UPEI Panthers
{{Short description|Athletic teams of the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox college athletics
| name = UPEI Panthers
| logo = UPEI Panthers Logo.png
| logo_width = 200
| university = University of Prince Edward Island
| association = U Sports
| conference = Atlantic University Sport
| director = Ron Annear
| location = Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
| teams = 12
| mens_teams = 5
| womens_teams = 7
| coed_teams =
| stadium =
| arena = MacLauchlan Arena
| othersite label = Stadium
| othersite = UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place
| arena2 = Chi Wan Young Sport Centre
| mascot = Pride the Panther
| nickname = Panthers
| fightsong =
| colour1 = Green
| colour2 = black{{cite web|url=https://issuu.com/upei/docs/upei_vi_guidelines_dec2|title=University of Prince Edward Island Visual Identity and Graphic Standards Guidelines|publisher=University of Prince Edward Island|page=54|access-date=July 20, 2020}}
| hex1 = 5C8727
| hex2 = 000000
| pageurl = https://www.gopanthersgo.ca/
| altlogo = 250px
}}
The UPEI Panthers are the men's and women's athletic teams that represent the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. The UPEI Panthers have teams playing in the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) conference of the U Sports, including men's and women's ice hockey, soccer, basketball, cross country running, curling as well as women's rugby. The women's field hockey team competes in an Atlantic league where the winner is then allowed to compete in the U Sports playoffs. UPEI also offers a club-level men's rugby team.
Varsity sports
| class="wikitable"; style= "text-align: "
! width= 150px style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|UPEI Panthers|border=1|color= white }}"| Men's sports ! width= 150px style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|UPEI Panthers|border=1|color= white }}"| Women's sports | |
| Basketball | Basketball |
| Cross country | Cross country |
| Ice hockey | Field hockey |
| Soccer | Ice hockey |
| Track and field | Rugby |
| Soccer | |
| Track and field |
= Men's Basketball =
The Panthers have the fifth-most Atlantic University Sport (AUS) conference Championships (five) their most recent being the 2024-25 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.atlanticuniversitysport.com/sports/mbkb/records/pastchamps|title=Atlantic University Sport Men's Basketball Past Champions|year=2020|publisher=Atlantic University Sport|access-date=July 20, 2020}} The AUS conference is a competitive Canadian league that has produced Canadian national champions, a Canadian Olympics player, several NBA draftees, and one NBA player.
== Notable players ==
- Jim Fitzgerald - on the Saint Dunstan's University teams of 1967-68 and 1968–69 and then played on the first UPEI teams for two years. Graduated from Springfield, Massachusetts Cathedral High School and one post-high school year at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia, USA. The 6'5" center averaged 32.5 points per game his first year and above 25 points per year over the next three years. He was UPEI Male Athlete of the Year in 1971.
- David "Hermie" MacNeill - on the Saint Dunstan's University basketball team in 1967–68. Following his first year, MacNeill joined the university's athletic staff as an athletic trainer. Through 2013 MacNeill spent every year involved in different positions in Prince Edward Island athletics and spent 12 years coaching the UPEI Women's Varsity Basketball Team. MacNeill earned many distinctions and honors as the UPEI Women's Coach with the highest distinction in taking the women's team to the U Sports championship game in 1989, winning the Silver Medal after losing to the undefeated University of Calgary team. He was five-time Atlantic University Sport (AUS) Coach of the Year.
