Loyalist athletes set for return of OCAA sports

By Kyle Mumford

After a slow start caused by the support staff strike in Ontario, the OCAA is getting back to business and Loyalist College is ready for the upcoming season.

The support staff’s strike across the province put a damper on the starts of the soccer and rugby seasons.  The most likely scenario according to Athletics Director Jim Buck will be a condensed season for soccer because there is a specific timeline set with provincial and national championships.  The OCAA will be posting their updated schedules for the teams by Wednesday with games starting as soon as Friday.

Some colleges had their whole sport staff on strike, said Jim Buck, athletic director at Loyalist College.  The Lancers were prepared for the opening soccer and rugby games but decided it “fair to postpone” until the other schools had a chance to prepare their staff for road or hosting duties.

Buck said that filling the rosters was easier this year than in previous years.  The women’s soccer team, while usually small, had a record number of women try out for the team.  The one team still needing additional players is the women’s rugby team who were set to begin their season on September 18 against Fleming.