The black and gold uniforms paced up and down rapidly in the first quarter, but couldn’t find their stride until the very last minute, and at 10-6 down they seemed relieved for the break. The struggle continued on into the second quarter, where York found themselves playing defensively too many times. York desperately needed a change of mentality if they were going to have any kind of a chance.

It seems, however, that the team love playing on the edge of danger. The more pressure they are under, the more they thrive on the large support at the sidelines. ‘This next quarter is going to be a good one,’ one third team girl whispered, as if she knew York enjoyed being underdogs to start with. The anticipation for the next half was infectious, and the York girls suddenly appeared ready for combat.

The lead Northumbria had was chopped down by the speed of York who suddenly seemed re-charged. The ball failed to leave a York hand, and when it did Wing Attack Cesca Dessain and Goal Attack Sarah Fisher had it back in the next minute. This superb ten minute spell turned the game around for York who went into the lead and the last quarter with eyes on the prize.

The last quarter came and went in a flash. Both teams were unwilling to settle on last place and so the goals kept coming on each side. Exhausting for the girls and the spectators, the outcome was still very much uncertain. Goal Shooter Kay Masterson kept accurately scoring, but Northumbria did too which clinched it for them 27- 25 at the end.

“We knew this would be a hard match but we were ready for the challenge” said Jenni Williams for the team. Commenting on the close loss Dessain answered “We were so pleased with the pace; we know we can bring that to future games so there is not too much worry!” One spectator summed up the performance very well indeed. “The game was fast and skilled, a delight to watch the York girls strut their stuff on court!”

BUCS League 2B – Wednesday 21st October

York men’s tennis firsts certainly beat the rain this week, winning their first match of this season 7-3 against Durham seconds. On a wet Wednesday afternoon, the odds were stacked against York, yet through solid perseverance the men’s mentality was fine-tuned to winning.

Captain David Leff-Hallstein tells Nouse how thrilled he was post-match: “This season I really feel the team has come together excellently.” Leff- Hallstein and joint captain Peter Thomson-Glover played their doubles match effortlessly, each in turn slicing the ball just out of reach for the Durham players, giving them an overall 8-4 win.

A big amount of the Sports Centre budget this term was directed at the tennis courts. In a terrible condition before, they were resurfaced to stop players slipping over. Nouse asked the players what they thought of the extensive work that had been done: “well, they couldn’t have got much worse before could they” seemed to be the consensus. This time around, the rain didn’t cause the match to be postponed and although players Ben Dyer and Neil Moroz lost their doubles match, they were certainly ready for the challenge of their next games.

York adapted quickly to their newly resurfaced courts on Wednesday afternoon, beating Durham by a comfortable margin. Photograph by George Lowther.

The action was endless in the singles play. Leff-Hallstein played first, winning 6-4 in his third set. Dyer wrapped up his game 6-2, 6-2 in one of his first performances for the team. With some more training and a boost of confidence he was described as ‘a player to watch out for in the future.’ Moroz stepped on court with a winning mentality, playing fourth, in what became a ferocious game. Amazing on the back hand, he fought hard and won in the nail-biting third set 11-9 which caused the crowds to cheer dramatically.

Thomson-Glover lost his match 6-2, 6-3 however by this time York had won enough points to take overall victory. Although being disappointed in himself after such a sterling doubles match, Thomson –Glover was commended for his captaincy. He was universally praised by the York side for the confidence he inspires in his team, and his good sportsmanship, which condemns any foul play or animosity between opposition. All in all, Wednesday was a successful, highly-charged match where York prevailed against all odds, and hopefully there will be more to follow.

The faces are not daunting anymore,
never were as hard to see
as the blurred lines of our daily discourse, that continually keep me pacing.
Up.
and down. Not one soul with a frown in the beginning. Except for me.

I had a cry once or twice
Tears dropped silent in my room,
against the noises of the night.
I hugged my arm.

The days are my are acquaintances now,
they quicken in their coming, and going.
Then the flash of water drops arrive, keeping me still.
I am alive. This is when I think about not thinking.

But the light inside me was on for too long
It angered those who had nothing to gain
I sat a mute for just a while
With nobody in the world to blame.

In the day’s other races, the women’s quads crew progressed to the final, where they came third, but both the women’s fours and the men’s eights narrowly missed out on qualification. There was additional disappointment for the men’s fours, who finished third in their heat, ending their interest in the competition.

York had more success in last month’s Doncaster regatta, where they dominated the opposition to win four of the five categories. An excellent display from the senior men’s fours, using their new WinTech 4 boat bought with money from the York Alumni Fund, saw them beat Hull in the semi-final to set up a race with Cambois Rowing Club. The crew – consisting of Jack Savage, Dan Steele, Will Lawrence and Ben Coverdale – saw their intense training regimes pay off as they won the final by two lengths.

The senior men’s eights were also successful, beating Hull in their final with a time of one minute 43 seconds – the fastest time of the day. The women’s teams also performed excellently, with the novice eights beating Sheffield Hallam University comfortably – at one stage in the race pulling three lengths ahead.
The senior eights beat also Sheffield Boat Club in their final, with the always consistent Lara Wainwright performing particularly impressively. There was disappointment, however, for the women’s novice fours in their race against York St John as mistakes in the boat meant that they lost a close race by half a length. The result meant York were unable to achieve their aim of winning in all five of the categories, a rare blemish in a hugely successful weekend.
Cox Ngaio Simpson said that she was pleased that York were able to “entirely dominate the weekend” at Doncaster and added that the club would enter their next event with “a lot more confidence.” This regatta, combined with the club’s Roses success, cap a largely successful term for York rowing.

The victory was all the more remarkable because York started the match as underdogs – Lancaster play two leagues above York in the BUCS system – and so it was little wonder Wing Attack Cesca Dessain appeared apprehensive before the game, fearing the team would disappoint the assembled mass of spectators in the Tent.

Afterwards, it was a different set of emotions: “The crowds made it today for us, they truly carried us through!” said Dessain. If there were misgivings about facing asuperior outfit on paper, they were well hidden as the side came out energised and asserted their dominance in the early stages of the match.

