By Reegan MacAulay
The Holland Hurricanes continue their push toward the ACAA and ACHA playoffs this weekend with their first games of 2025. While some teams look to build off a strong first half of the 2024-25 season, others hope the holiday break was the reset they needed to return more powerful.
Here’s how each of the five teams across volleyball, basketball, and hockey will return to Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) and Atlantic Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) competition between Saturday, Jan. 11 and Sunday, Jan. 12.
Women’s Volleyball
The women’s volleyball Hurricanes couldn’t have asked for a better start in the first few games of their championship-hosting season but they wished they had finished with better results.
The squad won four of their first five games, the first three of which were at home, but a three-game losing streak at the end of November dropped them to the middle of the conference, tied for fourth place with UKC with a 5-5 record. A common pattern has been winning against teams either on their level or below them while struggling to conquer the conference’s three current powerhouses thus far; Mount Allison, UNBSJ, and MSVU.
Head coach Craig Hoskins believes the team is in a great position to make a resilient second-half push despite the recent stretch. “If we are being honest, I believe the team underperformed in the first half, and I believe we have a much better team than what our first half suggested. We have competed very hard in all of our matches, and even then, in matches we lost, I felt like we were the better team. I think we learned some lessons and we are ready to show everyone who we truly are,” he said.
The Hurricanes will start the 2025 portion of the season in front of their home crowd at the McMillan Centre with their second and third matches against the Dalhousie Rams, who are two points behind Holland in the standings with a 4-6 record. The Rams had an abysmal start to their campaign with five consecutive losses, one coming against Holland 3-2 on Nov. 9, but they turned things around mid-November and won four of their last five games; three were straight-set matches.
Hoskins said this weekend’s games will have substantial points on the line. “Dalhousie is a tough team who have been playing well lately. In our previous match, we won a tough one that really could’ve gone either way.”
There are no roster changes for the second half, which will be pivotal to keeping the team’s chemistry and morale stout and consistent. It’ll continue to be led by fourth-year left-sides Morgan White (Charlottetown, P.E.I.) and Jenna O’Neill (Cornwall, P.E.I.). To nobody’s surprise, White is on her way to another career-best season as she is close to the top of many conference statistics – fourth in kills per set with 2.79, third in kills with 106, and fourth with 0.76 service aces per set.
Second-year setter Hannah Power (Corner Brook, NL) is on no sophomore slump thus far as she is second in the conference in assists per set with 7.97 and has helped her squad achieve the most assists in the conference so far with 399 – that’s 20 more than second place. Other notable contributors to the team have been third-year right-side Charlotte Sweetapple (Corner Brook, NL) and fourth-year left-side Jamie Spencer (Fort Frances, Ontario).
Saturday’s game is at 2 p.m. and Sunday’s game is at 12 p.m. Both matches can be viewed live at .
Connect with the women’s volleyball ‘Canes at and
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Men’s Volleyball
While the women’s volleyball Hurricanes started on the up-side but fell in the late stages of the first half of the season, the men’s volleyball Hurricanes were all over the place to begin their championship-hosting campaign.
The team was fiery out of the gates, with back-to-back wins against Crandall on their home court in late October. Then came a three-game losing streak, one win, one loss, and a three-game winning streak to end November, giving the team a 6-4 record, good enough for third place in the conference. Part of the losing streak was back-to-back straight-set losses to STU at home, while one of their notable wins came on the road against USTA with a thrilling 3-2 reverse sweep comeback.
While the squad has proven they can beat anybody in the conference, which will be an important pattern to keep up heading into the playoffs, the flashbacks to last season’s heartbreaking semifinal loss to STU still have the Hurricanes looking for more and better against their rivals. Head coach Brett Butler said the first half wasn’t what he nor the team were expecting, but he was happy to end it on a high note. “We showed a lot of grit and mental toughness in those last three matches.”
In January, the Hurricanes will have two doubleheaders to practice for the ultimate revenge against STU, starting with a McMillan Centre doubleheader this weekend against the men’s Dalhousie Rams, who are at the bottom of the standings with a 2-8 record. They started their campaign with a 2-3 record, but a five-game losing skid entering January will have them scrambling to be even considered amongst the conference’s best. The two teams last played each other in a doubleheader in Truro, N.S. in November, with each team splitting victories.
Butler said looking forward, he wants his team to play at their best toward the end of the season when it matters the most. “We don’t care who we go up against. It’s always been about us. Can we perform to our potential and find a way to win on any given day. Playoffs never go how you expect them to, so the ability to adapt mid-match, make changes, and find ways to gain advantages is key to a deep run,” he said.
The Hurricanes will experience some groundbreaking roster changes for the second half. Second-year setter John MacKinnon (York, P.E.I.) and rookie left-side Eden Woodworth (Kingston, P.E.I.) will move up to full-time roles; MacKinnon’s elite serving skills and competitive nature along with Woodworth’s ability to deliver at the right time will be key for the squad moving forward. Also joining the team will be Shawn Werbowesky, who is said to be the strongest blocker at every team practice and has been constantly improving no matter where he’s placed on the court.
