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SFU Hockey continues losing streak against UVic Vikes

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EIC
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Image Credit: Austin Cozicar/ The Peak
As in their previous two losses, SFU scored first. However, unlike those losses, the Clan were outshot by a wide margin Saturday night. Image Credit: Austin Cozicar/ The Peak
As in their previous two losses, SFU scored first. However, unlike those losses, the Clan were outshot by a wide margin Saturday night.     Image Credit: Austin Cozicar/ The Peak

Saturday night at the Bill Copeland Centre, the Clan served the crowd a now-familiar sight — after netting the first goal of the game, the University of Victoria (UVic) Vikes took control, winning 4–2. But unlike SFU’s last game, where they outshot the competition with a whopping 44 shots, this time they were only able to get 16. 

The Clan got off to a good start; after a nice blocker save less than a minute in by SFU goaltender Jordan Liem, forward Matthew Luongo put up the first goal on the scoreboard.

However, just after the 10-minute mark in the first period, UVic defenceman James Tindle buried the puck past Liem — a hard one-timer off a won faceoff. UVic wasn’t done there, as forward Shawn Mueller scored on the powerplay only 38 seconds later to give the Vikes a 2–1 lead.

After some ice issues delayed the start of the second period, SFU seemed to get off on the right foot, controlling the play for a brief period of time. But this was short-lived, as the Clan were badly outshot for the rest of the period. The animosity between the two teams grew throughout the game, and the post-whistle scrums became more frequent.Screen Shot 2015-02-07 at 5.03.45 PM

UVic extended their lead to two in the third, as Carsen Willans tipped the point shot past Liem. But the Clan weren’t about to give up, and defenceman Tyler Basham scored from a below the goal line pass from forward Mike Sandor — his third goal in two games — to give SFU team a chance to comeback.

The Clan pulled their goalie with a minute left to try and muster at least a point, but Vike forward Shawn Mueller scored an easy empty netter, putting the final score at 4–2. SFU were badly outshot by the end of game, having only 16 shots on net compared to UVic’s 33.

“I thought we battled hard, and we played well enough I thought to at least earn a point,” head coach Mark Coletta said after the game. “But sometimes when you’re in a rut like we are, it’s going to take a little extra to get out of it.”

The Clan are still in fourth place, and are now 14 points behind Trinity Western and five points behind UVic. Coletta knows that his team needs to improve down the final stretch of the season.

“I think the energy level and the work ethic is good, but I think we just need to get some bounces, and we need to find a way to score goals,” he said. “Two goals a game isn’t going to win when you’re giving up four. We’ll fix what we have to fix and hopefully next week start that trend with a win.”

Clan outwit Nanooks in low-scoring affair

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EIC
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The win was SFU’s lowest-scoring victory this season — their only win while scoring under 100 points — as well as their second-lowest score.

The year 2015 has not been kind to the men’s basketball team  — their last game was just their first win of the year. However, Thursday night against the Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks, the men’s basketball team were able keep up the positive momentum, putting up their second straight win.

The Clan came out firing on all cylinders. Guard Sango Niang scored the first basket, and his team then managed a quick 10–1 run. Midway through the first, Alaska was able to cut the lead down to 7, but the Clan answered back, this time by going on a 9–2 run and restoring their big lead. The half ended 45–33 SFU, led by strong performances by both Niang and guard Hiddle Vos.

The second half started with a commanding lead for SFU — up by 17 just two minutes in. But after that, the team’s offence dried up and the shooters began missing the mark. This allowed the Fairbanks to slowly get back into the game, eventually cutting the lead down to two points. Ultimately, the Clan were able to restore a bit of a lead, and the final score was 79–71 SFU.

The win was SFU’s lowest-scoring victory this season — their only win while scoring under 100 points — as well as their second-lowest score.

Despite the lack of offence and sloppy defence that plagued the Clan’s second half, head coach James Blake was pleased with the win — their second in January, a feat the team has not accomplished since joining the NCAA.

“I’m very proud of how my team has responded,” said the coach. “This team has responded to a tough January, and now they’ve got two wins in the month of January, which my teams in the past haven’t done.”

