Which Cougars can create chaos in this year’s Canada West playoffs?

Zafir Nagji, Sports Editor | 

Winter break has come and gone, and with the arrival of the new year comes the continuation of the U SPORTS basketball, volleyball and hockey seasons. So, as you return to your classes, catch up on where the MRU Cougars stand in their respective sports within Canada West.

Women’s volleyball

With new head coach Rhonda Schmuland at the helm, the MRU Cougars women’s volleyball team have been completely transformed compared to their performance last year. Currently sitting at 5-5 and ranking eighth in the conference, MRU looks to qualify for this year’s Canada West Playoffs and advance past the first round for the first time since the 2022-23 season.

The Cougars retained most of their veteran talent from last season, like Mya Morgan, Bronwynn Davies-Neira, and Lexi Herrod. Plus, with contributions from new players like Grace Coulter and Awien Ngor, the team has a tangible energy about them every time they step on the court.

Ranking fourth in the conference in sets played (38) and fifth in total blocks (79), MRU’s key to success has come in long, scrappy matches, excelling when games extend to four or five sets and keeping their defensive energy levels high in long rallies.

However, while the Cougars have found ways to beat other teams in tough matches, their biggest issue has been their error rate. Currently ranked third in the conference in total errors (212), MRU has proven to be their own worst enemy.

Despite being a defensive powerhouse and a well-oiled offensive machine, the Cougars’ 5-5 record is a function of their error rate. By cleaning up their mistakes, many of their four,or five-set matches may have finished earlier and come playoff time, MRU will have much smaller margins of error to work with. 

Still, with their ability to keep their energy levels high and compete in long matches, the Cougars will be a tough matchup against any team in the conference in this year’s Canada West Playoffs.

Men’s volleyball

After saying goodbye to all-time Cougars legends like Chris Byam, Luis Lange and Max Haronga, the MRU men’s volleyball team knew they would face some challenges on the road through Canada West this season. However, with veteran head coach Shawn Sky running the show and a talented, young roster on the court, fans were excited to see how the team would perform this season.

The Cougars currently occupy the final playoff spot in the conference, sitting in 10th place with a 3-8 record. Canada West has proven to be a tough conference this year, with the top four teams losing a combined total of seven games. 

That being said, MRU has fought in long battles with almost every team they’ve faced, playing the fourth-most sets in the conference (40 sets in 11 games) and receiving the second-most serves (747).  

Despite ranking sixth in total errors (178), the Cougars have stayed close in games thanks to their nuclear offence. With their daunting size on the front line, MRU ranks ninth in kills (401). Their height and length also helps on the defensive end, where they rank seventh in total blocks (76).

Overall, the Cougars have shown plenty of potential and promise, projecting to make a playoff push this season. Their chances against the upper echelon of Canada West are slim, but an appearance in the first round of this year’s playoffs would provide valuable experience for their young core and prepare them for future championship runs.

Women’s basketball

With a largely similar roster to last year’s, the 2024-25 MRU Cougars women’s basketball have completely defied expectations. After being ranked eighth in the Canada West preseason coaches poll, the Cougars hold the second most wins in the conference and fifth best winning percentage in their division at 7-3.

The Cougars play at a torrid pace, leading the conference in field goal attempts per game (71.9) and scoring the fourth-most points per game (71.8). Deadeye shooters like Asha Donnelly, Maddy Hooper, Nora Luca, and the Lalor sisters, Hayley and Jamie, have helped the Cougars post the second-highest three-point attempt rate per game (8) and three-point shooting percentage (30.9 per cent). 

Their defence has also seen significant improvement, which head coach Robyn Fleckenstein stressed as a point of emphasis before the season started. With pesky perimeter defenders like Marissa Richards and powerhouse post players like Jenessa Ramsoomair, the Cougars grab the second-most rebounds per game in the conference (47.5), rank third in steals per game (14.4) and block the fifth-most shots per game (3.4).  

With their stellar play this season, the Cougars women’s basketball team have the chance to make a serious splash in this year’s Canada West Playoffs. UBC, Regina and Alberta have all proven themselves as contenders in the conference, but MRU brings their own offensive skill and defensive dominance to the hardwood and will be a tough out when the postseason rolls around.

Men’s basketball

After starting their season with a four-game win streak, the MRU Cougars men’s basketball team have posted a 2-4 record in their last six games. That being said, they still rank fifth in the Prairie Division with a 6-4 overall record, which would qualify them for this year’s Canada West playoffs. 

With athletic players like Keivonte Watts, the Cougars love to run in transition and play with pace, averaging the third-most field goals per game in the conference (68.4). They get plenty of opportunities to play in the open court thanks to their high-pressure defence, which has amassed the fourth-most steals per game in the conference (8).