Those three will join a group that has consistently been led by third-year left-side Carson Gray (Stratford, P.E.I.) and third-year setter Tyler McBride (Oakville, Ontario), who are ready to help lead the Hurricanes on a run toward their first ACAA championship game appearance since 2023 and their first regional title since 2019. Gray is second in the conference in kills per set with 3.92, second in kills with 145, fourth in digs per set with 1.97, and second in digs with 73. McBride leads the conference in assists per set with 8.09, which has helped put the team in a tie for first place with USTA with 379 assists.
Second-year middle Brett MacAusland (Summerside, P.E.I.) has immensely improved since his rookie year, particularly in serves and attacks. Rookie libero Connor Daniels (Adelaide, South Australia) has made quite the impression in his first season as a Hurricane, quietly putting himself at the top of the conference in digs with 86 and showing great value in his communication, hustle, and dedication to his craft outside of practice time.
Saturday’s game is at 4 p.m. and Sunday’s game is at 2 p.m. As always, both matches will be live at .
Connect with the men’s volleyball ‘Canes at and
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Women’s Basketball
It was one year ago when the women’s basketball Hurricanes got off to a rocky start with a 4-5 record entering January. Now, the team is off to one of their best-ever starts to a campaign, holding a 6-2 record and tied for second in the conference whilst two points behind first place.
With five wins in their last six games, the squad has made a clear statement that they’re back in championship contention after going through some retooling the previous season. However, it will take a lot of convincing to be considered the ultimate favourite going into this year’s ACAA Basketball Championships considering the team’s four consecutive semifinal losses since 2020 (excluding 2020-21). Even when they boasted 8-4 and 14-4 regular-season records, they simply couldn’t find the skill nor luck to have a shot at gold or silver. This year, the Hurricanes look to change that.
Head coach Chris Connolly was happy with his team’s first half performance and is excited to get things going again. “We have had great contributions from everyone across our roster. We are looking forward to this semester and preparing for March,” he said.
The Hurricanes look to keep the recent momentum going starting this weekend with a trip to Saint John, N.B. to challenge the University of New Brunswick Saint John (UNBSJ) Seawolves. UNBSJ enters the second half of the season with a 1-7 record, only good enough for sixth in the conference. After losing their first seven games, they concluded the first half with a big win against Crandall, who were also winless going into the match. The Seawolves last played Holland on Nov. 10, losing 86-49 at the McMillan Centre.
The team’s gifted veteran core enters the second half as arguably the best in the conference but will look to find that slight edge to become the playoff favourite. It’s been a fantastic season so far for third-year guard Lauren Armstrong (Canberra, Australia), fifth-year forward Alexa Rancourt (New Dominion, P.E.I.) and fourth-year guard Amy Plaggenhoef (Stratford, P.E.I.), who each have come together as one of, if not the most dangerous trio in the conference, with each of them all across the top of the conference in statistics.
Armstrong has the second most points with 132, the second most points per game with 16.5, the third most rebounds per game with nine, and the fifth-best field goal percentage of 44.9. Rancourt is not far behind in overall conference points, sitting fourth with 120, and has the fourth most rebounds per game with 8.5 and the second-best field goal percentage of 51.5. Plaggenhoef is eighth in the conference in points with 90 and has the fourth-best three-point percentage with 40.4.
Outside of those three, many others have consistently shown their readiness to step up at key moments, including third-year guard Molly Steadman (Coldbrook, N.S.), second-year guard Robyne Driscoll (St. Phillips, NL), and rookie guard Karissa George (New Glasgow, N.S.); the latter has been mightily impressive in her transition from the soccer field in the fall to the basketball court in the winter.
The team will also benefit from a big addition over the holiday break; P.E.I.’s Isabelle McGeoghegan transferred over from Lakeland ÎçÒ¹av in Vermilion, Alberta, and has been highly praised by Connolly since coming over. “She will add depth and has fit in greatly in practices. It’s a big plus when you can add an island student-athlete of Isabelle’s calibre to our program.”
Saturday’s game is at 2 p.m. and Sunday’s game is at 1 p.m. Watch live at .
Connect with the women’s basketball ‘Canes at and
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Men’s Basketball
While the women’s basketball Hurricanes have thrived through dominance and consistency, the men’s basketball Hurricanes find themselves teetering on the opposite side of the spectrum.
It’s been a roller coaster for the men since their first game in late October, with four wins and four losses in eight games putting them fourth in the conference, two points behind UNBSJ and two points ahead of STU. Despite the first-half turbulence, it should be noted that each of the team’s losses was extremely close and they never lost by more than 19 points. Coming off a big win against the STU Tommies in early December, the team and head coach Tim Kendrick seek to use that victory as momentum for a vital playoff push.
“We have a very tough weekend coming up with two road games at UNBSJ, but we see it as an opportunity to start the second half being thrown right into the fire. We will need solid play from our guards at both ends. We should certainly be a much deeper team with the addition of two tough guards. Our league is very strong from top to bottom, and we are excited to try to make a run at a title,” Kendrick said.
