The Maritime Women’s Basketball Association rocked its opening weekend with some interesting storylines.
‘The first week of the season is always exciting and ours certainly didn’t disappoint,’ said MWBA commissioner, Jen McKenzie of Dartmouth. ‘Close games, solid performances and just an overall feeling expressed amongst all seven teams that this season, parity has arrived.’
Let’s recap, shall we?
- First, the Halifax Hornets did something no other MWBA has ever done. And that’s defeat the Halifax Thunder in a regular season game, ending the two-time reigning champions perfect 30-0 record with points on the line, 66-58. It was the Hornets who defeated Thunder in the 2022 final.
- The Lake City 56ers stormed out of the starter’s blocks with two major wins in New Brunswick, opening with a win over Moncton Mystics and then taming Miramichi Her-Icanes to open at 2-0 and lead the way in the early going.
- Fredericton Freeze, in the midst of a major lineup transformation, started slowly but found its way with a win over Port City Fog of Saint John on home turf. The Splash Sisters – Bailey Russel and Allie McCarthy – led the way offensively for Fredericton. Courtney Thompson had five points against her former team for Fredericton.
- Jillian Mumford made an immediate impression with the Fog. The former post with the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association’s Mount Allison University Mounties, scored 14 points in her debut for Port City against Fredericton.
- Speaking of lineup transformation, the young Mystics played without several key players and put up a battle against Lake City before the visitors pulled away. Moncton, which is without a number of veterans who all played three seasons, is re-tooling and will be a difficult team to play against.
- Miramichi, in front of a solid crowd at Miramichi Valley High School, had outstanding performances from Lauren Rainford and Abby Miller in the setback to Lake City. Rainford and Miller, teammates last season with the Atlantic University Sport University of Prince Edward Island Panthers, will be counted on to provide offence and boards all season under new head coach, Neil Smith.
- Alex Petropolis is the new head coach of the Thunder. He is head coach with Citadel High Phoenix varsity boys’ team in Halifax. Former Acadia University Axemen head coach Kevin Duffie is on the Thunder staff along with pro player Keevan Veinot.
- League action continues with three games Saturday. The Hornets visit Lake City in a 3 p.m. outing at Cole Harbour High School while a pair of 7 p.m. games cap the day. Port City opens its home schedule at the University of New Brunswick at Saint John, hosting Moncton while the Her-Icanes greet Fredericton at MVHS. A single game Sunday pits Thunder at 56ers at 3 p.m. at CHHS.
– Robbi Daley of Fredericton drives to the rim (Fran Harris Photo)
