For the third straight year, the Varsity Blues faced the Ryerson Rams on opening night–and the results stayed true to form. As the immortal Yankee Yogi Berra once put it, it’s déjà vu all over again..Toronto has won all its season openers against the Rams, 73-55 and 79-39 in 2005 and 2006 respectively. Over three seasons, the Blues have dominated Ryerson 6-0 in regular season play. With Ryerson set to arrive at the AC for a rematch this week, Toronto will look for a repeat of their opening night success.
Christine Cho, a fifth year co-captain with the Blues, knows exactly what her team can expect from these opponents. “Ryerson is a very scrappy team that will keep fighting regardless of what the score is. They’re small compared to most other teams, but they really hustle after loose balls and rebounds. They also have some decent shooters so it’s important for us to limit their shots.”
Following their game plan, the Blues forced their opponents into a poor shooting night on Friday. Ryerson shot an abysmal 32.7 per cent from the field, while U of T capitalized on most of its opportunities, with field goals scored at 45.2 per cent. The Blues also outscored the Rams in hustle stats, out-rebounding 31-24 over the weekend, and had 17 steals to Ryerson’s 10. Allaine Hutton led the way for Toronto with 19 points, while Cho also had a good game, finishing with 15 points, seven rebounds, and three steals. Toronto would cruise to a 73-46 victory, although a closeopening quarter left some cause for concern. “We didn’t have a good start to the game at all,” said Cho. We need to find a way to get ourselves going right from the tip off. As far as what we did well, we came back from halftime to pull ahead in the third quarter through our defensive pressure and good shooting.”
The beginning of any season is often filled with hope and optimism, and a few early victories, even against an inferior opponent, allow the team to build momentum heading into more difficult match-ups. With the roster from last season still intact, the Blues know what kind of team they have “We’re a team that works hard every night at practices and games,” Cho said. “If we do that, we are capable of beating any team on any given night.”
After a disappointing end to their 2006 season, which finished 12-10, it was good to get the first win out of the way. Cho said that the experience on their roster gives the Blues the advantage most nights. She is joined on the team by her co-captains, guard Kyla Burwash and forward Amanda Van Leeuwan, on a battle tested Toronto squad. If the team hopes to meet many of the goals they’ve set this year: winning the OUA and competing for a national title, they will need these three players to lead the way.
