The long holiday break is over for the Holland Hurricanes as they return to action this week in Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) regular season play.  The season resumes on Thursday when the basketball ‘Canes host the Crandall University Chargers at the McMillan Centre in Charlottetown at 6pm (women) and 8pm (men); the ‘Canes will then hit the road this weekend. 

The volleyball teams will take on the St. Thomas University (STU) Tommies on Saturday in Fredericton, New Brunswick at 4pm (women) and 6pm (men), while the basketball team are in Saint John on Sunday to take on the University of New Brunswick Saint John (UNBSJ) Seawolves at 2pm (women) and 4pm (men).  All games can be viewed live at www.acaa.tv.

Women’s Basketball

The women’s basketball Hurricanes are set to begin the 2023 portion of their season sitting in second in the ACAA standings with a record of 6-2.  They’re coming off a loss in their last outing on December 3 versus the top-ranked Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU) Mystics, 89-77.

Their opponents on Thursday, the Crandall Chargers, are 1-6 and in fifth in the conference.  In two meetings with the Chargers this season, the Hurricanes have picked up wins of 82-57 (November 12) and 74-70 (November 25).

“We are excited to get back in the gym and continue to build on what we accomplished in our first semester,” shared head coach, Chris Connolly.  “We look forward to getting back on our home court and playing a good Crandall team on Thursday night.”

Thursday will see the addition of Dara McCabe to the Hurricanes rosters for the second semester.  The 5’7” guard joins the ‘Canes from Charlottetown, PEI.

The Hurricanes will conclude the weekend on the road in Saint John, NB when they visit the UNBSJ Seawolves, who sit at 0-7 and in seventh.

Earlier this season the ‘Canes picked up convincing wins over the Seawolves on November 13 (101-55) and November 20 (94-41).

Connect with the women’s basketball Hurricanes at www.twitter.com/caneswbball and www.instagram.com/hurricanesbball.

Men’s Basketball

The Hurricanes men’s basketball team return to the McMillan Centre on Thursday night to host the Crandall Chargers.  The Hurricanes are 7-1 and sitting atop the ACAA standings, while Crandall is 5-2 and in second.

The ‘Canes enter the new year after suffering their only defeat to-date this season; a 91-86 loss to the MSVU Mystics on December 3.

The Hurricanes have met and defeated the Chargers on both occasions so far this season, an 85-79 win on November 12, and an 82-74 win on November 25.

Head coach, Tim Kendrick, is looking forward to the important games the Hurricanes have on their schedule over the next several months.

“We are very excited to begin the second half of our season.  We have added some size and athleticism to our front court, and we are very happy with our depth,” he shared.

The ‘Canes will see the debut of incoming players, Troy Trembley and Marcellus Taliaferro this week.

Trembley is a 6’7” forward in his first year of eligibility out of Nassau, Bahamas, while Taliaferro is a 6’7” forward out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in his second year of eligibility.

On Sunday the Hurricanes will head to Saint John, NB to take on the seventh ranked, 0-7, UNBSJ Seawolves.  The ‘Canes defeated the Seawolves on November 13, 115-82, and again on November 20, 102-72.

Connect with the men’s basketball Hurricanes at www.twitter.com/canesmbball and www.instagram.com/hurricanesbball.

Women’s Volleyball

The 5-3, Holland Hurricanes women’s volleyball team will be in Fredericton, New Brunswick on Saturday as they take on the 6-3, STU Tommies.  The ‘Canes, fourth in the conference, trail the third-ranked Tommies by just two-points.

The ‘Canes are coming off a big win on December 4 when they defeated the top ranked, MSVU Mystics, in four sets. 

“I’m very excited to get the second half of the season started,” shared head coach, Craig Hoskins.  “We look forward to keeping the momentum going in 2023.  We have a young roster that needed the first semester to get familiar with the ACAA and each other.  I feel we are just starting to come together as a group, and on the verge of taking the next step towards going from being a good team to a great team. Our goal starting out the season was to peak at the right time, and I feel we are moving in the right direction.” 

The Hurricanes defeated the Tommies in their one meeting this season, a four-set win on October 30.

The ‘Canes will play their next two home matches on January 21 and 22 at the McMillan Centre in Charlottetown.  First, on January 21, they will face the 2-7, Université de Sainte-Anne Dragons (USTA) at 8pm, before hosting the Mount Allison University Mounties at 1pm on January 22; the Mounties are currently 5-4 this season.

Connect with the volleyball Hurricanes at www.twitter.com/caneswvball and www.instagram.com/caneswvball.

Men’s Volleyball

Finishing 2022 off with three-straight victories, the Hurricanes are set to begin 2023 on Saturday on the road in Fredericton, NB against the STU Tommies.

The Hurricanes, 4-3 and in third, trail the Tommies (5-2, tied for first) by just two points. The Tommies are even with the USTA Dragons atop the ACAA standings. 

In two matches so far this season, the Tommies and Hurricanes have each picked up one victory.  STU won on October 29 in five-sets, before the Hurricanes bounced back to win in five-sets on October 30.

“We finished the first semester strong with three straight wins and are looking to continue that success in the second half of the season,” shared Brett Butler, head coach of the Hurricanes.  “The ultimate goal for the regular season is to end up as the first seed.  If we take care of our business, we control our destiny.  Having home court advantage in the playoffs would be huge but we know we have the mental toughness to win on the road as well.”

The ‘Canes next home matches take place on January 21 (6pm) and January 22 (11am) versus the USTA Dragons at the McMillan Centre in Charlottetown.

Connect with the men’s volleyball Hurricanes at www.twitter.com/canesmvball and www.instagram.com/canesmvball.

For more information on the Holland Hurricanes, please visit www.hollandhurricanes.com, www.facebook.com/hollandhurricanes, www.twitter.com/hc_hurricanes and www.instagram.com/hollandhurricanes.