Leading 10 – 6 at the end of the first quarter the York women seemed to tire, allowing Lancaster to draw alongside York in the second quarter at 12-12. Goal Attack Sarah Pycroft, however, seemed adamant to keep on shooting accurately and the lethal combination of her and Center Liz Carol shattered Lancaster’s revival, meaning York were up a promising 21- 14 by the third quarter.

The crowds by this time were really backing York, whose willingness to push themselves to the limit increasingly made the difference. The vocal support was taking its mental toll on the Lancaster side and their Goal shooter missed more opportunities, a contrast to the unerring Emily Harington for York.

With a sizeable advantage engineered, the last quarter saw the York girls willing and able to demonstrate the extent of their skills, spraying some amazing passes across the court. Goal Keeper Jenni Williams told Nouse post-match: “This is simply the best end to the season, the support blew me away! More sport at York can only be a good thing.”

ROWING (Races start at 10.00), River Ouse

Although their new boat, purchased with a contribution from the York Alumni Fund, remains docked in Germany, the Boat Club enter Roses optimistically following a hugely encouraging season. Since rowing was the original contest between York and Lancaster back in 1965, the squad are historically conscious, and the overall 19-18 score in Lancaster’s favour, including the last two years, is regarded almost as an affront.

The men’s firsts VIII, which is likely to feature Will Lawrence, Ben Coverdale, Jack Savage, Dan Steele, Dane Moore, Edd Davenport, John Underwood and James Coldwell, recently beat Lancaster’s VIII over 5km at the BUCS Head of the River event in Chester. However, the Roses course, down on the River Ouse, is only 1km, a mere sprint in comparison.

Assessing the club’s chances of collecting the 20 points on offer, Club President Hugh Pryce said: “The guys have been training really hard to even things up again [at 19-19]. Lancaster deserve to be favourites having won the last two boat races, but the guys won’t mind being underdogs. They’ll be training on the course for the week running up to the event, which should help our chances on the day.”

The men’s VIII set off at 10.40am, but represents only a small part of a busy morning’s rowing, with races starting at 10.00, so it’s best to stake out a good vantage point early on Lendall Bridge. Indeed, many of the VIII crew will have already competed once, in the senior and novice IV’s, which again promise to be close contests.

For the female crews, revenge is also at the forefront of pre-race thoughts, following Lancaster’s comfortable victories last year. To intensify matters even further, allegations abounded of Lancastrian gamesmanship – two senior squad members participated in the senior, novice and beginner’s races – which have left a sour taste on this side of the Pennines. However, controversy aside, York’s crews appreciate the significance of home advantage, and have been intensively preparing off the back of a hugely encouraging season.

The senior VIII finished second at the BUCS Head of the River event in Chester, only for Lancaster to finish first! However, the senior IV remains practically invincible this year and the novice crews have consistently beaten the Red Rose, meaning confidence is high.

Assessing York’s chances, senior VIII and IV rower Raessa Chowdhury told Nouse: “Head racing and sprint racing [i.e. the 1km Roses course] are incredibly different and York women have traditionally been more successful at Head races. However, having come second to Lancaster at the North of England Head and from last year’s performance, we fell like we have some payback in order and we more than a good chance of getting points in all the women’s events this year. Rowing is what started the Roses event, as it tried to mimic the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race and bring that up to the North. So we’re looking forward to plenty of support and a good day of racing, hopefully with multiple wins for the Boat Club.”

Women’s Crew Lists: Senior VIII: Alix Odgers, Raessa Chowdhury, Charlotte MacDonald, Rebecca Melville, Alex Mahan, Hannah Mason, Alex Hassall, Sophie Mottram

Novice IV: Beth Price-Williams, Joanne Rea, Thea Hudson, Charlotte Lane

TENNIS: Men’s Seconds (10.00), Women’s Firsts (12.00), Men’s Firsts (14.00), Tennis Courts

As one of the biggest points scorers in the competition, a great deal hinges on the performance of our tennis teams once more. Staggeringly, their successes in Lancaster last year contributed 10% of York’s points tally and Captain Peter Thompson-Glover is unlikely to accept a decline in standard on Saturday afternoon, particularly with home advantage.

“It’s hard to train a lot when you have exams, but we all really want this. We have the advantage because we are on our own courts; let’s hope we get loads of supporters,” he said, before adding unashamedly, “We are definitely going to win!”

And why not? A mid-table finish in BUCS League 2B was distinctly under par for a talented squad, which also features David Leff-Hallstein and Jack Moon, the skilful fresher, but this protracted league struggle was apparently a mere aperitif for the battle with Lancaster.

Is anyone out there more fired up for Roses than Maria Hunt, Captain of the women’s team? Nouse finds Maria imaginatively conjugating crowd chants [the team’s homework, apparently] to cap a week which has seen her treadmill-bashing, blister-popping and new team kit ordering for the York cause. After all, beating Lancaster for a second consecutive year would be the perfect 20th birthday present for the team leader.

“It would be an amazing birthday present!” Hunt said. “To win as a team! Having finished third in the BUCS League we want to finish off a great season. The women’s team have been training hard in preparation for singles, with a few fitness sessions thrown in. One thing is for certain is that as a Yorkshire woman, I am taking this competition extremely seriously and Roses victory is certain…I can taste it!”

The team’s training has mixed together a few unorthodox elements – the women played, and beat, the Saint Peter’s School women’s team the other day – to prepare them for the unique challenge of Roses, even if little is known about the opposition. With preparations running in parallel with their male counterparts, we can expect to see, and hear, plenty of mutual support on Saturday, witty chants included.

LACROSSE: Men’s (14.00)

Having beaten Lancaster in each of the past three years, scoring 44 goals in the process, York’s lacrosse team are understandably looking forward to Saturday afternoon’s re-match. However, like every team participating in Roses, the pressures of the examination season have restricted opportunities for training this week, meaning the post-mortem of a slightly mixed season will have to wait until week two. Memories of a mid-table finish, in a weather-affected BUCS campaign, are likely to be quickly vanquished by a strong performance against the Red Rose.

Eagerly anticipating the Roses clash, Michael ‘Stash’ Leahy, who will be acting team captain in the absence of the injured Harry Collins, told Nouse: “We’re a close knit squad, know each other’s strengths and styles of play and we’ve been looking forward to playing Lancaster all year. It’s going to be a great match, and we’re looking to the basics well, play solidly in defence and move the ball quickly in transition and attack to create plenty of scoring opportunities. This year won’t be any different [to the last two] – we’re going to win, and we’re not going to pull any punches in doing so.”

