Echo Sportscast

Echo Sportscast #11 cuts the ribbon on the NDA’s winter high school sports schedule as boys basketball and girls volleyball teams take to the courts across Nipissing District this week … although the start was delayed by the ‘snow storm’ Tuesday, pushing the first games to Wednesday.

We also caught some all star boys volleyball action on Monday and we had good intentions to drop by the girls basketball as well, but it wasn’t in the cards on Wednesday.

We did, however, get to the first games of the 49th annual NDA hockey tournament this morning (see below for some of tonight’s sched). It wraps up Friday afternoon at Memorial Gardens with semis at 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. with the championship game at 7:30 p.m.

Our Sportscast Spotlight features Greg Richardson, a retired teacher who is continuing as coach of the Chippewa Ravens, the defending Nugget Shield league champions.

And we have a special promo spotlight with Malory Dominico, one of the top offensive producers with the Nipissing Lakers women’s hockey team who has a dollars-for-points fundraising again this year … Nipissing is ranked third in the nation with a 10-1 record and hosts Queen’s on Saturday at 4 p.m. and Waterloo on Wednesday at 5 p.m.

The 10th Echo Sportscast kicks off the new NDA hockey season with a video contribution from an up-and-coming cinematographer who captured the spirit of an overtime win for the Ravens over the Bears in the 2024 opener. In addition, we have some clips from the Bears win over the Barons on Wednesday night at the Sam Jacks Recreation Complex in West Ferris and a promo of the NDA hockey tournament next Thursday and Friday.

Also featured is the OFSAA 'AA' girls’ basketball championship tournament taking place in the city with playoffs set for Saturday at West Ferris and Chippewa gyms. We checked out the opening game with the host West Ferris Trojans taking on the Stratford Warriors, the fifth-seeded team, Thursday morning.

And we’re keeping an eye on the Chippewa Ravens senior boys in Kingston for the provincial AAA championship and the Algonquin Barons senior girls hoopsters going for OFSAA ‘A’ gold in the Kitchener area.

In post-secondary action, we have interviews with five local products on the Nipissing Lakers men’s hockey team, including both goalies, following a much-needed two-win weekend at the Gardens. We even have video of the overtime heroics in a 4-3 victory Saturday night.

And our Echo Spotlight interview is with Darren Turcotte, coach of the Lakers women’s hockey team ranked third in the nation with a 9-1 record – our way of promoting their Saturday night contest at Memorial Gardens against the visiting Wilfrid Laurier Golden Knights. Puck drops at 8 p.m.

The Ninth Echo Sportscast in a row features championship game interviews after the girls’ high school basketball finals between the Bears and Barons – with the senior contest going into overtime. There’s also a feature with video highlights on the Jr. Lakers U15 girls team that won gold on Sunday at Memorial Gardens with almost 100 teams in the city to celebrate female hockey’s 25th anniversary season in the Gateway City. You’ll love the clips of visiting teams cheering during Friday night’s university varsity contest between the Nipissing Lakers and Western Mustangs.

Podcast co-hosts Paul McLean and Dave Dale also make a prediction for tomorrow’s NOSSA showdown between Algonquin and the host Sault Ste. Marie champs, a strong Korah Colts squad. They also announce which teams they are cheering for in the Grey Cup this Sunday with North Bay’s Mike O’Shea coaching the Winnipeg Blue Bombers against North Bay’s Ryan Hunter and the Toronto Argonauts.

In junior football action, we have the Bears scoring the game-winner on video … beating the Barons 8-0 to go undefeated this year for the NDA championship banner. Plus the Spotlight interview is with one of the inaugural Nipissing Lakers women’s hockey team members, Laura Mady (McKenzie at the time) who has made North Bay her home.

The full interview with Laura is available on the Echo channel here: https://youtu.be/Q-lwEjvy3tM

Echo Sportscast #8 will be posted Friday and includes NDA high school semifinal action and results for girls basketball and boys volleyball, including the schedule for the championship series that begins tonight and continues Monday, plus some interviews on the Mike O’Shea Field after Algonquin beat the Trojans for the senior football championship.

