season is the OUA Championship being hosted by Queen’s University at the Cataraqui Golf and Country Club in Kingston in October.

Excalibur overcome slow start to defeat Laurier

The Trent Varsity Men’s Lacrosse team overcame an early two-goal deficit and held on late as they downed the visiting Laurier Golden Hawks 9-8 in front of 900 fans at Justin Chiu Stadium on Thursday.

Laurier’s George Jimas had the only two goals of the opening quarter, but the Excalibur came alive in the second.  Joe Stanley scored the first Trent marker and Josh Gilray notched the equalizer.  The teams traded two goals each to send the contest into halftime knotted at four.

It was in the third quarter that the Excalibur pulled away, scoring four unanswered goals. Laurier responded with two markers early in the final quarter and two late in the game, but sandwiched in the middle was the eventual game-winner from rookie Travis Szabolcs.

Trent was lead by Szabolcs who had four goals in the game.  Josh Gilray also added three goals and one assist while Niall Caravello tallied five assists for the Excalibur.  Laurier was paced by four goals from George Jimas.

The Excalibur will be in action again on September 11.  The game against the McGill Redmen will open the 2011 regular season. Game time from Justin Chiu Stadium is 1 pm.

Trent's men's Lacrosse team is looking to improve on a disappointing 2010 season.

CHEX TV's Meaghan Roy caught up with the team as they prepare to open the 2011 campaign.

See the story HERE

The Trent Excalibur varsity women’s soccer team came away with one point in the standings over a two-game road trip to open their Ontario University Athletics (OUA) season this weekend.  The team dropped their season opener 4-0 to the Laurentian Lady Vees Saturday before coming away with a 1-1 draw against the Nipissing Lakers on Sunday afternoon.

In the loss to Laurentian, the Excalibur allowed one first half goal, but weren’t able to maintain defensive pressure in the second half. The home squad scored twice in the first seven minutes of the second half to pull ahead 3-0 and never looked back, adding an additional marker midway through the half.

The Excalibur didn’t let Saturday’s loss dampen their spirits as they took the pitch against Nipissing.  Trent opened the scoring on the afternoon as Excalibur rookie Carley Dunwoody scored the first goal of her career in the 87th. Trent looked poised to record their first win since the 2009 season, until the Lakers were able to score a desperation goal in injury time, making the final 1-1.

After the opening weekend of play, the Excalibur sit with a record of 0-1-1 in the OUA East division. The team returns to action September 10 and 11 when they travel to Kingston to face the Royal Military College Paladins and the Queen’s Gaels.  The Excalibur open the home portion of their schedule on September 17 when they host the Gaels. 

In addition to being the home opener, the September 17 game will also feature coaches taking part in the Right to Play organization’s Go Shoeless event.  The event will see the game’s coaches participating barefoot in an attempt to raise awareness for youth around the world who do not have proper footwear and equipment to participate in sport safely.

The Trent Varsity Men's soccer team opened their season 0-1-1 after the first weekend of Ontario University Athletics regular season play.  The Excalibur played to a 1-1 draw against the Laurentian Voyageurs on Saturday before dropping a 1-0 decision to the Nipissing Lakers on Sunday.

In the season opener at Laurentian, the first half was dominated by defence.  The teams played the opening 45 minutes to a scoreless draw.

It was in the game's 69th when Devon Coutu (Bowmanville, Ont.) gave Trent the lead. The one-goal advantage was short-lived as Davor Alisic scored just four minutes later to pull Laurentian even. The teams battled for the remainder of the game, but neither team could score the go-ahead marker, making the final score 1-1.

In the second game of the weekend, the Excalibur visited the Nipissing Lakers, and defence was again the name of the game. Nipissing's Tylor Doell scored the lone goal of the contest in the 23rd minute.

Despite pressure throughout the game, Trent was not able to solve the Lakers' keeper and the gamed finished 1-0.

The Excalibur return to action on September 10 and 11 when they travel to Kingston to take on the Royal Military College Paladins and the Queen’s Gaels.  The Excalibur open the home portion of their schedule on September 17 when they host the Gaels.

CHEX TV's Melody Belfry caught up with the Trent Excalibur women's soccer team prior to their season-opening road-trip.

View the segment HERE