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‘Wolves prepare for Golden Hawks

Tasia McKenna has set plenty of goals during her OUA basketball career. One will be realized Wednesday night.

Tasia McKenna has set plenty of goals during her OUA basketball career. One will be realized Wednesday night.

For the first time in her four seasons at Lakehead University – the first time in a dozen years, for that matter – the Thunderwolves women’s team will host a playoff game, taking on the Laurier Golden Hawks in a Western Conference quarterfinal.

It’s something the Timberlea, N.S. native has been looking forward to since she first arrived on campus, fresh off an all-star career at the now-dormant Queen Elizabeth High School in Halifax.

"I think it means a lot to us. We had some difficult games throughout the year, and we weren’t sure how we were going to end up. As you saw, we left it to the last minute, the last game on Saturday," McKenna said, at a pep rally for both the men’s and women’s teams, staged Monday at the Outpost.

"It’s so exciting to know that we’re playing at home. Traveling last season out of town for playoffs against Laurier, who we’re playing on Wednesday, was a bit of a tough battle for us."

The Wolves (13-9) lost that game 62-58, and will have to be at their best on Wednesday when the sixth-seeded Golden Hawks (10-12) arrive at the Thunderdome, armed with one of the country’s premier weapons, fourth-year guard Renata Adamcyzk.

Adamczyk is averaging 14 points per game this season, but is a proven playoff performer who added five points to that total in last year’s postseason and is a threat from everywhere on the court, McKenna said.

The Wolves will have to be careful guarding her, she added, but cautious not to focus too much attention on the 2008-09 OUA defensive player of the year.

"Renata has been tough for us to defend. She plays a 3-4 position, she posts up, she shoots the three, she’s a great defender, just an all-around great athlete. She’s fun to play against," McKenna said.

"But the match-up is tough. We send out Lisa Styles against her for speed and strength, Shannon (Vellinga) for her height and sometimes me to try to get her to put the ball on the floor, to see if I can get a few steals."

LU coach Jon Kreiner, who said hosting a playoff game in 2010 puts the team a couple of years behind the schedule he set out when he took over the reins in 2003, is focusing on Laurier for now, but like McKenna said his goals extend well beyond the first round.

"We feel that we have a team that has everything that it needs to be successful and to win an OUA title, not just to host on Wednesday," Kreiner said, happy to avoid 22-1 Windsor until the OUA West final, should they make it that far.

"But we’ve got to come out ready on Wednesday, Laurier’s been playing well."

The Wolves split the season series with the Golden Hawks, beating them 84-61 on the road on Jan. 15, but dropping a 75-51 decision the following night.


Leith Dunick

About the Author: Leith Dunick

A proud Nova Scotian who has called Thunder Bay home since 2002, Leith is Dougall Media's director of news, but still likes to tell your stories too. Wants his Expos back and to see Neil Young at least one more time. Twitter: @LeithDunick
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