Of course, the junior Barons (which upset the Trojans last week in semifinal action) are champing at the bit to be the underdogs again in today’s championship game against the undefeated St. Joseph-Scollard Hall Bears with kickoff at 4 p.m. on the Father Cundari Gridiron.

Our feature interview this week is with Tim Lowe, the new chairman of the North Bay Sports Hall of Fame, and our post-secondary varsity report includes an interview with Darren Turcotte, coach of the Nipissing Lakers women’s hockey team, which hosts the Western Mustangs tonight at 7 p.m. to help celebrate World Girls Hockey Weekend with almost 100 teams in town for the 25th anniversary North Bay and District Girls Hockey Association – formerly the Ice Boltz and now the Jr. Lakers. Expect a packed and rowdy Memorial Gardens.

Highlights in tomorrow's Echo Sportscast #7 include district high school quarterfinal action and results setting up next week’s semifinals in girls basketball and boys volleyball, with two big football games this Friday. 

In post-secondary and club reports, we have action clips of the Lakers women’s soccer team earning a berth in the Ontario final and national university championship in Halifax – including the collision that knocked Nipissing’s starting goalie out of the semifinal.

Echo was also at the Lakers women’s basketball team’s first win to get action video, including North Bay product Katelyn DeCook playing big minutes to get by the U of T Blues. A follow-up interview with the coach sets up their home game against Brock this Sunday at 2 p.m.

On the ice, we have neat report about a Lakers minor hockey girls team playing in the Lake Placid tournament this past weekend – winning the gold medal using the USA’s Dream Team dressing room.

Today's Echo Sportscast #6 comes as the NDA’s regular season action wraps up and prepares for playoffs starting Friday for football while the girls basketball and boys volleyball post-seasons begin next week.

Video clips include the Chippewa Ravens winning their first junior football game, Scollard remaining undefeated by beating West Ferris and in senior action, there's some eye candy of the undefeated Algonquin Barons and Trojans.

In NDA girls basketball, we interviewed Sean Plamondon, coach of the Chippewa Ravens junior team and Nancy Cirullo of the Scollard Bears senior boys volleyball team. Our middle interview is with former Scollard coach and athletic director John Whittet, a long-time friend and associate of both hosts, Dave Dale and Paul McLean.

There's also coverage of the Nipissing Lakers women's soccer team's playoff drive and the Lakers men's hockey team and its tough start. And we celebrate the Nipissing District Soccer Club's Excellence Awards recipients.

The Heritage Moment features Dan Clement, 91, a member of the North Bay Roughriders in the early 1950s.

For more information, see the description of the Small Town Times Production interview in the network directory below.

The 5th Echo Sportscast provides an update on NDA boys volleyball and football with video of key plays and action, which helps to set up contests Friday and Saturday. We also have brief interviews with two coaches and a player.

In the non-high school portion of the podcast, co-hosts Paul McLean and Dave Dale promote the Fall Baseball league playoffs (with the championship series beginning Sunday at 4 p.m. at Veterans' Field) and adult male and female flag football championships, also scheduled for Sunday afternoon at the Steve Omischl Sports Field Complex.

Our Heritage Moment puts a spotlight on Nipissing First Nation's legendary Warriors Hockey players with a special Indigenous Youth Hockey day at Memorial Gardens this Sunday at 2 p.m. as the Battalion host the Sudbury Wolves. Pictured above is Nipissing's Mike Penasse, who will be among the dignitaries involved in the ceremonial puck drop. Tory Fisher and the Nbisiing High School drummers are featured with Chantal Larocque performing O Canada.

The top story in tomorrow's Echo Sportscast #4 is the Algonquin Barons senior football team’s 3-0 start to the season after a decisive 32-16 win over host Scollard Bears Oct. 4.
Video highlights include the game-winning touchdown that included a designed reverse pitch passing play in the last minute of the first half. The spotlight interview is with Jacob Dubois, the Barons’ fifth-year full back, half back and linebacker, which provides a glimpse of what a student athlete is thinking before he completes his secondary education.

