The St. Thomas University Tommies women’s basketball team wrapped up their 2021-22 season by claiming Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association silver medals.
The Tommies began the season with a contender for ACAA game of the year, with a thrilling 72-71 overtime victory over the Mount Allison University Mounties, and they would jump out of the gate to a 5-0 record before injuries started piling up for the Tommies contributing to losing their final two games before the holiday break.
“We battled through major injuries, Covid shutdowns, scheduling changes, and a new playoff format,” said Tommies’ head coach, Fred Connors, about the struggles his team faced this year. “To be ranked 5th in the country and finish second in league play while have a great chance at a championship shows the impressive resilience of this group of women.”
Following the ACAA’s return to play, the Tommies would once again start out hot, pushing their record to 9-2, leading into the final game of the regular season with a win giving them first in the ACAA. The visiting Holland College Hurricanes would beat them for the second time on the season to drop the Tommies to the second seed. The Tommies and Hurricanes would meet again at “The Pit” in the ACAA semifinals with the Tommies coming away with a 74-64 victory, setting the stage for the ACAA Finals with the Mount Saint Vincent University Mystics, a rematch of the 2019-20 ACAA Championship game. The Tommies would come out on the wrong end of a 72-67 game.
The Tommies had three ACAA 1st Team All-Stars on the year, with veteran Madison Owens getting the nod, along with her sister Emily Owens, and Vanessa Soffee, who was also named a CCAA All-Canadian. Madison was also named the ACAA's winner of the Rod Shoveller Memorial Award, given annually to an ACAA men’s or women’s basketball player who has contributed to sport and society through excellence in academics, athletics, leadership and sportsmanship.
Madison, along with Mary Besselink, will be the lone graduating Tommies this season, with the core being eligible for return, leaving Connors excited for the future of his program.
“I think we had a fantastic season. Losing Maddy and Mary will be tough. Mary had been a great influence on our younger players, and although she was only here for a short time, has had an impact that will last a long time. Maddy is the longest serving Tommie in program history, and we are going to miss her leadership and experience tremendously.
“We are really excited about our core group that is returning. We have some injuries that will need to heal, but I trust everyone is going to work very hard this summer. Clearly returning Vanessa as a two-time All Canadian and Emily as a 1st Team All-Star is going to be great starting points for where our leadership will be coming from. We do expect others to make big strides to help us get back to a championship caliber team.”
The Tommies have already added three recruits for the 2022-23 season, including Grace Christie, Charlee Connors, and Katie Vidito.