So, exactly who are the components of this well-oiled machine? Starting from the front, first-year Krishna Balan, who had gained extensive lacrosse experience at club-level in Sheffield, has slotted in seamlessly with fourth-year attacker Jack Wakefield, the Club President who recently earned selection for the Scotland national team.

The absence of Collins, in midfield, because of a broken finger, could prove a minor weakness given his outstanding skills in transferring the play from defence to attack. However, Leahy moves forward from defence to replace him and offers bucketfuls of experience, having been selected for Yorkshire, England Universities North and also trialled for England. Anchoring the team will be Joe Crosby, another recent selection for Yorkshire, in defence and goalkeeper Ben Robinson, another Yorkshire representative.

Up against this force, Lancaster have endured a torrid season, winning just one BUCS League fixture in finishing bottom of their division, conceding 108 goals in the process.

JUDO (All Categories from 15.00 onwards), Tent

With six points spread over six divisions, Saturday afternoon’s judo events could prove significant as York seek to take full advantage of the lessons learned from last year’s defeat. Club President Tom Church spoke to Nouse: “Our preparations have been good, plenty of training and competitions last term to get us in the right mindset. Our club is mostly made up of people who only took up judo when they came to university but have put so much effort into their training that they have raised the club to an excellent standard.”

“Last year, Lancaster put out a very strong team, but notwithstanding this our less experienced players gave them a real run for their money, with a few upsets along the way. A year on, with more experience under our belts, I am quietly confident of us picking up a few points,” he added.

SQUASH: Women’s Firsts (14.00)

York’s BUCS Cup winning women’s squash team aim to continue their imperious form against Lancastrian opponents who have endured a dreadful campaign on Saturday afternoon. The White Rose overcame Leeds University seconds 3-1 back in March to become the first York team to collect silverware under the BUCS guise and have won the previous two Roses encounters. All indications point to the four points then, something reiterated by Club President Caroline Watchurst, who predicts “a solid win” and “fully expects not to even drop a game.” Watchurst will be seeded third in the team, behind Jess Hunter and Lydia Vas Nunes, with team Captain Johanna Augustus completing the quartet.

HOCKEY: Women’s Seconds (10.00), Men’s Seconds (11.30), Women’s Firsts (13.00), Men’s Firsts (14.30), JLD Astroturf

The men’s firsts have been put through their paces all this week with some intensive fitness drills and then extensive pitch time. Even then, the ineptitude of the Sports Centre denied yet more training and more fitness, but then Captain Billy Walsh was never going to have preparations any other way. “I will accept nothing less than a victory,” he tells Nouse.

The two sides have both suffered this season, relegated from their respective divisions after a string of disappointing results, which would suggest a tight match is in prospect. Understandably, Walsh is hoping the additional efforts in building match fitness will ensure York aren’t beaten in the latter stages on Saturday afternoon. Of course, maintaining a battling spirit until the death proved the defining moment in last year’s competition, when Richard De Boltz’s last-minute equaliser secured York’s overall victory. De Boltz will feature in the team this time round, alongside other key players Rich Larkin, at right-back, Andy Harris, the driving force in midfield, and Niko Bode, who possesses unbelievable raw pace.

The women’s firsts will, similarly, be hoping to shrug off the disappointment of BUCS relegation with a rousing performance at Roses early on Saturday afternoon. York must contemplate life in League 3A after winning just one match all season and must find something special to counter the threat of BUCS Cup finalists Lancaster with the maximum four points on offer.

FENCING: Men’s, Men’s Seconds and Women’s (From 14.00), Tent

Winners of the Roses Team of the Year award last time round, all indications suggest that York’s fencers can again be exceedingly confident of victory. While Lancaster’s preparations are shrouded in mystery – especially the whereabouts of their talented overseas import – the versatility in all three disciplines (épee, sabre and foil) of the York men’s squad make them clear favourites for the big points on offer. Further York espionage has revealed, by comparison, that Lancaster’s leading fencer is competent only in one weapon. This could well prove the difference.

The men’s seconds team is a new venture, but talented fencing rookies such as Steven Bainbridge, offer the route to another couple of points, particularly after trainer Kate Horner’s shrewd emphasis on footwork drills. The women’s team remains largely unchanged from last year’s victory, with incoming captain Kat Chzhen and Charlotte Kerry amongst those hard in training recently. The men’s firsts, meanwhile, have been busy musing over their trios for each discipline, with early predictions being that Pavel Gusanov will slot in as leading sabre, team captain Harry Whitwell as first choice foil and Mike Denniss as top spot épee.

NETBALL: Thirds (13.00), Seconds (15.00), Firsts (17.00), Tent

‘The team that trains together, wins together’ – a mantra followed by York’s netball firsts for many years to produce great success. The Easter holidays witnessed intensive training on a day-to-day basis to ensure that Lancaster doesn’t win for a second year in a row, and the side-effect has been an unbreakable team mentality.

Wing Attack Cesca Dessain told Nouse: “I enjoyed training for this, when you have such a good team you want to make them proud! It was such an achievement to see how far we’ve come [a fact reinforced by the team’s third place BUCS League finish]. Right now all we need is the home crowd to lead us to victory!”

SNOOKER: Mixed (From 12.00), Fulford Conservative Club

Having enjoyed an excellent spell of form this season, peaking with a third-place at the BUCS national snooker championships, York’s snooker players will enter Roses as favourites for the four points on offer. The event, which York won last year, features teams of five, with each player playing a best of three match against their opponent.

SAILING: Mixed Firsts and Mixed Seconds (10.00), Beaver Sailing Club

York’s sailors will be taking to the water at the Beaver Sailing Club, near Selby, on Saturday afternoon with every reason to feel optimistic. After all, in last year’s tournament, York proved themselves a class apart, scooping first, second and third places for the ’ultimate’ win. In fact, the team racing format used at Roses seems to play into York’s hands, with the boats engaged in a three-on-three contest, with a team winning if their finishing positions add up to a score of ten or less. The first and second teams will battle it out for the points, with the ladies’ team competing for fun.

