By Reegan MacAulay
Multiple Holland Hurricanes teams across volleyball, basketball, and women’s hockey will conclude their first half of the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) and Atlantic Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) season on the road this weekend.
Here’s what’s coming up across three days between Friday, Nov. 29 and Sunday, Dec. 1.
Women’s Volleyball
The women’s volleyball Hurricanes will end 2024 with one final road trip, which will be to Halifax, N.S. on Saturday, Nov. 30 for a match which could be a determining factor toward who enters the second half of the season in third place.
It’ll be a rematch against the Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU) Mystics, who are tied with Holland (5-4) for third in the conference with a 5-3 record. The Mystics have been on a wild run ever since they ended a three-game losing skid to start their season earlier this month, as they have won their last five games. The two teams played each other back on Nov. 3 at the McMillan Centre, with MSVU denying a comeback rally by the Hurricanes in a five-set game.
It’s been a tough stretch for Holland, who started the season with three wins but have lost three of their last four games, with two of them being against the 7-1 Mount Allison Mounties. While a whole other half of the season remains ahead of the 2025 ACAA Volleyball Championships, the hosting Hurricanes will want to head into the more crucial part of the season with momentum.
Fourth-year left-side Morgan White (Charlottetown, P.E.I.) and second-year setter Hannah Power (Corner Brook, NL) have been the most consistent players so far this season, particularly in leading statistics. They have been relied upon to lead the way this season. Others that have shown flashes of brilliance include fourth-year left-side Jamie Spencer (Fort Frances, Ontario), who was recently named the Hurricanes Women’s Volleyball Player of the Week.
Saturday’s game time is 2 p.m. Watch live at https://acaa.tv.
Connect with the women’s volleyball ‘Canes at www.x.com/caneswvball and
www.instagram.com/caneswvball.
Women’s Basketball
The women’s basketball Hurricanes have certainly improved in comparison to their first half last season (4-5 record), as, this season, they enter the upcoming final weekend of the first half with a 5-2 record, four wins in their last five games, and within a tie for second place, and ranked seventh in Canada as by the CCAA.
On Friday, they will head to Fredericton, N.B. for the first time and only this season and for the final time in 2024 to face off against the St. Thomas University (STU) Tommies. The match could be interesting as the Tommies, who are 3-2, have some catching up to do in games played, having played five games compared to Holland’s seven, and the Hurricanes will have far more recent momentum. It will also be the first game between the two teams.
While Holland’s final total points in games have recently dropped a bit, they have signalled their intent to be a major contender for the regional championship thanks to the recent stretch of wins and their consistent intensity on the court. A win on Friday would tie them for the conference lead with the Mount Allison Mounties, who are done for the season until January.
Heading into the winter break, third-year guard Lauren Armstrong (Canberra, Australia) is playing the best she ever has as a Hurricane; she currently sits second in the ACAA in points per game (15.4) and rebounds per game (10.0), and third in points (108). Fifth-year forward and reigning ACAA Player of the Year Alexa Rancourt (New Dominion, P.E.I.) is not too far behind, sitting fourth in points (102), points per game (14.6), and rebounds per game (8.9), and is second in field goal percentage (50.6).
Recently, the spotlight went toward rookie guard Taya Talbot (Truro, N.S.), who earned Hurricanes Women’s Basketball Player of the Week honours for a stellar performance in last weekend’s doubleheader in Halifax, N.S. against the MSVU Mystics.
Friday’s game time is 6 p.m. and will be live at https://acaa.tv.
Connect with the women’s basketball ‘Canes at www.x.com/caneswbball and
www.instagram.com/hurricanesbball.
Men’s Basketball
The men’s basketball Hurricanes will join the women in Fredericton, N.B. on Friday to wrap up their first half of the 2024-25 season to take on the men’s STU Tommies.
The men’s Tommies are in a similar situation to the women as they also have some catching up to do in terms of games played, but they have proven to be much stronger and more dynamic in terms of overall scoring. Friday’s match will be the first between Holland and STU this season.
As for the Hurricanes, it’s been a roller coaster of a campaign; win, two losses, two wins, two losses. While the squad can bring a scary level of strength and power to the court, a lack of consistency and unpredictability has the team in an odd situation. A win to conclude the first half of the season would provide a strong ending and an opportunity to reset and come out better in January.
Fifth-year guard Bryce Corless (Quispamsis, N.B.) has steadily moved his way up toward the top of multiple statistics in the conference after a slow start to the season. He has led the team in most of their recent games and is now third in the ACAA in points per game (18.8) and sixth in points (113). Second-year guard Aaron Simmons (Nassau, Bahamas) is not far behind with 105 points, and he’s also third in three-point percentage (47.1).
Recently, third-year guard Ryan MacKinnon (Summerside, P.E.I.) was named the Hurricanes Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after contributing valuable depth to the squad in last weekend’s doubleheader in Halifax, N.S. against the MSVU Mystics, recording several points, rebounds, and assists.
Friday’s game time is 8 p.m. and can be viewed live at https://acaa.tv.
Connect with the men’s basketball Hurricanes at www.x.com/canesmbball and
www.instagram.co/hurricanesbball.
Women’s Hockey
The women’s hockey Hurricanes look to end the first half of the 2024-25 ACHA season with resilience after two close losses against the Acadia University Axewomen last weekend.
Holland will head on the road for the second consecutive weekend, this time to Cape Breton, N.S. for the first time this season and the final time in 2024 to challenge the Cape Breton University (CBU) Capers on Saturday, Nov. 30 and Sunday, Dec. 1. The Capers have played just two games, both resulting in losses against Acadia, and will look to get in the win column in their first games against the Hurricanes since the Island Cup in October, when CBU beat Holland 4-2.
While the Hurricanes hold a 1-3-0 record, both games against the Axewomen last weekend saw results with a one-goal difference; the team played strong defensively and heavily relied on great goaltending by fourth-year goalie Emma Arsenault (Searletown, P.E.I.), but faltered to poor starts in both games and couldn’t find any puck luck aside from, at best, two goals in one game.
Third-year forward Livi Lawlor (Sherwood, P.E.I.) scored her first two goals of the season with one in each game last weekend and will look to keep her offensive production going. Second-year forward Josie Lynch (Lunenburg, N.S.) also recorded her first goal and earned both Hurricanes Female Athlete of the Week and Hurricanes Women’s Hockey Player of the Week.
Third-year defenseman Emma Stuart (Bridgewater, N.S.) returned to the lineup for the first time since the 2022-23 season and made an immediate impact both on and off the ice. Multiple players who were absent last weekend will join the team on the road this weekend, including second-year forward Kailey Lutley (Stratford, P.E.I.) and rookie defenseman Ella Duffy (Stratford, P.E.I.).
Saturday’s game time is 6 p.m. and Sunday’s game time is 10 a.m. Both games can be watched live at www.youtube.com/@membertouhockey9356.
Connect with the women’s hockey ‘Canes at www.x.com/caneswhockey and www.instagram.com/caneswhockey.
For more information on the Holland Hurricanes, visit www.hollandhurricanes.com, www.facebook.com/hollandhurricanes, www.x.com/hc_hurricanes and www.instagram.com/hollandhurricanes.
-30-
140 Weymouth Street, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada C1A 4Z1
Tel: 1-800-446-5265 | Fax: 902-629-4239