Also featured is a Chippewa Secondary School social media post saluting their alumni athletes at the post-secondary level who made their respective varsity teams.
It helps set up our spotlight interview with Tyler Mullan, a Scollard Grad, who is a nationally-ranked USports football kicker and Queens Gaels standout. After the five-minute sample, look for the full Sportscast interview on the North Bay Echo YouTube channel tomorrow morning.

After the NDA section of the episode, last Saturday’s Action MMA event was covered with a highlight reel of seven of the 13 ‘smoker’ matches, including a clean knock-down in the fight of the night. Dave and Paul talk about combat sports during the reel.
There’s also video of the Lakers men’s hockey team season-opening loss to powerhouse McGill with Nipissing’s Zack Roy making more than 50 saves to keep it close. Upcoming Lakers games, including women’s hockey and both soccer teams are highlighted.
The Heritage Moment is a tribute to the late Butch Turcotte, who passed away in July. Chris Dawson contributed a 2012 interview and the co-hosts read parts of the legendary coach’s 1992 induction bio for the North Bay Sports Hall of Fame.

The top story for the Echo Sportscast dropping tomorrow morning is Monday's excellent showdown between West Ferris Trojans and Algonquin Barons, two of the top senior girls basketball teams ... and possibly a pre-quell to the finals as Trojans seek a fourth-straight NDA banner in a year they are hosting OFSAA in November.

West Ferris won 33-31 with a Trojans player, Sadie Straughan, hitting two three-pointers, one late in the fourth quarter to secure the lead. Included are interviews with Trojan coach Rob Brady, and Algonquin’s Matt Sneddon. We also interviewed Algonquin senior boys volleyball team coach Zack Thibeault, a new teacher fresh out of Nipissing University, where he played five years of varsity volleyball after coming out of Gatineau, Que.

The spotlight interview is with Kiara Jefferies, assistant coach with the Nipissing Lakers women's hockey team and president of Junior Lakers Hockey (North Bay & District Minor Girls Hockey Association). There will be a short clip of the discussion and the full interview will be found on the North Bay Echo YouTube channel.

Also featured is an interview with the North Bay Cricket Club president, Romy Ghumman, after the team won a season-ending regional tournament in Capreol last weekend.

Rounding out the varsity coverage, we have an interview with Nipissing Lakers men's hockey coach Mike McParland to set up Friday's home opener vs McGill, with a 7 p.m. start at Memorial Gardens The Heritage Moment features Ken Cox, OHL official with seven Memorial Cups under his zebra jersey and current manager and coordinator for new OHL officials. We have a video clip of his acceptance speech while being inducted to the North Bay Sports Hall of Fame at the dinner this spring.

The Echo Sportscast #2 is packed with video highlights, interviews and commentary by co-hosts Paul McLean and Dave Dale, beginning with a high school junior football memory the Wright family will cherish ... a pass interception returned 50 yards for a touchdown.

Other Nipissing District Athletics coverage includes interviews with St. Joseph-Scollard Hall coaches David Wieggers (senior girls basketball) and Sylvie Laperriere (junior boys volleyball) after recording wins over Chippewa on Tuesday evening. That's followed by a brief conversation with Trojans senior football coach Mark Robertson after the Bears ruined the West Ferris home turf celebration. In the middle segment, the Sportscast puts a spotlight on this Saturday's 3rd annual Baseball Day in the Bay with a clip of the interview with Jacob Brown, a local baseball product who serves as president of the men's league and technical director for the NOHA. The full interview is on the North Bay Echo Youtube Channel.

That's followed by a bit about the hockey showcase held at Pete Palangio Arena last weekend and Nipissing Lakers Homecoming games, with a focus on the men's and women's soccer teams that are on a roll to begin their seasons. The Heritage Moment is a brief clip of Maria Dominico accepting the Judge Harry J. Reynolds Memorial Award for Dedication to Hockey.