THUNDER BAY – Sports Lakehead University women’s basketball coach Jon Kreiner is pleased to announce that Emily Lerette (Timberlea, N.S.) & Helena Steeves (Bedford, N.S.) will join the Thunderwolves family for the 2012 season.
“I am very happy that Emily & Helena have decided to join our basketball family for the upcoming season,” says coach Kreiner. “Both will immediately fit with our team and provide us with the toughness, grit and energy needed to be a great defensive team.”
About Steeves, Kreiner remarked, “Helena is a terrific shooter who can shoot from very deep. She is also a great rebounder for her size. She’s a hard worker and will develop into a very good wing at the CIS level. Helena will provide us with much needed outside shooting and toughness.”
Moving on to the other Nova Scotian recruit, Kreiner continued, “Emily is a firecracker of a player. She is as tough as nails and is a true leader. She communicates well as all point guards should and is a very good defender. Offensively Emily can penetrate & pass well and can also shoot from outside if needed. Emily is an athlete with a great basketball IQ and will be a very good CIS point guard.”
Player profiles:
Emily Lerette
5’4 Guard
Faculty: Kinesiology
Hometown: Timberlea, Nova Scotia
Last Team: Sir John A. Macdonald High School Flames
Statistics (Thunder Selects club team): 7 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds per game & 80% FT shooter.
Achievements:
• Metro high school All-star grade 11&12
• Undergraduate female athlete of the year, grade 11, 2010-2011
• MVP Hoops for Hope Halifax and Ontario- 2009
• Exemplary Participation Award representing Sir John A. Macdonald high school in NSSAF
• Captained Thunder selects U17 2011 and Sir John A. Flames 2011-2012 season.
• Various other tournament MVP’s or All-stars.
Lerette on her choice to come to Lakehead says, “I chose to go to Lakehead University and play for the Thunderwolves because I have heard nothing but good things about the school and about Coach Kreiner. I’m a hard worker, and the style of play and what Coach expects from his players is exactly what I am looking for. Coach Kreiner exemplifies all the qualities I want in a coach and I am excited to get the opportunity to play for Coach Kreiner and the Thunderwolves. I had the opportunity to play in Thunder Bay in 2009 at a club tournament where I first met Coach and I knew then that I would love to attend Lakehead University and play for him. I am very happy, three years later, to be attending Lakehead University and playing for Coach Kreiner and also continuing my studies at Lakehead University.”
Reflecting back on her most recent season, Emily was impressed by the confidence that Kreiner showed in her abilities. “I had a pretty tough grade 12 year and had a fairly major setback,” stated Lerrete. “Coach Kreiner continued to believe in me and my abilities as a basketball player which said a lot to me about his character. It also showed me he was a Coach who cared a great amount about his players. That meant everything to me and was ultimately what made my decision to commit to Lakehead an easy one for me.”
Emily’s club team coach, Brandon Rafuse, comments, “I have had the pleasure of coaching Emily since she was in Grade 9 and over the years she has proven herself to be one of the best communicators that we have ever had in our program. She is very hardworking and takes great pride in her ability to make her team better on both ends of the floor. I wish Emily nothing but the best as she takes her game to the University level at Lakehead University.”
Helena Steeves
5’8 Wing
Faculty: Science/Chemistry
Hometown: Bedford, Nova Scotia
Last Team: U17 Thunder Selects (Halifax)
Statistics (Thunder Selects): 13 points, 7 rebounds, 78% from FT line & 37% from 3
Accomplishments/Highlights:
• Tournament All Star: Halifax Hoops for Hope Tournament 2010
• Tournament MVP: Halifax Hoops for Hope Tournament 2011
• Played in the Halifax Metro High School Division One girls All Star game in 2012
• Won Nova Scotia Division “A” High School Girls Provincial Basketball Championships in 2011 and won bronze in 2010.
Helena about choosing Lakehead states, “I chose Lakehead University because it had everything I could have hoped for in a school. I knew right away that I shared the same passion for basketball as Coach Kreiner, the rest of the coaching staff and the team. It is an honour to be a part of the hard working and successful program that Lakehead has to offer. I know that at Lakehead University I can achieve on and off the court, and I can’t wait to begin the season this fall.”
Club coach Brandon Rafuse shares, “I have been very fortunate to coach Helena for 5 years and in that time she has proven to be a consistent performer in a Thunder uniform. She is very hardworking, a great rebounder, and provides an instant offense factor that few others can match. Her ability to hit the three should assist the Lakehead offense by stretching their opponents defense and create more space for their perimeter attack and inside game. I am excited and proud that Helena will be taking her game to the University level as a Thunderwolf.”