NOVEMBER
      8,
      2006
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Josh
      Lewis
     
     
      Sports
      Editor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Something
      had
      to
      give.
     
    

    
     
      That,
      says
      Reagh
      Vidito,
      is
      why
      he
     
     
      suddenly
      resigned
      as
      head
      coach
      of
      the
     
     
      UPEI
      Panthers
      women’s
      basketball
     
     
      team
      just
      two
      weeks
      before
      the
      start
     
     
      of
      the
      regular
      season.
     
    

    
     
      “TI
      came
      to
      the
      conclusion
      over
     
     
      the
      last
      few
      weeks
      that
      in
      order
      to
      be
     
     
      as
      successful
      as
      I
      want
      to
      be
      coaching,
     
     
      I
      had
      to
      offer
      more
      commitment
      than
     
     
      I
      was
      currently
      offering.
      My
      availability
     
     
      based
      on
      my
      commitment
      to
      my
      full-
     
     
      time
      job
      (teaching
      at
      Colonel
      Gray)
      and
     
     
      my
      family
      was
      too
      much.
      The
      final
     
     
      decision
      had
      to
      be
      coaching
      had
      to
      go.
     
     
      The
      other
      two
      things
      had
      to
      come
      to
     
     
      the
      forefront.”
     
    

    
     
      UPEI
      athletic
      director
      Ron
     
     
      Annear
      said
      that
      while
      he
      didn’t
      see
      it
     
     
      coming,
      he
      understands
      Vidito’s
     
     
      decision.
     
    

    
     
      “Over
      the
      past
      year
      he’s
      gotten
     
     
      busier
      with
      his
      job
      and
      his
      family.
      The
     
     
      coaching
      position
      is
      considered
      a
      part-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SPORTS
      |
     
     
      UPEI
      PANTHERS
      WOMEN’S
      B-BALL
     
    
   
   
    
     
      COACH
      RESIGNS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      time
      job,
      but
      it’s
      very
      much
      a
      full-time
     
     
      mandate.
      You
      know
      where
      (he)
      should
     
     
      Be”
     
    

    
     
      Assistant
      coaches
      Chris
      Annett
     
     
      and
      Brian
      Chambers
      also
      resigned,
      but
     
     
      accepted
      an
      invitation
      from
      interim
     
     
      coach
      Dave
      McNeill
      to
      return
      to
      the
     
     
      fold.
      (see
      page
      15)
      Vidito
      said
     
     
      speculation
      that
      a
      falling
      out
      with
      the
     
     
      two
      led
      to
      the
      mass
      resignations
      is
     
     
      false.
     
    

    
     
      “There
      really
      was
      no
      situation.
     
     
      I
      think
      people
      have
      blown
      it
      out
      of
     
     
      proportion.
      The
      coaching
      staff
      never
     
     
      had
      any
      meltdown.
      After
      the
     
     
      Dalhousie
      tournament
      (Oct.
      20-22),
     
     
      Chris
      decided
      he
      was
      going
      to
      step
     
     
      down.
      He
      and
      I
      just
      had
      differences
     
     
      of
      opinion.
      I
      resigned
      before
      Brian,
      so
     
     
      I
      don’t
      know
      why
      he
      did.
      But
      no
      major
     
     
      issues
      led
      to
      it.”
     
    

    
     
      Vidito
      said
      that
      while
      the
      timing
     
     
      is
      unfortunate,
      he
      didn’t
      have
      much
     
     
      choice.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “In
      my
      experience,
      there’s
      never
     
     
      a
      good
      time
      (to
      resign).
      If
      I
      had
     
     
      announced
      my
      resignation
      and
      then
     
     
      played
      out
      the
      season,
      it'd
      be
      hard
      for
     
     
      the
      girls
      to
      play
      for
      me.
      If
      I
      waited
      till
     
     
      March,
      the
      new
      coach
      might
      not
      have
     
     
      time
      to
      recruit.
      It’s
      better
      to
      do
      it
      now,
     
     
      two
      weeks
      before
      the
      season,
      than
      in
     
     
      the
      middle
      of
      the
      season.”
     
    

    
     
      It
      was
      an
      extremely
      difficult
      decision
     
     
      for
      Vidito.
     
    

    
     
      “T
      have
      good
      relationships
      with
     
     
      the
      players
      on
      the
      team
      and
      it’s
     
     
      definitely
      tough
      to
      step
      away
      from
     
     
      some
      of
      those
      kids
      that
      I’ve
      known
     
     
      for
      a
      couple
      of
      years.
      But
      I’m
     
     
      confident
      that
      Dave
      McNeill,
      who
      I
     
     
      respect
      very
      much,
      can
      step
      right
      in
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      settle
      the
      ship.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      CADRE
      e
      14
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Photo:
      Dylan
      Taylor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Former
      UPEI
      Womens
      Basketball
      coach
     
     
      Reagh
      Vidito
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Taylor
      optimistic
      about
      new-look
      Panthers
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Josh
      Lewis
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sports
      Editor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      UPEI
      Panthers
      men’s
      hockey
     
     
      squad
      added
      13
      new
      recruits
      this
      off-
     
     
      season,
      including
      three
      towering
     
     
      defensemen.
      That,
      says
      head
      coach
     
     
      Dylan
      Taylor,
      bodes
      well
      for
      a
      Panthers
     
     
      team
      that
      missed
      the
      playoffs
      last
      year.
     
