Major Bantams Girls
2010

Flames Show Spark in Clio, Michigan!
February 14, 2010

The Sarnia Flames major bantam team coached by Dean Galvin, kicked off their season in Clio, Michigan on Valentine’s Day.  “I had no expectations going into these games.” said Coach Galvin.  “We have only had 2 practices and I had no scouting reports about the Michigan teams, so I had absolutely no idea what to expect.”

The squad faced JJK & Hoops from Ann Arbor, Michigan in their opener.  The girls were really nervous and it took them a while to settle down and start playing, but they managed to pull off a come from behind 22-20 victory!  Olivia Prins and Kadin Siopidou-D’Andrea led the scoring with 7 and 5 points respectfully. 

The Flames easily defeated the Michigan Mustangs in their second contest, 29-14.  Prins exploded for 13 points and Lauren Elviage had a great game posting 7 points for the Flames.

In the final game of the day, the Flames faced the Pontiac Lady Panthers who had already posted 38-7 and 46-12 wins over their competition.  “The Panthers play a much more physical and aggressive game than we are used to,” said Coach Galvin, “but I was really impressed with how well our girls reacted to the pressure.”

The Flames trailed 30-14 at the half, but came out on fire in the second half almost shutting them down completely while posting 13 points to end the game 32-27.  Kadin Siopidou-D’Andrea led the offense with 9 points followed closely by Daylin Galvin with 6.  Both Lauren’s (Dalrymple and Elviage) connected with 3-point shots late in the game to bring the Flames within 5 points.

“This was so much fun!” commented Galvin after their final game.  “The girls play extremely well as a team.  They all have a very good understanding of the game and work well together on the floor.  I have been coaching for several years and I can honestly say that this is the first group of girls I have coached who are truly team players.”  Over the three games every Flame player contributed to the scoring while playing consistent and tough defense.

The Flames have a busy schedule this season and plan to balance their play schedule between Ontario and Michigan.  “Many tournaments in Michigan allow for 3 games to be played in a single day, whereas, most tournaments in Ontario require a greater distance of travel and an entire weekend for the same guarantee of games”, says Flames Manager, Ron Elviage.  “Between Ontario and Michigan we should experience a great deal of good basketball allowing us to compete against many clubs that we have played in the past and others that we have never seen in action.”

The Flames next tournament is in Toronto at the Hoop Dome from March 5-7.  You can continue to follow the Flames progress this season through regular posts on Sarniasports.com.