The Matchup
Memorial and StFX both enter the weekend winless on the season. The Sea-Hawks currently sit at 0-4, while the X-Men are 0-3. The losses for both teams have come at the hands of the Acadia Axemen and the Dalhousie Tigers. Both the X-Men and Sea-Hawks lost to Acadia by tight margins, while Dalhousie beat both teams by double-digits.
Memorial and StFX played 4 times last season with the Sea-Hawks taking the season series 3-1. With only 4 games left for both teams in the first half of the season this is a crucial weekend for points in the early season battle for playoff positioning.
Schedule:
Saturday, November 18th – 8:00pm @ The Field House
Sunday, November 19th – 2:00pm @ The Field House
Last Action
The Sea-Hawks lost a pair of games to the Dalhousie Tigers at home last weekend, while StFX dropped a 3-point loss to the Acadia Axemen at home last Saturday night.
By the Numbers
25.7% & 25.4% – The Sea-Hawks and X-Men enter this weekend with the two lowest 3-point shooting percentages in the AUS. Both teams have multiple players capable of shooting at higher percentages. The team that can improve this statistic the weekend will surely have an advantage.
68.3 – Memorial enters the game averaging 68.3 points per game. Last season the team averaged 83.9 points per game. Acadia and Dalhousie are ranked first and second in points allowed (73 PPG, 70.6 PPG) in the AUS, while StFX is giving up 91.3 PPG on the season.
Players to Watch
Nathan Barker (Memorial) – The Massey Drive, NL forward will need to continue his consistent play for the Sea-Hawks. He led the team in scoring last weekend, averaging 17.0 PPG. He currently sits 18th in the AUS, averaging 12.0 PPG for the season.
Paddy Dawe (Memorial) – Dawe will be match-up with reigning AUS MVP Kevin Bercy all weekend. Dawe has been a pleasant surprise for the Sea-Hawks in his sophomore season. He will need to put forth a strong defensive effort and control the glass for the Sea-Hawks to secure victories this weekend.
Kevin Bercy (StFX) – Bercy won the AUS MVP last season, with averages of 19.8 PPG and 11.3 RPG. He enters the game averaging 16.0 PPG and 7.5 RPG. He is capable of a breakout performance at any point, so the Sea-Hawks will have to be ready.
Coach's Take
In order for the Sea-Hawks to be successful this weekend they will need to show improvements on the defensive end of the floor. Coach Benoite emphasized this at practice throughout the week and he expects his team to be focused and hungry for win.
"We need to be better defensively. We have to guard better and have better communication on the defensive end. That will be the number one priority this weekend. StFX play fast and Bercy is a load to deal with. We will have to contain him, while not letting them get out and run. Keeping them off the glass will be a big key this weekend as well."
While the X-Men are winless on the season, Benoite knows they will be a difficult opponent with many veterans on the squad. He does not take them lightly.
"StFX are very strong this year, with a lot of veteran players. We will have to come to play extremely hard, and commit to the defensive end. We will have to play hungry, and play hard for 40 minutes."