    

    
     
      “We
      knew
      we
      had
      to
      upgrade
      our
     
     
      defense
      core.
      Last
      season,
      we
      played
     
     
      the
      majority
      of
      the
      season
      with
      three
     
     
      or
      four
      forwards
      playing
      defense.
      We
     
     
      did
      our
      best
      as
      a
      group
      to
      collectively
     
     
      play
      defense,
      but
      we
      knew
      going
      into
     
     
      this
      year
      that
      defense
      was
      an
      atea
      we
     
     
      needed
      to
      focus
      on.”
     
    

    
     
      With
      that
      in
      mind,
      Taylor
      went
     
     
      out
      and
      lured
      6’5"
      Aaron
      Dawson,
     
     
      6°4"
      Erik
      Lundmark,
      and
      6’3"
      Tyson
     
     
      Gimblett
      to
      the
      UPEI
      program,
      along
     
     
      with
      former
      P.E.I.
      Rocket
      defenseman
     
     
      Travis
      Mealy
      and
      blueliner
      James
     
     
      Cooley
      of
      the
      Pictou
      County
      Weeks
     
     
      Crushers
      of
      the
      MJAHL
      Despite
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      number
      of
      newcomers,
      the
      second-
     
     
      year
      coach
      isn’t
      concerned
      about
      team
     
     
      CO
      62.
      mA
      ee
      hy.
     
     
      “From
      the
      very
      beginning
      that’s
     
     
      something
      we
      worked
      very
      hard
      at,
     
     
      bringing
      our
      returning
      group
      and
      our
     
     
      new
      group
      together.
      We
      have
      a
      lot
      of
     
     
      quality
      people
      on
      this
      team,
      a
      strong
     
     
      leadership
      group,
      and
      we
      work
      very
     
     
      hard
      to
      make
      sure
      we
      bring
      in
      good
     
     
      people.
      There’s
      lots
      of
      good
      hockey
     
     
      players,
      but
      if
      we’re
      going
      to
      have
      any
     
     
      success
      long-term
      it’s
      got
      to
      be
      built
     
     
      around
      good
      people.”
     
     
      Taylor
      says
      the
      team
      win
      games
     
     
      with
      its
      defense,
      not
      by
      outscoring
     
     
      OD
      Pp
      2O
      ares
      ROCs
     
     
      “We
      will
      be
      a
      team
      that
      plays
      sound
     
     
      defense,
      forechecks
      hard,
      and
      commits
     
     
      to
      our
      end
      first.
      We
      have
      strength
      at
     
     
      all
      three
      positions,
      but
      we’re
      not
      going
     
     
      to
      be
      a
      team
      that
      tries
      to
      one-up
     
     
      everyone.
      We’re
      going
      to
      stay
      with
      our
     
    
   
   
    
     
      style
      of
      play.
      A
      win
      by
      one
      goal
      is
      as
     
     
      good
      as
      a
      win
      by
      five
      goals.”
     
    

    
     
      The
      Panthers
      sat
      at
      2-3-1
     
     
      heading
      into
      weekend
      games
      against
     
     
      Saint
      Mary’s
      and
      Acadia,
      good
      for
      sixth
     
     
      place
      in
      the
      eight-team
      Atlantic
     
     
      University
      Sport
      conference.
      Taylor
     
     
      sees
      positive
      signs
      thus
      far
      in
      the
      young
     
     
      S
      e
      a
      S
      oO
      n
      ;
     
    

    
     
      “Tm
      happy
      with
      our
      work
      ethic.
     
     
      I’m
      happy
      with
      the
      collective
      desire
     
     
      to
      improve
      daily
      in
      practice.
      I
      think
     
     
      we
      have
      to
      improve
      with
      our
     
     
      adaptation
      to
      the
      new
      rule
      standards,
     
     
      which
      our
      penalty
      totals
      prove.
      I
      also
     
     
      believe
      we
      need
      to
      work
      on
      generating
     
     
      some
      more
      offense,
      doing
      that
     
     
      collectively
      as
      a
      five-man
      unit.
      When
     
     
      you
      work
      hard
      and
      get
      pucks
      to
      the
     
     
      net,
      that
      will
      happen.”
     
    

    
     
      Most
      importantly,
      Taylor
     
     
      doesn’t
      expect
      to
      be
      on
      the
      outside
     
     
      looking
      in
      at
      playoff
      time
      for
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Photo:
      Dylan
      Taylor
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      second
      consecutive
      season.
     
     
      “T
      expect
      this
      team
      to
      be
      in
      a
      dogfight
     
     
      throughout
      the
      whole
      year.
      Our
      goal
     
     
      day
      in
      and
      day
      out
      is
      to
      improve,
      and
     
     
      at
      the
      end
      of
      the
      year
      position
     
     
      ourselves
      to
      be
      in
      the
      playoffs
      and
      to
     
     
      compete
      for
      the
      same
      trophy
     
     
      everybody
      else
      is
      out
      for.”