Lakehead Women’s Basketball Announces Three Recruits for the 2018-19 Season

Coach Jon Kreiner of the Thunderwolves women’s basketball team has been busy early this season as he continues to plan for the future of his team. The program is extremely pleased to announce that Julia Dunbar of Dartmouth, NS, and Mariah MacFarlane and Nicole Pocion who both played at St. Ignatius High School have committed to play for the Thunderwolves next season.

Julia Dunbar: 5’7” Guard

High School: Dartmouth High Spartans

Lakehead Academic Program: Science

High School Stats: 18.5 PPG, 84% FT

Head coach Jon Kreiner on Julia, “I am extremely happy and excited that Julia has decided to play for the Thunderwolves. Julia is an extremely aggressive and athletic scorer who also gets after it defensively. She will be a perfect fit for our program both on and off the court. It has been a goal to get stronger defensively and Julia’s athleticism and defensive prowess is a huge leap forward in that department. We are also getting a great student-athlete who will continue to ensure our culture remains strong in the future.”

Julia’s take on her choice to join the Thunderwolves; “I chose Lakehead University because both the academic and basketball programs are a great fit for me and they are everything I want in a university. The team is competitive and fun, and you can tell the girls are great friends. It is clear Coach Kreiner is very supportive of his players and I know he will help to bring my game to the next level. I am really looking forward to joining the Thunderwolves and attending Lakehead!” 

“I had the privilege of coaching Julia Dunbar for 4 fantastic seasons in our High Performance Program. She was always one of our hardest workers and her ability to attack and compete both offensively and defensively will most certainly make her an asset at the University level. I wish her nothing but the best as she combines athletics and academics at Lakehead University.” – Brandon Rafuse, Thunder Selects Basketball

Awards/Achievements:

-Nominated for the Ron O’Flaherty Scholar-Athlete Award- 2014/15

-Rookie athlete of the year- 2015/16

-Invited to play in the basketball high school conference all-star game- 2016

-Basketball Tournament MVP for the Lions Den Classic in Fredericton, NB- 2016

-Tournament All-Star for the JH Gillis Basketball Tournament in Antigonish, NS- 2016

-Short listed for the Lieutenant Governor Award-2017

**NOTE: No sports in NS last year

Mariah MacFarlane: 6’1” Forward

High School: St Ignatius Falcons

Lakehead Academic Program: Concurrent Education in Kinesiology

High School Stats: 11 PPG, 6 RPG, 2 STLS, 2 ASSISTS, 1 BLK

“Mariah is an extremely gifted athlete with great length. She has a tremendous amount of upside and potential as both an offensive and defensive player at the U SPORTS level. She can shoot, drive, post up and has good natural instincts. Mariah is a great student-athlete with a great work ethic. We are extremely thrilled that she will be playing for us next season.” – Coach Jon Kreiner

Mariah on her choice to commit to Lakehead University; “It’s always been a dream of mine to play basketball at the next level and I couldn’t think of a better basketball program to begin my career in. I am looking forward to getting to know my teammates and coaches more and I know they will push me to the best of my abilities. I am also really looking forward to starting my studies in Kinesiology at Lakehead too, as I’ve heard a lot of great things about their Kin program! I can’t wait to be a part of the Thunderwolf family!”

Mariah’s high school coach Carolyn Fragale describes Mariah as a dedicated and committed player that loves the game of basketballl. “It was my pleasure to coach Mariah this season. She came from a small school and needed a lot of work but she took on that challenge and then some and has improved tremendously. Mariah has only tapped into her potential and I look forward to seeing the heights she will reach.” 

Awards/ Achievements:

-2015 athlete of the year (Marathon)

-2013-2016 basketball MVP (Marathon)

-2017 Lakehead Thunderwolves Tournament All-star

-2016 NSSSAA Sr girls’ basketball champions

-2017 SSSAA Sr girls’ basketball champions, 2017 NWOSSAA champions

 

Nicole Pocion: 5’11” Forward

High School: St Ignatius Falcons

Lakehead Academic Program: Honours BA, BED (English and French Major)

High School Stats: 15 PPG, 7 RPG, 3 STLS, 1.6 ASSISTS, 47% FG

Coach Jon Kreiner on the Nicole, “Nicole has been in our Jr. Wolves system for many years now. She is a hard worker with a pleasant personality. Nicole will bring toughness and grit as well as a strong upside. It is extremely satisfying to see one of our own achieve their goals.”

Nicole on her choice to become a Thunderwolf; “I am very excited for the opportunity to continue playing basketball now at the university level! Since I started playing Junior Wolves in grade 9 it has always been a goal of mine to be able to play as a Thunderwolf! I am thrilled to have the opportunity to play in my hometown and to give back to the program that helped me develop as a player. I’m very excited to be a part of the Thunderwolves family!” 

Nicole’s high school coach Carolyn Fragale on Nicole; “I could not be happier for Nicole to continue her journey with the Wolves’ family, as a Thunderwolf. Nicole is a very hard worker that has had this as her goal for a long while. It was awesome coaching Nicole this season as she overcame every challenge. I’ve watched her grow over the past few years and I’m excited to see her unleash her potential.” 

Awards/ Achievements: 

-2017- St. Ignatius Senior Girls Basketball- Lakehead University tournament all-star

-2017- St. Ignatius Senior Girls Basketball- Westgate Fall Classic Tournament all-star

-2017- St. Ignatius Senior Girls Basketball- OFSAA Team MVP

-2017- St. Ignatius Senior Girls Basketball- Lakehead University tournament champion

-2017- St. Ignatius Senior Girls Basketball- Westgate Fall Classic Tournament champion

-2017- St. Ignatius Senior Girls Basketball- SSSAA and NWOSSSAA Champion

-2017- St. Ignatius Senior Girls Basketball- High school team captain

-2016- U16 Junior Wolves Basketball- OBA D8 Champion

-2015- St. Ignatius Junior Girls Basketball- SSSAA Champion