Lancers seeking another NOSSA B-ball title

One year ago, the Lasalle Lancers senior girls basketball team surprised at OFSAA, vaulting all the way from a pre-event #8 seeding to a silver medal winning performance.

Despite some change in personnel, the Lancers would dearly love to do it all over again.

On Saturday, Lasalle Secondary made it three straight SDSSAA banners, knocking off the Lo-Ellen Park Knights 46-35.

While 2015 would see the graduation of the likes of Laura Graham and Kristen Ferguson, it also found the long-time New Sudbury powerhouse welcoming back a veteran crew that included Jade Gauthier, Karly Hellstrom, as well as co-captains Kendra Muffo and Kennedi Cashmore, three of whom are now in grade 12.

Still, it is an influx of incoming talent with something a little different to offer that has the Lancers excited about their possibilities of claiming yet another NOSSA crown this weekend in Sault Ste Marie.

"We are a running team, but we're a post team at the same time," said Muffo. "A couple of the young girls from grade 10, Sam Martin, Brooklyn Howard, they are taller girls, so it's easier for us to work the ball inside, and then have a chance to get open shots on the outside."

"We've never had size, these past three years, other than this year, and our size is all in grade 10, so they're developing," said head coach Mitch Lalonde.

Still, the man who has guided far more championship teams than most can remember is more than happy with where his team is currently at, with NOSSA playdowns only days away.

"We're playing really well right now," said Lalonde. "We've never had the team together, healthy, since early October. We've had some pretty serious injuries. These are the first two weeks where I've had all eleven kids at practice."
Yet adding to the preparation that his team received this fall was the unusual competitiveness within the SDSSAA Senior Division "A" ranks, with a grouping of teams that included very good squads representing Lo-Ellen, Macdonald-Cartier and Notre-Dame, and some nice young talent at Lockerby.

"All the games were so close, one point games, five point games," said Muffo. "Honestly, we liked it a lot better. It sucks not having competition in town. Now, with all the girls from Jam moving up, it's better for Sudbury having competition everywhere."

"There are four good teams here," said Lalonde. "It would be nice to always have this type of league, having a rock 'em sock 'em home and home series. You've got to get up for these games. It's good for them, it's good for us."

With a solid roster, from top to bottom, but no superstars, per se, the Lancers will need to do a lot of little things well in order to enjoy success, not only in the Sault, but hopefully in making another trek down to Windsor, site of the high-school provincial championships.

"We're going to have to work really hard, do things the right way, not make silly mistakes, and don't shoot off just one pass," said Cashmore.

"I really think our defense won us the game against Lo-Ellen, because they didn't get a chance to shoot as much as they normally do. If they were scoring as much as they did in the first game we played them, that game would have been a much different game."

Little surprise that Cashmore is very much on the same wave-length as the man who has helped mentor her on-court development these past few years.

"We've got to play the same way we are," said Lalonde. "No silly fouls, because we are very aggressive. Foul shooting, and shooting, in general, will be key. And patience on offense. In sets, when we get into our motion and stuff, we can run 10 to 15 passes. Somebody will be open, eventually down the line, so then you have to make shots."

The roster challenged with this task is comprised of Keeley LeBreton, Rebecca Jacob, Jade Gauthier, Kennedi Cashmore, Amanda Lawson, Kara Passi, Karly Hellstrom, Kendra Muffo, Brooklyn Howard, Samantha Martin, Sharleigh Peters and Katrina Chevrette.

Joining Lalonde on the sidelines will be coaches Denis Gauthier and Sam Martin.