Club Vice-Commodore Rachel Harden told Nouse: “Our form this year has seen a marked improvement from last year, with the first team getting further along the BUCS trail than they have in the past few years. So, all in all, we look set to continue the trend of ensuring points for York before we even get on the water.”

RUGBY UNION: Men’s Seconds (12.00), Women’s Firsts (14.00), Men’s Firsts (15.00), 22 Acres

If men’s firsts Captain Mike Callis and Coach Alec Porter feel the need to motivate their players for the match with Lancaster on Saturday afternoon, they might as well pack up and head home. The kind of winning mentality and thirst for success which delivered 12 wins from 12 in BUCS League 2B doesn’t evaporate overnight, and York can enter this traditional highlight of the Roses weekend expecting victory.

Not that Lancaster are a sitting duck. They finished second behind county rivals UCLAN in the North-West league equivalent to York, amassing some enormous wins in the process, including a 100-0 romp over Liverpool John Moores in the BUCS Cup. Almost as impressive as York’s finest 80 minutes this season, a 105-0 annihilation of Huddersfield.

The women’s team will be similarly confident after storming to the final of the BUCS Cup in March, narrowly losing to Liverpool University, and being denied the opportunity to overhaul Sheffield Hallam in the league due to a fixture backlog. Lancaster, meanwhile, had an average season in League 2A, the same level as York but for the North-West universities, finishing third bottom and winning only one match.

However, York Captain Chrissie Leahy has been taking nothing for granted: “The team’s been working really hard to boost our fitness levels and tweak our skills and we’re in good shape. We’ve had a really good season – we got further in the BUCS Cup than Lancaster, but we’re not underestimating them. It was a hard match last year and anything could happen on the day. We’ll have to work to earn a win.”

MOUNTAINEERING: Mixed A and Mixed B Team (13.00), Oaklands Leisure Centre

The Oaklands Leisure centre, in Acomb, is the venue for this year’s mountaineering event, which consists of a bouldering competition, over a short, but technical, route designed to alleviate the need for safety ropes. Each mixed team is given three attempts to complete the climbing course, which no one will have tackled before, with 10, 7 and 4 points available if successfully completed. After two hours, the team with the most points is victorious. This is the first time points have been awarded for mountaineering events, with last year’s exhibition event going to Lancaster by a narrow margin.

VOLLEYBALL: Men’s (13.00), Women’s (15.30), Main Sports Hall

In 2008-2009, York men’s volleyball team finished mid-table in BUCS League 1A and reached the last 16 of the national BUCS Cup, an outstanding achievement considering the transient nature of the squad. With experienced international students, including player-coach Pietro Galli, flitting in and out of selection as they swap universities, maintaining any consistency and harmony in the team has been an unremitting challenge for Captain Jack Butcher.

Assessing the Lancaster challenge provides an additional headache; they failed to put together a team last year, but mysteriously resurfaced in the BUCS second division, finishing third, and reached the semi-finals of the Northern BUCS Cup. Its little wonder Butcher is taking nothing for granted.

“While we are probably marginal favourites, it will be a tense encounter and could be decided by small margins – so let’s get a huge crowd down at 1.00pm on Saturday to cheer us on and push us over the line!” he said.

Following a positive BUCS League campaign, which yielded a highly credible second place finish in a tough division featuring well-resourced opponents Leeds Met and Sheffield Hallam, the women’s team will certainly not be fearful of Lancaster. However, Lisa Breitschuh’s team will have to be at their very best to challenge a Red Rose outfit who swept aside all comers in BUCS League 2A, winning all eight matches and securing promotion by a 15-point margin. Lancaster were also finalists in the BUCS Cup, losing in straight sets to the elite Leeds Met firsts.

WATER POLO: Women’s (18.00), Men’s (18.45), Archbishop’s Holgate School

The men’s water polo team have, it seems, never had so much preparation for this year’s Roses encounter. The inaugural U-Polo League has brought together many of the northern universities in regular competition, with every minute in the pool valuable practice ahead of this highlight of the year. However, Lancaster aren’t part of this U-Polo community, making Saturday night’s clash all the more intriguing. Outstanding performers in the team this season include all-round sports shot-stopper Sam Clitheroe between the posts, the prolific Duncan Eggleston, Ben Smith and lynchpin Arran Bowen-la Grange. Expect Captain Jeffrey Wright to have York pumped up for this one.

When you lose your first match of the season 21-0, things really can only get better. This ominous fate befell our women’s water polo team back in the Autumn but, thanks to a Herculean effort, they have gone from strength to strength ever since. The highlight for Suleika Rohd-Thomsen, the team Captain, and the best indicator for next weekend, was an unexpected victory over Lancaster at a friendly tournament in Sheffield at the back end of 2008. Its likely memories of this particular game will be pushed to the fore in the build-up to Saturday night’s showdown at the Archbishop’s Holgate School.

Excitedly discussing her team’s chances with Nouse, Rohd-Thomsen said: “There is a bit of a family rivalry going on, with one of our player’s sisters the Vice-Captain of the Lancaster team. We think they are underestimating us and look forward to disappointing them! Pre-Roses training has been complicated by exams and coursework, but the girls are very dedicated and enthusiastic, even stretching to mud-covered land training in the rain, which wouldn’t be quite so traumatic if the track was slightly more solid.”

Although stressing the strong team ethic, Rohd-Thomsen highlighted a few players to look out for next Saturday:

• Kirsty Caldecott-Tucker: “Our equivalent to a back row all by herself, and it makes me happy that she’s on my team so I never have to be marked by her in a match!”
• Tharaki Siyaguna: “New this year and probably our most strategic player, always seeming to turn up exactly where you need her.”
• Courtney Mitchell: “A tiny little thing with far too much energy and an awesome arm.”
• Ruth Salmon: “Our aptly named swimming captain, and is always up front ready for any gap in defence.”

Why not head down to the Archbishop’s Holgate School on Hull Road to support York’s swimmers and water polo teams? The swimming events get underway at 5pm, followed straight away by the women’s water polo at just after 6 and capped by the men’s event at about 6.45. Poolside is the perfect place to generate a cauldron of pro-York noise!

