A look at fall sports on campus
By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express
With the start of the school year only a couple short weeks away, some students may not be eager to open up their textbooks, but for athletes, many will be eager to open up their varsity sport season.
“Thing are ramping up pretty quick,” says Scott Barker, athletics director at UOIT. “Once the fall comes and the excitement gets here, there’s nothing really that can top it.”
At UOIT, sports are already underway with training camps beginning earlier this month.
Men’s soccer will open their season at home on Sept 10 against the Queen’s Gaels in a rematch of last year’s Ontario University Athletics (OUA) quarter finals. Before that though, the women will host the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Aug. 26. to open their season.
Women’s lacrosse will also open their season on Sept. 10 with a match-up against Laurier, quickly followed by games against Guelph and Brock on Sept. 11. Rowing team tryouts will open in early September before the crew travels to Muskoka for the Fall Classic in Gravenhurst on Sept. 10.
Hockey fans will have to wait a little longer before the puck drops, with both the men’s and women’s teams opening their seasons in October.
On the men’s side, they will host Laurentian on Oct 14, followed by Nippissing on Oct. 15, while the women will take on the women’s Nippissing club on Oct. 16.
“We’re looking forward to a strong year with all of our teams,” Barker says.
On the Durham College side of things, athletic director Ken Babcock says much of the same.
In particular, noting that the excitement is building around the conversion of the campus’ sports bubble, previously tennis courts, into an artificial turf sports facility.
“It is going to be very popular,” he says. “Students are going to love it.”
In terms of sports, training camps are already underway for women’s softball, who will be looking to defend their OCAA championship.
Both men’s and women’s soccer have been battling through pre-season games with varied success. Both clubs will open their season on Sept. 10 in Kingston.
For full details and schedules for all Durham College athletics, visit www.durhamlords.com.
For UOIT athletics, visit www.uoitridgebacks.com