The squad’s two additions for the second half are Dorrell Bedminster from Ontario and Zachary Dawkins from Edmonton, with the latter returning to the team for the first time since last season’s second half. They will join a fiery core led by fifth-year guard Bryce Corless (Quispamsis, N.B.), second-year guard Aaron Simmons (Nassau, Bahamas), and second-year forward Owen Parsons (Hebbville, N.S.).
Corless has rebounded strongly since his rough start to the season and Simmons has certainly had no sophomore slump. Third-year guard Spencer Rossiter (Summerside, P.E.I.), second-year guard Michael Surur (Calgary, Alberta), and rookie guard Jaidon Martin (Toronto, Ontario) have also impressed through each outing.
The group looks to build a winning streak to continue the season starting with a trip to Saint John, N.B. on Saturday, Jan. 11 and Sunday, Jan. 12 seeking revenge against the 5-3 men’s UNBSJ Seawolves, who defeated Holland in a previous match 92-78 in November at the McMillan Centre. The Hurricanes plan to use both games to leapfrog UNBSJ for third while the Seawolves, and, depending on how another doubleheader over the weekend goes, tie Crandall for second.
Saturday’s game is at 4 p.m. and Sunday’s game is at 3 p.m. Both games will be available to watch live at .
Connect with the men’s basketball Hurricanes at and
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Women’s Hockey
The women’s hockey Hurricanes enters the second half of the ACHA regular season with plenty of hope and confidence for a historic three-peat after a subpar but promising first half, which featured much adversity.
Holland began the season with back-to-back doubleheaders against the Acadia University Axewomen, starting with a 2-0 loss and an exciting 3-2 overtime win on home ice, and close 3-2 and 2-1 losses in Wolfville, N.S. Then, the Hurricanes ventured to Cape Breton for the first time to battle the Capers, exiting the Island with a 5-3 win and a 4-3 loss.
Sitting second in the standings with a 2-4 record after six games, it’s not exactly what the team was looking for entering the second half of the season; regardless of the roster and coaching staff overhaul over the offseason and game results, things are looking up and team morale and confidence have noticeably grown, which head coach Matt Carter preached.
“I thought we came together well, as it’s a majority of our first time together. We had some growing pains, but I think the group gelled very well over the first half,” Carter said.
So far, the team has been led statistically by rookie forward Cassie Gordon (Murray Harbour, P.E.I.), who has had a strong transition from P.E.I. minor hockey to Atlantic collegiate hockey, recording five points in six games and being a consistent power-play presence. Veteran forward Livi Lawlor (Sherwood, P.E.I.) and captain Kristyn Taylor (Summerside, P.E.I.) are tied with four points each; Lawlor scored two goals against Acadia on the weekend of Nov. 23-24, while Taylor scored a game-winning overtime goal against Acadia in October and added another big goal against CBU in late November.
Defenseman Emma Stuart (Bridgewater, N.S.) has been outstanding since her return to the lineup in November after taking a hiatus last season, recording three goals across four games in two weeks; all three came against CBU in the most recent doubleheader. Carter said her addition has provided great offense and leadership from the backend. “I am very happy with the immediate impact she’s made on the team and she has definitely found her footing.”
Rookie forward Emma Carey (Yellowknife, NWT) will be eager to return to where she scored her first career ACHA goal and added another in the Cape Breton doubleheader. Other notable contributors up to this point include speedy second-year forward Josie Lynch (Lunenburg, N.S.), gritty rookie defenseman Emmy Parsons (Sackville, N.B.), and versatile rookie defenseman Ella Marshall (Bridgetown, N.S.); the latter did not join the team in Cape Breton last month but will return to the lineup this weekend.
Veteran goaltender Emma Arsenault (Searletown, P.E.I.) carries a 2-3 record with a .938 save percentage and 2.40 goals-against-average, while rookie goaltender Olivia Holt (Cornwall, P.E.I.) recorded a .826 save percentage in a 4-3 loss against CBU, which was her first career ACHA game.
The Hurricanes return to regular-season competition with a long road trip back to Cape Breton Island this weekend for their second doubleheader against the Cape Breton University (CBU) Capers and their final regular-season road trip until the playoffs. Holland and CBU will have one big goal – to catch the dominant Axewomen in the standings. Acadia has 11 points and a 5-0-1 record, while the Hurricanes have four points and the Capers have two. While a doubleheader sweep will be hard to conquer, it would be huge for the Hurricanes going into their back-to-back doubleheaders on home ice in February.
“We have a couple of players who aren’t available this weekend due to personal commitments, but we’re confident in the group we have to put our best foot forward,” Carter said.
Saturday’s game is at 5:30 p.m. and Sunday’s game is at 10 a.m. at the Membertou Sport & Wellness Centre. Both games can be seen live at .
Connect with the women’s hockey ‘Canes at and .
For more information on the Holland Hurricanes, visit , , and .
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