With the win, SFU moved out of a four-way tie into sole possession of seventh place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC), one spot short of sixth place — the final playoff spot. Though tied with Western Washington for conference wins, they have the edge because of more overall wins. An NCAA playoff appearance would be a first for the Clan.

The Clan’s next home game is Saturday, January 31st against the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves. Tipoff is at 7 pm. With a win and a Western Washington loss, the Clan can move into a playoff spot.

SFU

Points: 79
Field Goals: 27–74 (36.5%)
3 Pointers: 11–47 (23.4%)
Free Throws: 14–18 (77.8%)

UAF

Points: 71
Field Goals: 23–60 (38.3%)
3 Pointers: 5–22 (22.7%)
Free Throws: 20–30 (66.7%)

Player of the Game: Sango Niang

DSC_8567
Image Credit: Hamed Yaghoubi Shahir

Niang was a key contributor to the Clan’s impressive performance in the first half. Near the end of the half, he assisted on a highlight reel alley-oop to Roderick Evans-Taylor, which sent the crowd of 245 into a frenzy. Always the crowd-pleaser, Niang nabbed the ball again a few seconds later, and stepped back for a long distance three-pointer. He finished with a game-high 23 points, including going perfect from the line and three assists.

Points: 23
Assists: 3
Rebounds (Off-Def): 2–5

Beauty and the Beast: a tale as old as time

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EIC
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The tale of a beautiful, smart girl who falls in love with a fearsome beast is one that has delighted children for generations since it was first published in the 18th century. When Disney offered their adaptation of the fairy tale in their 1991 animated film, the story came to life, and its iconic songs still resonate with audiences today.

The Broadway adaptation of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is an insightful re-imagining of the movie, bringing an added depth to its beloved, iconic characters. The play has also added some delightful new songs to the movie’s original score. The production has been running since 1994, and is celebrating 20 years since its first premiere, having been performed in over 22 countries and translated into nine different languages. This current production was launched in 2010, and is bringing the show to several cities in North America, including Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

Ryan Everett Wood will be playing the Beast in this Broadway production.“The show has something that everyone can identify with,” he told The Peak. “It speaks to the experience of being able to look at someone’s heart in order to really see what is inside of a person. Belle is an outcast in her town even though she is beautiful. The Beast is big and scary, and nobody really understands him either, but he is really just a kid at heart. There’s romance, a lot of humour. . . it is a beautiful story, and there is something for everyone.”

The classic childhood tale has plenty of heart, and the Broadway adaptation is no exception. Wood adds that the audience will be able to get to know the characters in a more personal way, incorporating more backstory to provide the reasons behind their feelings and motives. As for his character, the misunderstood Beast, Wood characterizes him by saying, “He himself learns how to not judge someone based on their appearance. He has so much self-discovery in such a short amount of time. What I love the most about the Beast is that while he initially appears to be very aggressive, as time goes on the audience will fall more and more in love with him.”

Disney’s sweetness, charm, and heart come to life in a magical Broadway show that will offer both kids and adults something to enjoy. “We are giving audiences around the world a chance to experience a Broadway show,” said Wood. “We are able to touch families and make memories for them that they wouldn’t have otherwise. It brings a community together — for how often do we get so many people under one roof that are laughing and enjoying a story like this?”

Beauty and the Beast will be presented by Broadway Across Canada  3 to 8 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. For more information, visit vancouver.broadway.com. For tickets, visit ticketmaster.ca.   

Sequence 8 is an incomparable circus show

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EIC
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0
Photo courtesy of Studio Pastis.

The artistry and skill of the eight acrobats of circus troupe Les 7 doigts de la main is breathtaking. With a variety of circus acts, humorous commentary, and brilliantly staged sequences of acrobatic choreography, this show had the audience gasping and holding their breath at the circus acts and laughing hysterically at the clever commentary in between.

For example, after two of the acrobats performed on the seesaw, they each spoke in French giving their interpretation of what the scene represented. One said that it represented the yin and yang of life, and the other said that it was simply two men going up and down. As the acrobat playing the role of the commentator summarized what they had said in English, he explained that the two of them went out together to a restaurant to discuss their act with two people named Yin and Yang.