POOL: Women’s (18.00), Men’s (19.00), Derwent Bar

There are big plans afoot to ensure Derwent Bar provides the perfect home advantage for York’s pool players on Saturday night: PA announcers, walk-on music and big screen relays of the matches will ensure an unforgettable and inspiring atmosphere. After all, it was the raucous crowd that proved influential in Lancaster’s victories last time and the ambition is to completely turn the tables. Each team will be made up of nine players, competing in a best of three match against their opponent. All supporters very welcome!

Also happening on Saturday:

BALLROOM DANCING (9.00-17.00), Derwent Bar

EXHIBITION – POLO: Mixed (13.00), TAE KWON DO: Mixed (16.00), Dance Studio, TAI CHI: Mixed (17.00), Dance Studio

With so many dedicated leaders fighting for glory and responsibility, who to vote for and trust is a surprisingly hard decision. Promising smiles are enough to win votes, yet infectious personalities must be treated with caution, and will they deliver?

When you order a gigantic pizza from Efes, most of the time you know what your getting: a big cheap cheesy delight that prevents you from doing any cooking and satisfies your hunger perfectly. When the delivery man turns up with a small salad, you know something has gone terribly awry.

Yet it happens to the electorate; York students vote in YUSU elections after hearing and reading the menus of the enthusiastic campaigners and at times aren’t sure if they will get the roast dinner or the sorbet.

Tom Scott was voted YUSU President on the basis he was crazy pirate persona ‘Mad Cap’n Tom’ on all occasions. Offering in exchange polices for an on-campus chemist and for ‘all YUSU officers t’be trained in sword fighting.’ Scott got to an an encouraging start when he put his cannon on Central Hall. Yet has failed to deliver on any other promises. He did not play his part as Mad Cap’n Scott in events such as the Langwith bar opening; arguably defeating the validity of his role. He stated “I’m required to act in the best interests of the Union at all times. That doesn’t mean the Mad Cap’n's being retired though” Unfortunately that’s exactly what it does mean, and every time we see him in a suit we feel a bitter let down in our hearts.

So if voting on appearance is what you usually do, check the small print and make sure there’s no plastic surgery scheduled for them that term.

Successful candidates do, however, deliver on occasion. YUSU Services and Finance Officer Matt Burton promised a student-run bar in his manifesto, and when The Courtyard was revealed students were delighted at what Burton had help achieve. It cost £500,000 and took a long six months; but it was fulfilled. “It shows what you can do with a bit of effort and a bit of money.”

If you want to vote for candidates pushing for more student entertainment, make sure the person is realistic in their aims, and not dreaming they have a billion to spend.

With a bit of effort Alex Lacy is fulfilling his aims as Sports President. He turned the AU into York Sport. He gave sport at York a new identity, resulting in a unity and amalgamation of sporting minds – whatever that means. So don’t vote on what sounds intellectual, make sure you know exactly what the change will be.

The past teaches us that leaders say what the people want to hear. Realistic aims are worth voting for. If you want the campus lake to turn into a gorgeous heated pool you could be waiting a while. Think about who genuinely wants to change things for the benefit of York students, and don’t let the glitter fool you.

York men’s tennis team saw their recent momentum fade away in a crushing 8-2 BUCS Cup semi-final defeat at the hands of Sheffield firsts on Wednesday. After playing impressively last week in beating Durham, the team struggled against this strong Sheffield team, who have lost just one game in their pursuit of promotion. “It’s quite a blow, but we learnt a lot” admitted Captain Peter Thompson-Glover to Nouse afterwards, although he was the only York player to win his matches.

The doubles games started off tensely, with duo Arthur Vayn and David Leff- Hallstein serving to perfection, while displaying a powerful combination of strength and skill attributes. However, with nationally renowned players Sheffield proved formidable opponents and the duo were, in all honesty, outclassed and lost 8-3. Meanwhile, Thompson-Glover and partner Jack Moon didn’t fare much better, losing 8-2 despite a promising start. “They were smart, tactical and they just took us by surprise,” commented Thompson-Glover when walking off court.

Appearances seemed to reflect the relative standard of the two teams this week, with one player even stating ‘we just looked shabby compared to the other team.’ Sheffield were dressed smartly in black and white kits whilst York simply didn’t look unified in normal sportswear. After victory last week, Jack Moon lost his game after a valiant effort on court. “He [Moon’s opponent] plays tennis for England, so I knew I was up for a tough one.” Although Moon’s service rivaled the standard of England players, it wasn’t enough against speed and shot repertoire of the Sheffield number one.

By the time David Leff-Hallstein lost to the same Sheffield player as last year in the closest match played all day the writing was on the wall for York. Leff- Hallstein delivered the ball with precision, however the superior standard and stamina of the Sheffield player eventually wore him down and he lost 6-3 6-4. Vayn fared much the same, and was outrun on court.

Thompson-Glover watched his team win last week after claiming the momentum in the team was improving all the time. This time round, it was only the Captain who proved his theory correct, winning his singles matches 6-2, 6-1. York’s number one rarely failed to return the ball, thus smartly wearing down the Sheffield player with his persistence. The matches were all played with the York team putting in 100%, but unfortunately the national players in the Sheffield side outclassed York, proving that there remains room for improvement.

York men’s tennis firsts offered a long-awaited glimpse of their class in winning 7-3 against Durham seconds, their first victory in the league this season, on Wednesday afternoon. After an 8-2 defeat against Durham earlier in the campaign, the team’s performance here shows how far they have progressed within a short period of time, and again exhibited their undoubted potential.

Captain Peter Murray-Glover describes the team as one of the ‘strongest ever seen at York,’ because each of the four first-teamers comes from an extensive tennis-playing background. Nouse asked him what has been the difference this year: “basically, we are on a new diet and the training regime has become really intense.” Despite these Draconian measures, the team seem perfectly happy, saying they were ‘over the moon’ with Wednesday’s outcome.

When asked about this year’s finance for the tennis club, a contentious issue for many other teams, it was discovered that this season money has been invested into a new coach for the side, another factor in their changing fortunes. This man is Brad Gilbert, there to ‘really help with the mental side of the game,’ which the players depend on for maintaining confidence and morale.