However, while the team excels in transition situations, new head coach Josh Mullen has yet to figure out how to maximize MRU’s half-court offence. Despite Dray Walburger’s brilliant shooting, the Cougars rank 13th in three-pointers made per game (7.2) and shoot the 12th-best percentage from that range (30.9).

MRU will likely sneak into this year’s Canada West Playoffs as plucky underdogs, but without sharpening up their shooting abilities, the Cougars will struggle to beat the best teams in the conference. Their defence will become more impactful as the pace of play slows down in the postseason, but that could be offset by a reduction in transition opportunities on offence. Still, keep an eye on MRU as a dark-horse contender to make an impact this postseason.

Women’s hockey

The MRU Cougars women’s hockey program has established itself as a contending force in the Canada West conference and nationally in U SPORTS rankings. Currently standing at 2nd in Canada West and fourth in national rankings, MRU has posted a 13-2-3 record so far, only trailing UBC in their conference standings. 

Cougars goaltender Kaitlyn Ross has arguably been the best netminder in U SPORTS this year, posting a 0.944 save percentage, good for 4th in the conference and 6th in the country. Ross is only allowing 1.21 goals per game, which is the third-best goals-against-average in the country. As a result of their stellar defence, the Cougars have the third fewest goals against in the conference, only having conceded 26 goals in 18 games.

MRU’s defence is supplemented by the second-most productive offence in the conference, which has scored 48 goals this season. No one has had a bigger part to play in their scoring success than fourth-year forward Aliya Jomha. Ranking third in points (19) and fourth in goals scored (10) in the country, Jomha recently secured her first U SPORTS hat trick in the Cougars’ 6-2 victory over the University of Calgary Dinos on Jan. 3. 

The Cougars’ X-factor comes in the play of their penalty kill unit, which leads the conference and ranks second in the country in penalty kill percentage at 95.9 per cent. They also allow the fewest powerplay goals against in the conference and third fewest in the country, conceding just three goals on 74 times shorthanded. 

With their combination of suffocating defence, relentless offence, and near-flawless goaltending, the Cougars look like a clear contender to win their first Canada West Women’s Hockey Championship and their second U SPORTS Gold Medal. Their main competition in the conference are the UBC Thunderbirds and Alberta Golden Bears, with UBC leading the conference at 15-2-1 and Alberta just behind MRU at 14-3-1. Nationally, Nipissing (11-1-2), UNB (14-3-1), Waterloo (11-1-2) and the only still-undefeated team in the country, Concordia (11-0-0) will be MRU’s toughest opponents if they qualify for the U SPORTS National Tournament in March.

Men’s hockey

After consistently being eliminated from the Canada West Playoffs in the second round and failing to qualify for the U SPORTS National Tournament in recent years, MRU has played with a chip on their shoulders all season long, tying with the University of Alberta Golden Bears for the best record in the conference at 14-4-0. 

Despite losing one of the most iconic faces in Cougars hockey history, Connor Blake, MRU has looked like a nightmare for opposing defences all season long. Their offence ranks third in the conference with 72 goals and leads Canada West in powerplay goals with 24. They also lead the conference in shorthanded goals, scoring four times in those situations. No lead is safe against the Cougars this year, who have consistently found ways to score multiple goals in short stretches of time. 

That nuclear offence is spearheaded by defenceman Clay Hanus, who leads the conference with 27 points on nine goals and 18 assists. Helping Hanus on the offensive end is Connor Bouchard, who has 21 points on four goals and 17 assists. Justin Lies and Jayden Wiens have made their presence felt this year, too, competing to lead the team in goals with 10 each.  

However, the MRU Cougars men’s hockey team have had issues on the defensive end, conceding 50 goals in 18 games and ranking fifth in goals against. MRU goaltender Shane Farkas is having a brilliant year, ranking eighth in the conference with a 0.891 save percentage, but has faced the fifth most shots of any goaltender in Canada West. As a result, many of the Cougar’s wins have come in dramatic, high-scoring affairs.

The Cougars’ offence is lethal, but without improving their fatal flaws on defence, the team will remain on the outside looking in when it comes to this year’s U SPORTS National Tournament in March. Their main foes in the conference include the third-placed UBC Thunderbirds (12-4-1) and conference-topping Alberta Golden Bears (14-4-0), both of whom have won at least one game against MRU this season. 

Zafir Nagji is the Sports Editor for The Reflector 2024-2025. His greatest interests are, in order, basketball, F1, hockey, soccer, and football, but he’ll watch anything with a competitive enough spirit.