Photo courtesy of Studio Pastis.
Photo courtesy of Studio Pastis.

These interludes of witty commentary took the place of the comic relief clowns found in Cirque du Soleil shows, and the content often had the audience was roaring with laughter.

Each of the performers specialized in a different acrobatic feat, whether it was jumping through a hoop in unimaginable ways, hanging off a vertical pole with just one hand, or performing on the Russian bar, trapeze, and aerial hoop. I also loved the mesmerizing, free-flowing segments of choreography that featured all the performers leaping, flipping, and tumbling across the stage.

What set this production apart from other circus acts is the attention to detail, narrative, and pure artistry, along with an incomparable sense of humour. That, along with a combination of simple staging, captivating music, and stunning performances, made this a rare show that deserves endless praise.

 

Louise Lecavalier is So Blue

By
EIC
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0
Photo courtesy of André Cornellier.

Louise Lecavalier is a powerhouse. In So Blue, her pulsing, persistent choreography was mesmerizing from the moment she began to move. As she shuffled nimbly across the stage, she was totally entranced in her movements, like a runaway train gaining momentum.

Lecavalier is the rare performer who dances with their entire body. Even her hair was dancing, an asymmetrical swath bouncing and swaying in sync with her. Her body was an intricate tool of precision, and she completely embodied the music as it flowed through her to emerge once again translated into movements that seemed to perfectly interpret every sound.

Her athletic, fast-paced dance was accompanied by the percussive, driving beats of Mercan Dede. The runaway train came to a halt after a lengthy opening sequence, as Lecavalier stopped to slowly bring herself into a handstand. The strength and control that she displayed was astounding, and she stayed in a handstand for quite some time, her legs dancing above her.

Photo courtesy of André Cornellier.
Photo courtesy of André Cornellier.

The tone became a bit heavier in the following sequences, as Lecavalier worked on the floor and Frédéric Tavernini joined her on stage. The two of them performed some very impressive partner work, with detailed intertwining of their bodies. They became completely connected through the choreography and music, moving as one being.

Throughout this work, Lecavalier seems to be on a mission, running to or from something, perhaps herself. As she expressed herself fully, all possible emotions flowing from her and filling the stage with her presence, watching her was an immersive experience.

The entire piece had an incredibly smooth, effortless quality to it, and at 56, Lecavalier’s experience and maturity showed. The stage was bathed in dim rectangles of light, turning to blue at the end, and this simple staging kept the focus on her movements.

Lecavalier is a fierce performer who commands the stage and gives it her all. She was utterly compelling, and the audience agreed — they gave her a unanimous standing ovation.

Milk Spill

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EIC
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The Peak does some crazy things sometimes. Last week, we poured milk all over one of our editors. All because he wrote an Ode to Milk…

Tutus with a twist: Les Ballets Trockadero

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EIC
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0

Who would have thought men in tutus could put on such a sensational show? With slapstick humour, impressive technique, and incomparable parodies, this all-male ballet troupe provided a hilarious, extremely entertaining show that had the audience in fits of laughter the whole way through. With character names like Tatiana Youbetyabootskaya and Ida Nevasayneva in the program, many were laughing even before the curtain went up.

For anyone who’s ever done ballet or knows about the classics, this show involves a deeper level of comedy. I died laughing while watching the cygnets of Swan Lake bumble across the stage, and thinking of my own experiences dancing Swan Lake in my ballet school show. The revised choreography mocked the original perfectly, and the separate scene of the slowly dying swan was equally brilliant as, limb by limb, she dropped to the stage in a feathery heap. This signature parody was my favourite act.

The show also included some impressive pas de deux pieces. Of course, the composure of these scenes was broken when the dancer in the tutu suddenly fell or tried to tell the prince that it’s alright, he can dance without his help.

Go for Barocco was a standout, a contemporary ballet piece that featured the dancers in simple black leotards and skirts. It was reminiscent of so many ballet school performances I’ve seen and been a part of, and the hilarity factor was multiplied as they performed simple, repetitive choreography with the utmost concentration.