To the action itself, and David Leff-Hallstein played second, wrapping up 6-4, 6-1 with a skilful performance in a high-quality match. Unable to beat Durham’s highest-ranked player last time, Leff-Hallstein stepped aside for talented fresher Jack Moon, who has yet to lose a match. Moon performed to perfection despite the immense pressure, serving ferociously as he won 6-2, 6-7, including a 10-8 tie-breaker in a nail-biting last set.

Man-of-the-match on Wednesday, however, was Murray-Glover, who won his sets 7-5 and 6-3 to get York on their way. “I needed to win for York, so I did,” he commented modestly afterwards. Despite being in the ascendancy overall, the pressure was still on for the skipper, playing last, who entered the game as underdog against his physically huge Durham opponent. Yet Murray-Glover served immaculately and quickly capitalized on the Durham player’s weaknesses on court, annihilating him in the second set, and echoing the consensus in saying “it’s a new year, so we are playing with a new confidence.” After playing regularly with Tim Henman’s dad in the summer, Glover says he gained some valuable experience in captaining a team, seen when he was coaching the players some new skills. After Wednesdays highly-charged match, hopefully we shall see great things from this rejuvenated York side.

“Essentially, we went there and did what we needed to do,” said Viszkok, reflecting on the event. A total of twenty-nine teams, representing universities from across the country, entered the qualifying session, with only twenty-three spots up for grabs, meaning York needed to perform. “There are four drivers in each team, and the amount of first year students that are driving this season is really promising.”

The injection of new blood served Karting Team A well, performing ferociously in the morning test session. The team went on to perform efficiently in the relays, driving past several teams with greater experience. The side then had to work their way through four Solo races, achieving a respectable seventeenth place by the end of the afternoon. Team B hoped to perform as well and, with some smooth overtaking manoeuvres on the track, were happy to finish nineteenth. Team C, comprising several novices in the sport, came twenty-seventh, a promising sign for the future. York karting president Daniel Maddox was delighted with the club’s efforts, saying “considering the team consisted purely of drivers that had never sat in a kart of that speed/calibre before that morning, and many, if not all on that team, were new to the club this year, it was an impressive effort.”

The York teams will now go on to race at Whilton Mill on Tuesday, February 17 in the first round of the National Championships, which will last for four days. Viszkok was glowing in his enthusiasm for the advances made this year, adding modestly, “to be honest, we’re looking for a mid table result.”
Maddox however believes the team should become more aggressive and improve their racing skills early on, so as not to get complacent. “As it’s the first year the regonal qualification has happened, it’s not as cut-throat as it could become in future years.”

With such ambition and reserves of drivers to draw upon, the team will aim to build upon these achievements and assert themselves among the elite of British university karting.

York women’s squash team saw their chances of being promoted slide away after losing 3-1 against unbeaten Leeds University yesterday. The four girls in the team – Captain Johanna Augustus, Caroline Watchurst, Lydia Vas Nunes and Jess Hunter – were all on top form after weeks of hard training, yet despite their best efforts were outclassed by the quality of the Leeds side.

Leeds entered the fixture breathing down the neck of table-topping Newcastle, with York, in third position, still firmly in the promotion mix but expecting a tough challenge. This prophecy was certainly true for Hunter, who came back admirably after being 2-0 down to win the next two games 11-8 and 11-9. The final set was played at a high tempo, with Hunter serving excellently and really running out of her comfort zone. However, the Leeds player refused to give way in a psychologically critical battle and won the set 11-8 in what was a nail biting finish for spectators.

(George Lowther)

There was victory, however, for Vas Nunes who restored overall parity with a 3-1 result. With some powerful cross court shots she whitewashed the Leeds player, with the last two games 11- 5 and 11-4. Despite her opponent’s best efforts to keep her on her toes by utilizing continuous drop- shots, she remained resilient to keep York’s hopes burning.

Unfortunately, Augustus lost her game in straight sets at the crucial moment, despite showing huge potential against the Leeds number one, who was simply bigger and faster. Playing a more advanced player was still a positive experience for Augustus who enjoyed the challenge and she mused philosophically, “Oh well, you win some you lose some.”

The York team could not beat the odds; however, their approach to this difficult squash match was enthusiastic and encouragingly filled with team spirit. Hopefully the team will be roared to victory by the fans on the balcony next time round, when they conclude their season against Bradford on February 18th.

York firsts have been knocked out of the BUCS cup at the fourth round stage by Durham seconds. Although the netball team were pleased with their overall game – saying they ‘tried their best’ against their higher league opponents – it ultimately wasn’t enough as Durham, who were on attack until the end, won the match 36- 21.

“The team were two leagues above us but we still knew we could shake them up on the court,” said Wing Attack Cesca Dessain. This fighting talk was matched on court as York asserted their dominance at the beginning of the game, looking confident. Wing Defence Katie Brunskill and Goal Shooter Sarah Fisher started play particularly well for the home side, however, Durham weren’t intimidated. The opponents were quick to shoot; with an accuracy that meant they were 8- 5 up by the end of the first quarter.

(George Lowther)

The atmosphere on court was tense, as winning this round would have been a huge step forward for the York side. The team were supported by the massed spectators, who actually had to watch the match away from the courtside because cheers were seen as off-putting to the referee. Durham, however, were undeterred and played their strongest game despite York’s heavy support. With some concise passing and strategic interceptions they quickly showed they were the dominant side.

(George Lowther)

After their run of amazing goals last week from the York side against Teesside, Nouse asked the team what changed this time round. “This game had a completely different dynamic, last time we were playing a really physical game but we had to keep control today to mould the play to our advantage.” This was seen from the York side with vital and skilful defending. Goal Keeper Jenni Williams constantly intercepted play for York, delivering the ball back to the team.

Durham, however, were also adept at intercepting play throughout the second and third quarter, despite some spectacular goals from York’s Goal Attack Sarah Pycroft. Down 28-19 by the end of the third quarter, Durham’s experience had seemingly outclassed the enthusiastic York side. Durham kept the pressure on the York side, who responded with some classy passing by Captain and Goal Defence Tess Olsen, yet it wasn’t enough to stop Durham’s run of goals. York, however, should not be deterred, having tried their best to match opponents bent on avoiding an upset.

