Articles by author: Brock University

• Steel Blade preview: Badgers, Gryphons set to clash downtown

  Tuesday, September 10, 2019 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 10 September 2019 – R00142

  The Brock Badgers and Guelph Gryphons men’s hockey teams will face off in the 21st Steel Blade Classic at the Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines Friday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m.

  The Badgers’ roster boasts a robust recruiting class heading into the 2019-20 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) season and is coming off a school-record 19 wins (19-5-4-0).

  “We have the talent and if we build the chemistry and work ethic, we believe we have a very good team,” said two-time defending OUA Coach of the Year Marty Williamson. “It’s early and we have a lot of work to do to get back to where we were last year.”

  Western ended Brock’s playoff run in the second round last season before being bounced by the Gryphons, who lost to Queen’s in the OUA Championship.

  The annual Steel Blade game is a unique opportunity for Brock and Guelph to analyze their players in a competitive situation, surrounded by an electric atmosphere of an expected sold-out Meridian Centre.

  “The atmosphere with the students is incredible,” said Williamson, who previously spent more than a decade coaching in the Ontario Hockey League. “It’s loudest I’ve ever heard the Meridian Centre. It feels like a playoff game with that kind of crowd, which is great for the players and also good for the coaches to evaluate their players.”

  Guelph head coach Shawn Camp said it’s been a privilege for his team to play in the Steel Blade Classic for many years.

  “With such a natural rival, Steel Blade always feels like a playoff game in September,” he said. “The games are always intense and exciting, but there is so much more to it. It’s a celebration of the historical significance of the Steel Blade. There is no better way to start a season.”

  Longtime Brock supporter and avid university hockey fan Ed Werner came up with the Steel Blade concept more than 20 years ago to help recognize the historical connections of Brock University and to raise the profile of the men’s hockey team.

  The Werner family donated the Steel Blade trophy, which is a sword carried by sergeants of the Upper Canada Artillery Units and Royal Artillery during the War of 1812. It is engraved with the name of the Steel Blade winner each year.

  Limited $25 general admission tickets remain and are available at ticketmaster.ca

  *Note: Media planning to attend the game are asked to RSVP in advance and must enter from the Community Entrance on the north side of the Meridian Centre.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Stephen Leithwood, Communications Officer, Brock Sports/Ancillary Services sleithwood@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 ext. 4752

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970

  Brock University Marketing and Communications has a full-service studio where we can provide high definition video and broadcast-quality audio.

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  Categories: Media releases

• Students aim to make positive local impact through Brock Cares Day of Service

  Wednesday, September 04, 2019 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 4 September 2019 – R00141

  Brock students will fan out across Niagara Saturday to give back to the community they now call home.

  Along with University staff and faculty members, nearly 200 students will spend Saturday, Sept. 7 volunteering at local organizations in need of a helping hand.

  The 11th annual Brock Cares Day of Service will help students kick off the semester by having a positive impact and allowing them to meet others who share a similar passion for volunteering.

  “Participating in Brock Cares is a great way for students to start the year by giving back and making connections with their peers, while also learning about and becoming a part of the Niagara community,” said Megan Brown, Brock’s Community Engagement Co-ordinator.

  With volunteers heading to Project Share, Niagara Children’s Centre, Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre, the YWCA, Clean City Committee, Community Care, Celebration of Nations, the Rankin Cancer Run Bottle Drive, the Niagara Catholic District School Board Outdoor Education Program, Small Scale Farms and the Days for Girls initiative, Brown said the day reflects the University’s ongoing commitment to the region.

  “It’s important because Brock is part of the community and this is one of the many ways we can show that we care,” she said. “We are doing our part to be fully involved in Niagara while helping to grow the next generation of passionate and engaged citizens.”

  This year’s team of volunteers will also participate in the University’s annual Welcome Wagon visits, which aim to help student tenants be good neighbours and have a positive experience in the community. The initiative will see student volunteers joined by University staff and community partners, including elected officials, bylaw officers and firefighters, going door-to-door in near-campus neighbourhoods to deliver welcome kits and information on topics and services related to living off-campus.

  When Brock Cares has wrapped up for the day, volunteers will be taken to the Pen Centre where they will join residents and other students at a complimentary barbecue from noon to 3 p.m. Held in partnership with the City of St Catharines Town and Gown Committee, the Pen Centre, Zehrs and the University, the Community BBQ aims to further efforts to build relationships between the student population and local citizens in hopes of creating a vibrant, safe and respectful community.

  Following Brock Cares, students will have a chance to learn about additional volunteer activities in the region at VolunteerFest on Thursday, Sept. 12. The on-campus, vendor-style event will run in Brock’s Market Hall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and feature nearly 50 local organizations looking for volunteers.

  Spaces for Brock Cares are filling quickly, but Brown hopes more students will embrace the chance to lend a helping hand through various volunteer opportunities.

  “Brock Cares is often the first chance our students have to see other parts of Niagara, but we know that after working with such great organizations and seeing the difference that their contributions make, it won’t be the last,” she said.

  Volunteers will meet in South Block 204 at 8 a.m. Registration can be completed on the ExperienceBU website. Walk-in participants are also welcome.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970

  Brock University Marketing and Communications has a full-service studio where we can provide high definition video and broadcast-quality audio.

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  Categories: Media releases