Lightning open camp; Knights drop pair; Mustangs hit the track
Gameday in 5: A look to the week ahead — and a recap of the week that was (Nov. 27-Dec. 3) — for London’s teams and athletes.
(Photo: Barry Field Photography).
* * *
It was a rough week for the Knights, who lost both of their games — and gave up a lot of goals in the process.
Things opened up with a 5-1 loss at home to the Mississauga Steelheads Friday. After a scoreless first period, the Knights opened the scoring 45 seconds into the second period with a powerplay goal from Denver Barkey (assists to Easton Cowan and Kasper Halttunen). But that’s where the offense ended for London — and began for the visiting Steelheads. Mississauga scored two in the second and three in the third to cruise to the road win.
Looking to bounce back on Saturday, the Knights let a 4-2 lead slip and lost 7-5 in Saginaw. London got the scoring started with a Max McCue goal just 56 seconds into the game. Oliver Bonk doubled the lead with a powerplay goal just after the 10-minute mark. The Spirit came out strong in the second period, scoring twice to tie the game. But the Knights fought back, restoring their two-goal lead on goals by Barkey and Halttunen.
Saginaw cut into the lead late in the period, and then tied things early in the third. Before the final frame was five minutes old, the Spirit had scored three times and owned a 6-4 lead. That momentum shift held, even as London’s Sam Dickinson scored to pull the Knights within one. An empty netter sealed the deal for the home side in Saginaw.
Up next:
The Knights have a three-game week on tap, starting Tuesday at home against Sarnia. They’ll close the week SUnday on the road in Sault Ste. Marie.
Tues. Dec. 5 (7:00pm vs. Sarnia Sting)
Fri. Dec. 8 (7:00pm vs. Saginaw Spirit)
Sun. Dec. 10 (2:07pm @ Soo Greyhounds)
The Lightning announced a couple more signings last week ahead of the beginning of training camp Monday. Former NBLC champ Freddie McSwain Jr. and Angus McWilliam, a New Zealander, are the latest additions to the Lightning for the 2023-24 season, the team’s first in the new Basketball Super League (BSL).
McSwain, a native of Hinesville, Georgia, was a member of the Moncton Magic back in 2018-19, where he appeared in 33 games, averaging 8.5 points and 5.6 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per contest. The now-29-year-old has played overseas at a number of locales, including Brazil, Austria, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Macedonia and Mexico. He also had a stint with the Edmonton Stingers of the CEBL in 2021-22.
McWilliam, 24, a former player at UC Riverside in the NCAA, recently suited up for the Rockhampton Rockets (NBL Australia), where he averaged 8.2 points and 7.3 rebounds in 21.7 minutes in 19 games.
The Lightning headed into training camp Monday (Dec. 4) with the following players …
Jermaine Haley, Marcus Ottey, Nick Garth, Ben Mockford, Jeremiah Mordi, Jachai Taylor, Sam Cunliffe, Amir Yusef, Rashad Smith, Kevin Baker, Freddie McSwain Jr., Grant Adu, Sina Hashemi, Alonzo Murphy, Jayden Coke, Angus McWilliam.
Western Mustangs - Track & Field
Taking part in the 48th annual Bob Vigars season-opening indoor meet on Saturday, several Western Mustangs athletes came away with first-place finishes at Thompson Arena on campus.
Winners on the track side included Vivian Ogor (60m dash), Aaron Thompson (60m dash), Ayden Blain (60m hurdles), Rachel Watson (60m hurdles), Taya Keast (300m) and Julliana Hendrikx (1,000m).
Off the track, some Western winners included: Matt Indome and Rofiat Agboola in the long jump; Zach Courtney and Tara Johannink in the high jump; and Liv Sands and Jordan Gluck in the shot put.
Up next:
The Mustangs’ next meet will be the Windsor Can Am event, which will take place in the new year, Jan. 12 & 13, 2024.
OFSAA Football Championships
With flurries flying, the South Collegiate Lions won the Western Bowl last Monday night at Acumen Stadium in Windsor.
The WOSSAA champion Lions added to their successful season, as they cruised to a 33-0 win over the St. Mary’s Knights (from Sault Ste. Marie) to capture the 2023 Western Bowl at the OFSAA football championships.
Kanye Nethersole and Chase Smith did much of the damage, racking up three touchdowns between them. Andre Thompson also found the endzone -- on the defensive side. And kicker Owen Williams did the rest of the work with his leg.
The Lions earned a trip to the Bowl game after beating the Lucas Vikings, 22-7, in a city championship two weeks prior. That made them 7-1 overall on the season, including TVRA regular season and playoff action. Last Monday’s win made it eight -- and brought them a provincial banner.
There are some familiar faces, but there’s a sense of renewal in London as the Lightning embark on a new season. With a new coach and several new players, is a new era upon us? What to expect in 2024-25 …