York firsts squeezed past their counterparts from Teesside in this BUCS Cup encounter, winning this most important of matches 33-29 to set up a quarter-final date with Durham seconds next Wednesday. The massed crowds of partisan York supporters encouraged the team to new heights, and as Wing Attack Cesca Dessain admitted to Nouse following the match, they “were literally what kept us going in the last stages of the game.”

By the end of the first quarter, the game was anybody’s with York trailing 7-6. Suffering under the attack of some almost violent defending from Teesside, the York team kept their composure and entered the second quarter ready for a challenge. The general consensus within the team was that they had prepared for a tougher team that they would typically face and had focused on shooting well enough to beat them. Goal Attack Sarah Pycroft proved this ingredient with some outstanding goals, which embodied the greatest change in the team’s mentality this term.

York pulled ahead in the second quarter with Olivia Fisher regularly intercepting Teesside’s deadly accurate play. Attacks were blocked well by Goal Defence Grace Marsden, who pushed hard to keep the ball in York’s hands. Gradually, the home team seemed determined to dominate the match, playing with more fluidly than they had previously. This elegance on the court, it seems, is helped by a unity in the team, created by training together frequently and having friendships within a squad where each player knows it’s essentially about the whole team.

Teesside would not let York pull too far ahead and really challenged the girls with some rapid movement in the third quarter. York, however, refused to be overwhelmed, with Wing Defence Katie Brunskill constantly intercepting the ball, enabling York to show their uncompromising skill and fluid play. Scoring for Goal shooter Sarah Fisher seemed effortless and with passionate cheering from those on the sidelines, they stayed ahead 28-22.

The York team have exhibited consistently good form this season, yet they needed the home support factor in this tense atmosphere. When Centre Liz Cowell took a fall in the fourth quarter, the team were temporarily demoralized, enabling Teesside to score a quick succession of goals. Having expended such energy in the fiery second quarter, the team needed the adrenaline boost provided by the “one final push for the win” screams from the sidelines. This tough game finished 33-29 in York’s favour, as they displayed once more that determination and solid hours on the practice court are what you need to go for glory.

York seconds were denied a place in round four of the BUCS Cup yesterday afternoon after a disappointing home loss against their Leeds University counterparts. The team seemed exhausted far too quickly against a side who compete three leagues above them, and the subsequent 15-48 defeat will be a huge blow to team morale.

The hosts were soon under attack in the first quarter, with Leeds’ deadly accuracy passing denying York sufficient touches on the ball. York seemed panicked but after some timely advice from the sidelines to ‘take their time,’ they then began to get into their stride. Down 11- 5 entering the second quarter, York seemed determined not to allow Leeds full dominance in the match. Goal Shooter Sophia Sahin was on top form, accurately scoring another five goals for York. This, however, was not enough to demoralise Leeds who were quicker around the court and York found themselves 19-10 down by the half-way point.

(Sam Newsome)

After showing rapid signs of improvement as a team this season, the game was not a true reflection of progress made. Captain and Center Camilla Hampton made multiple chances with some fluent play, yet the side could not match her enthusiasm. Lacking the energy to attack, York were overwhelmed in the third quarter, only scoring two goals to Leeds’ 17. York seemed at an all-time low after Goal Shooter Sophia Sahin had to come off court after suffering an ankle injury after a fall.

Sahin said to Nouse afterwards, “we played well considering the side [Leeds] had trained a lot more than us, and are three leagues above.” Finally, in the fourth quarter, York displayed some vigour and began to find a rhythmic stride, and strong interceptions from Goal Keeper Jo Bradshaw denied Leeds even more goals. Yet this was not enough to match the confident unit of the Leeds team, who played a consistently fluent game compared to York’s small outbursts of good play.

York should be proud of how hard they fought today, but Leeds played with uncompromising skill, and the hosts were, in all honesty, outclassed. The team need to get back to basics to re-boost their confidence when playing tougher sides.

With six training sessions a week and hundreds of pounds poured into the Leeds Met side, it seemed clear from the start that York were the underdogs. Playing point for point, however, York managed to keep up the intensity of the game. Renowned Italian duo Luca Accorsi and Pietro Galli played consistently, yet were helpless against the deadly smashes coming from the Leeds side.

In anticipation of playing the undefeated Sheffield Hallam next week, Captain Jack Butcher stated how the York men’s side “showed enough skill” here to give Sheffield a run for their money and hopefully gain enough points to put them third in the BUCS league. Throughout the match Butcher played some precise nice taps, cheering the rest of the team to keep up the precision of play, even though they faced inevitable defeat.

The sizeable crowd were not about to give up on the team throughout the match. By the third set, Leeds Met had gained a run of points but York rose to the challenge with some crushing hits from Josh Chipman and Janis Koknevics, constantly cheered by the balcony of fans. “The support we had today was great; it really makes a huge difference,” said Butcher, who noted how with enough encouragement the team don’t feel as tired and are able to deliver on their serves.

A good level of play, however, wasn’t enough to beat a huge Leeds team containing three Hungarian international players smashing the ball with a brutality that intimidated the York team. With this commitment throughout the match – and a coach that never let them take their eyes off the ball – Leeds Met gained the hard points needed for the win, doubling York’s score in the second set.

Although York lost, there is no doubt that the pressure of the game helped strengthen the team and prepare them for their next game. The atmosphere was exciting and the crowd stayed with York until the end, helping them to gain some points against the Leeds Met side. The team know they face an even better team next week, yet a number of lessons have been learnt whilst facing this relentless opponent.

York seconds beat Bradford firsts today in their most encouraging game of the season to date. The York ladies expressed how they are ready to step up a gear this season, playing at top form today in freezing conditions, despite being inside the Tent. After heavily beating Bradford today 38-10, with ice cold determination the team say they are “ready to play better.”

The first quarter was littered with goals from Goal Attack Jo Bradshaw and Goal Shooter Sophia Sahin. Scoring 12 goals to Bradford’s three, York emerged the stronger side with Sahin’s accuracy proving a deadly weapon to Bradford, who rarely kept hold of possession and both factors contributed to York’s dominance.

During the second and third quarters, York passed the ball fluidly, finding a rhythmic stride. Wing Attack and Woman-of-the-Match Lorna Davis-Colley had especially good movement when she caught the ball, showing a quickness the team did not have last year. York scored 14 times to Bradford’s four in the middle of the game.