The final scene was Paquita, a Spanish ballet about a girl who has been abducted by gypsies. In terms of costumes, this was the most stunning act, with bright, colourful tutus. One of the best unexpected moments of the show was when Paquita screamed as the prince came on stage behind her.

Many of the dancers had the same grace and technique as their female counterparts, and they all performed spectacularly. I think it helps to have an understanding of the classical ballets when watching this show, but if not, it will still be a Trockin’ good time.

Les Ballets Trockadero performed on Janaury 24 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. For more information, visit trockadero.org.

Men’s basketball finds their first win in 2015 over the Saints

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EIC
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0
Mathijs van der Mars made an impression scoring six points in the early first half. Though his scoring was limited to these six points, his two straight field goals — including one on a breakaway — helped SFU build a solid lead.

Saturday evening, the SFU men’s basketball team won their first game of the year. The victory ended the seven-game losing streak that has plagued the team in the new year.

Playing against the Saint Martin’s University (SMU) Saints, guard Justin Cole opened up the scoring, putting the Clan on the board first. This quickly became a trend, as Cole not only led both sides of the court in scoring with 25 points overall, but also in three-pointers with a total of five.

Another player to make an early impression was forward Mathijs van der Mars. Although his scoring was limited to the six points he achieved in the early first half, his two straight field goals — including one on a breakaway — helped SFU build a solid lead.

The Clan went into halftime with a 53–44 lead. However, the Saints were far from out of the game, and began the second half with a strong pushback effort that resulted in a tie game at 58 points each.

This tie was short-lived, though, as the Clan quickly pulled back ahead. SFU did not allow another a tie in points after the 59-point mark.

The Clan did allow the Saints a few too many free throws, with 41 in all compared to SFU’s 26.

With just over two minutes left, guard Sango Niang was called for a foul outside the three-point line — an offence which gave SMU three free throws. When head coach James Blake voiced his displeasure with the call, he was given a technical foul worth two free throws. This inspired some vocal critics in the crowd including athletics director Milt Richards, and was a decision that left Blake upset.

“I told [the ref] after the game, ‘You’ve got to give me a warning. I don’t swear, I don’t curse at officials, I just stand there with my hands up like this. You’ve got to come over and say there was a bench warning and we’ll move on from there,’” Blake said after the game. “If I continue to be ignorant, I understand the technical. But again, if it comes down to a win or loss on a technical, that’s my fault.”

In all, this added up to five free throws for the Saints — of which they made four, putting them down by only three at 86–83. It certainly looked like a precarious situation for the Clan.

However, as the game neared its final minute, the tide once again turned in SFU’s favour. It seemed that with every play, SMU was called for a foul — totalling seven in the last two minutes — allowing the Clan to coast to their first win of 2015.

With a final score of 97–87, the Clan did not break the three-digit mark, and fell short of their high scoring average of 113.8 points per game — an average achieved mostly in December that has been steadily dropping since.

But in light of the well-deserved win and its exciting, down-to-the-wire finish, you would be hard-pressed to find a fan complaining. Coach Blake expressed his relief that the team had finally snapped out of their post-Christmas slump.

“It felt great. It’s been a little bit of a problem for us over the last four years, that after the exam break [. . .] we can’t figure it out until February,” he said. “So as far as progress [goes], we actually got a game in January and we’re home next weekend before the end of the month, so this is a good step for us to move forward.

Guard Hidde Vos, an NCAA Division I transfer in the midst of his first season with the Clan, is confident that if the Clan can play the way they did Saturday, they can string together some wins.

“We just did whatever we could to get a win,” he told The Peak. “As long as we play as a team and have good ball movement [. . .] we can win a lot more games.”

SFU Hockey continues losing streak against UVic Vikes

By
EIC
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0
As in their previous two losses, SFU scored first. However, unlike those losses, the Clan were outshot by a wide margin Saturday night.

