By: Dylan Webb, Sports Editor
Though many SFU Sports teams have had their seasons postponed or cancelled prematurely due to the COVID–19 pandemic, there were a lot of successful moments for Clan athletics during the spring semester. Below is a breakdown of some of these achievements from a successful, albeit shortened, season for SFU Athletics.
Softball:
Due to the timing of the beginning of their season, the SFU Softball team was one of the hardest hit by the COVID–19 pandemic. Though their season was cancelled after just their eighth conference game, the Clan showed impressive potential by winning seven of these games, including all six that were played at home. The team finished their 2020 GNAC season with a 7–1 record in conference play and a 13–5 record overall.
Women’s Basketball:
The SFU Women’s Basketball team was able to complete its 2020 season, just days before the COVID–19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation of the remainder of the season for all GNAC sports. After an extremely successful regular season that saw the team finish fourth in its conference, the Clan travelled to Seattle to compete in the GNAC Championship tournament. However, despite facing a lower seeded Central Washington team in the quarter finals, the Clan fell in their opening game of the tournament and finished their season with a record of 18–13.
Men’s Basketball:
A solid 2020 season for the men’s basketball team was tempered by a comparatively poor performance in conference play. Despite an overall record of 16–13, the Clan were only able to win nine of their 20 conference games on the season, which resulted in an eighth place finish in the GNAC standings. Because of this, the Clan fell short of a berth in the GNAC Championship tournament.
Hockey:
After multiple years of frustrating performances that saw the team fail to meet expectations, the 2019–20 British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League (BCIHL) season saw the Clan put together one of their most successful campaigns in recent memory. After finishing second in the league with a 15–7–2 record, SFU was set to host the Vancouver Island University Mariners in the first round of the playoffs before the cancellation of the BCIHL postseason due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was an unfortunately abrupt ending to the season for a team that appeared to have its best shot at a league championship since it last secured the BCIHL title in 2013.