(Alexandru Hristea)

However, York were all too often in danger of looking too complacent and laid back, compromising their assertiveness in these quarters. Often the ball was thrown to nothingness and the home team sometimes became frustrated at a lack of full domination and decisiveness during the game.

Captain and Centre Camilla Hampton admits how they could have played better, but with some accurate passing, Hampton defiantly showed she’s in top form this season. York stormed through the fourth quarter scoring a tremendous 13 points to Bradford’s three, despite it being “too cold to concentrate.”

(Alexandru Hristea)

Even with some untidy play at times, York genuinely showed real potential with this year’s squad. Goal Shooter Sahin talked to Nouse afterwards: “We are so pleased with the result and we needed this good confidence boost for when we go into next week’s cup tie.”

Sahin and Bradshaw as Goal Attack will definitely be a formidable duo based on today’s powerful goals. The shots were delivered with deadly accuracy – even after Sahin suffered a minor hand injury – and with slightly tighter play and the ego boost the York girls need, it seems they will be on to a winner this winter.

Victory for York in a gripping game against Bradford gave the women’s volleyball team a much needed morale boost after two defeats in the BUCS League so far this season.

After losing the first set 20-26, it was clear the psyche of the team needed to improve. “After losing to Bradford last time [3-0 in the season’s opening match] we wanted to make sure it didn’t happen again,” said one determined team member. The pressure facing the York team was undoubtedly high, yet after some constructive words from the coach, they narrowly won the second set 25-21.

The Bradford girls at this point appeared the more solid team, applying their skills and knowledge of the game with force. It became clear that York needed to utilize their hard training sessions spent together and work as a team when the pressure was on.

The girls appear to still be working on their skills and strategy, and need to use it as a lethal combination with their steely focus during a game. The determination of the team had grown by the third set. With passion and precision York delivered some great shots and were victorious by 25 -7, showing what huge potential the York girls have.

There are a number of talented players in the team this year: especially setter Maiko Uesaki, who delivered some crushing hits, yet the fourth set was stolen 27-25 by Bradford due to the hosts missing some serves and giving the ball away unnecessarily.

York then found themselves equal 2-2 due to silly mistakes and one frustrated player muttered to herself “we always do this!” Yet the team went into the fifth game with pure drive and, displaying little weakness, their resolve saw them home.

Captain and setter Lisa Breitschuh did a great job encouraging the team, delivering some powerful close shots and, in the end, York cruised to victory to make it 3-2. The team were definitely happy after the effort that each player had put in to create such a nail-biting game, but it was their collective mentality that proved the difference.

The men’s football firsts battled their way to victory against Northumbria University seconds. The win was sealed with a Mark Gouland strike, an opposition own goal, and a last-minute tap-in from substitute Anton Murphy. In a favourable twist of fate, York have been drawn to play Northumbria’s fourt team in the third round. Captain Matt Witherwick would be pleased with a professional performance from his side against aggressive opponents, who had their central-midfielder dismissed for aiming a punch at Dom O’Shea.

Unfortunately, York’s second and third men’s football teams will go no further in the BUCS Cup after comprehensive defeats. The seconds lost 5-0 against Leeds Met thirds and the third team succumbed to their Northumbria counterparts, losing 6-0 at home.

The netball first team butchered Sunderland seconds on Wednesday by an impressive 55-2 margin. Sunderland hardly touched the ball after York had established a fluid rhythm early on. Unfortunately, play was abandoned when Sunderland suffered an injury in the third quarter, denying York a potential three-figure win. The netball seconds are also through to the next stage after beating Sheffield Hallam 39-21 in what was a tight, tense affair.

A win in the cup this week was imperative for boosting the morale of York’s struggling tennis teams. The men’s firsts duly delivered, beating Leeds University seconds and winning three out of four singles matches. The quality of the game was undermined by poor weather conditions and dangerously slippery court surfaces, but the players still showed talent under pressure and will enter the next round with renewed optimism. The seconds, however, stuggled in the damp and went down 8-2 against Sheffield Hallam seconds.

There was also progress for the men’s rugby firsts courtesy of a walkover and they now face Northumbria fourths away in the next round.?Meanwhile, the second team were unable to register any points, losing 34-0 to Leeds University seconds. Leeds’ disciplined defence and lightning counter-attacks proved decisive.

Elsewhere, the men’s hockey firsts crashed out, losing 4-0 to Durham thirds. The women’s firsts, however, are through, having beaten Leeds Trinity and All Saints 24-0. But they now face a significantly tougher challenge against Sheffield University firsts in the next round.
Final words go to the Basketball team, who lost valiantly against Chester 59-101.

Riddled with talented players in the York side this year, victory in three out of four singles games saw Leeds vanquished. Number one David Leff-Halstein played with power and precision on court delivering great topspin on the ball and impressing with his defensive lobs, winning his games 6-3 and 6-2.

New to the team this year is Jack Moon, whose ball-striking skills were more than apparent in his match. He displayed little vulnerability with some inspiring backhand shots – winning the first set 6-1 – and left little opportunity for his opponent from that point on, hitting the ball with immaculate precision every time taking the next set 6-1.

York were in good form in the tennis

(George Lowther)

Tennis games have been undermined by the poor conditions of the courts, which has proved a distraction from the ability of the York team. First-teamer Peter Thomson-Glover told Nouse how the slippery court has a ‘tremendous impact during a game’ and the entire team agreed that losing grip when trying to reach the ball makes for very frustrating playing conditions, compromising the quality of the matches. Nonetheless, due to his powerful forehand, Thomson-Glover still won both his sets 6-4 7-5.

The doubles games resulted in a narrow victory for Leeds 8-6, an unnecessary loss for York who were clearly the stronger side. Players Leff-Halstein and Osbourne were the first to represent York. This game was tense; York smashing the ball across court and both players hitting heavy slices, although Osbourne will admit that his forehand has seen better days this season.

Thomson-Glover and Moon had spectators on the edge of their seats in their thrilling doubles game. With the match seemingly wrapped up early on and Moon serving impeccably, the stamina of the Leeds team saw them claw their way back into the game and eventually go on to win. York were left annoyed at their 8-9 loss knowing they ‘really should have won.’ Nevertheless, York demonstrated great promise on the court that will be something to look out for this season.