Saturday night at the Bill Copeland Centre, the Clan served the crowd a now-familiar sight — after netting the first goal of the game, the University of Victoria (UVic) Vikes took control, winning 4–2. But unlike SFU’s last game, where they outshot the competition with a whopping 44 shots, this time they were only able to get 16.

The Clan got off to a good start; after a nice blocker save less than a minute in by SFU goaltender Jordan Liem, forward Matthew Luongo put up the first goal on the scoreboard.

However, just after the 10-minute mark in the first period, UVic defenceman James Tindle buried the puck past Liem — a hard one-timer off a won faceoff. UVic wasn’t done there, as forward Shawn Mueller scored on the powerplay only 38 seconds later to give the Vikes a 2–1 lead.

After some ice issues delayed the start of the second period, SFU seemed to get off on the right foot, controlling the play for a short period of time. But this was short-lived, as the Clan were badly outshot for the rest of the period. The animosity between the two teams grew throughout the game, and the post-whistle scrums became more frequent.

UVic extended their lead to two in the third, as Carsen Willans tipped the point shot past Liem. But the Clan weren’t about to give up, and defenceman Tyler Basham scored from a below the goal line pass from forward Mike Sandor — his third goal in two games — to give SFU team a chance to comeback.

The Clan pulled their goalie with a minute left to try and muster at least a point, but Vike forward Shawn Mueller scored an easy empty netter, putting the final score at 4–2. SFU were badly outshot by the end of game, having only 16 shots on net compared to UVic’s 33.

“I thought we battled hard, and we played well enough I thought to at least earn a point,” head coach Mark Coletta said after the game. “But sometimes when you’re in a rut like we are, it’s going to take a little extra to get out of it.”

The Clan are still in fourth place, and are now 14 points behind Trinity Western and 5 points behind UVic. Coletta knows that his team needs to improve down the final stretch of the season.

“I think the energy level and the work ethic is good, but I think we just need to get some bounces, and we need to find a way to score goals,” he said. “Two goals a game isn’t going to win when you’re giving up four. We’ll fix what we have to fix and hopefully next week start that trend with a win.”

The Clan’s next game is Saturday, January 31st against Eastern Washington at Bill Copeland. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.

Louise Lecavalier is So Blue

By
EIC
-
0

Louise Lecavalier is a powerhouse. In So Blue, her pulsing, persistent choreography was mesmerizing from the moment she began to move. As she shuffled nimbly across the stage, she was totally entranced in her movements, like a runaway train gaining momentum.

Lecavalier is the rare performer who dances with their entire body. Even her hair was dancing, an asymmetrical swath bouncing and swaying in sync with her. Her body was an intricate tool of precision, and she completely embodied the music as it flowed through her to emerge once again translated into movements that seemed to perfectly interpret every sound.

Her athletic, fast-paced dance was accompanied by the percussive, driving beats of Mercan Dede. The runaway train came to a halt after a lengthy opening sequence, as Lecavalier stopped to slowly bring herself into a handstand. The strength and control that she displayed was astounding, and she stayed in a handstand for quite some time, her legs dancing above her.

The tone became a bit heavier in the following sequences, as Lecavalier worked on the floor and Frédéric Tavernini joined her on stage. The two of them performed some very impressive partner work, with detailed intertwining of their bodies. They became completely connected through the choreography and music, moving as one being.

Throughout this work, Lecavalier seems to be on a mission, running to or from something, perhaps herself. As she expressed herself fully, all possible emotions flowing from her and filling the stage with her presence, watching her was an immersive experience.

The entire piece had an incredibly smooth, effortless quality to it, and at 56, Lecavalier’s experience and maturity showed. The stage was bathed in dim rectangles of light, turning to blue at the end, and this simple staging kept the focus on her movements.

Lecavalier is a fierce performer who commands the stage and gives it her all. She was utterly compelling, and the audience agreed — they gave her a unanimous standing ovation.

So Blue was performed January 21 and 22 at SFU Woodward’s as part of the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival. For more information, visit pushfestival.ca.

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Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us: [email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024

Simon Fraser University’s independent student newspaper since 1965.

Contact us:
[email protected]

© The Peak Publications Society 1965-2024