= Women's Basketball =
{{main|UPEI Panthers women's basketball}}
The women's team have the fourth-most Atlantic Conference Championships (six), with their most recent for the 2019–20 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.atlanticuniversitysport.com/sports/wbkb/records/pastchamps|title=Atlantic University Sport Women's Basketball Past Champions|year=2020|publisher=Atlantic University Sport|access-date=July 20, 2020}} The 2019–20 team also won the bronze medal at the 2020 U Sports Women's Basketball Championship.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/sasktachewan-huskies-brock-badgers-basketball-womens-title-1.5490577|title=Saskatchewan Huskies beat Brock Badgers to claim 2nd national basketball title|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=Jul 20, 2020}} Jenna Mae Ellsworth would win the 2020 Nan Copp Award, recognizing U Sports Player of the Year.{{Cite news|url=https://www.saltwire.com/prince-edward-island/sports/upei-panthers-guard-jenna-mae-ellsworth-earns-u-sports-player-of-the-year-award-419548/|title=UPEI Panthers guard Jenna Mae Ellsworth earns U Sports player of the year award|website=saltwire.com|date=March 4, 2020|access-date=May 26, 2021|language=en}} During the same month, Ellsworth was also named to the list of the Top 100 U Sports Women’s Basketball Players of the Century (2011–2020).{{Cite news|url=https://usports.ca/en/championships/final-8/f/news/2020/03/1578750320/u-sports-to-unveil-top-100-women-s-basketball-players-of-the-century|title=U SPORTS unveils Top 100 women's basketball players of the century|website=saltwire.com|date=March 8, 2020|access-date=May 26, 2021|language=en}}
=Field Hockey =
Halfback Kathie McNally was featured in Sports Illustrated's Faces in the Crowd segment in the issue dated November 7, 1994.{{Cite news|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1994/11/07/faces-in-the-crowd|title=FACES IN THE CROWD|website=vault.si.com/|date=1994-11-07|access-date=2021-07-21|language=en}} Following her final season with the program, McNally captured the James Bayer Award for her athleticism, leadership and sportsmanship. Earning a pair of second-team CIAU All-Canadian All-Star awards (1992–93 and 1993–94), she was inducted into the PEI Panthers Hall of Fame in 2006.{{Cite news|url=https://www.gopanthersgo.ca/panthers_un1te/hall-of-fame/kathie_mcnally|title=Hall of Fame: Dr. Kathie McNally|website=gopanthersgo.ca/|access-date=2021-07-21|language=en}} In 1997-98, Tracy McGee captured the Gail Wilson Award, given to the U Sports Field Hockey Player of the Year. Moore would also win the 1998 Sport P.E.I. top senior female athlete award.
= Men's ice hockey =
{{main|UPEI Panthers men's ice hockey}}
The Panthers are tied with the Mount Allison Mounties for the sixth-most Atlantic Conference Championships (six){{ref label|A|Note A}}, their last being the 1990–91 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.atlanticuniversitysport.com/sports/mice/records/pastchamps|title=Atlantic University Sport Men's Hockey Past Champions|year=2020|publisher=Atlantic University Sport|access-date=July 20, 2020}} The Panthers have never won the U Sports University Cup with only one appearance in the final in 1965 as their previous incarnation; the St. Dunstan's Saints. UPEI was the host venue for the championship once in 1970.
Joel Ward of the NHL's San Jose Sharks played four seasons with the UPEI Panthers men's ice hockey team.
= Women's ice hockey =
{{main|UPEI Panthers women's ice hockey}}
The UPEI Panthers women's ice hockey team won their first Atlantic University Sports Conference Championship in the 2011-12 season.{{cite web|title=Atlantic University Sports Women's Hockey Past Champions|url= http://www.atlanticuniversitysport.com/sports/wice/records/pastchamps|year=2020|publisher=Atlantic University Sport|access-date=July 20, 2020}} The program would also serve
as the host team in consecutive years for the 2019 U Sports Women's Ice Hockey Championship and 2022 U Sports Women's Ice Hockey Championship (The school was originally awarded the 2020 tournament, but it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada).{{cite web|url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/usports/u-sports-hockey-championships-cancelled-due-covid-19-outbreak/|title=U Sports hockey championships cancelled due to COVID-19 outbreak|date=March 12, 2020|publisher=Sportsnet}}
Keirsten Visser would play for Canada in women's ice hockey at the 2015 Winter Universiade,{{Cite news|url=https://universitysport.prestosports.com/universiade/winter/2015/releases/whkyroster|title=2015 Winter Universiade: CIS announces Canadian women's hockey roster|website=universitysport.prestosports.com| date=2014-10-24|access-date=2021-05-06|language=en}} capturing a silver medal. Goaltender Marie-Soleil Deschenes would win the 2016-17 UPEI Female Athlete of the Year Award.{{Cite news|url=https://www.upei.ca/communications/news/2017/04/ashlee-and-deschenes-selected-upei-athletes-year|title=Ashlee and Deschenes selected UPEI Athletes of the Year|website=upei.ca|date=April 1, 2017|access-date=May 26, 2021|language=en}} Another goaltender, Camille Scherger, would earn a place on the 2019-20 USports All-Canadian Second Team,{{cite web |url=https://www.atlanticuniversitysport.com/sports/wice/2019-20p/releases/20200312jislro|title=StFX's Meropoulis headlines U SPORTS women's hockey major award winners|website=atlanticuniversitysport.com|date=March 12, 2020|accessdate=2021-05-18}}
The 2020 U Sports women’s hockey championship, hosted by UPEI, was named the SCORE! Event of the Year by PEI Amateur Sport.{{Cite news|url=https://www.upei.ca/communications/news/2021/02/upei-athletes-and-events-recognized-47th-annual-sport-pei-amateur-sport|title=UPEI athletes and events recognized at the 47th annual Sport PEI Amateur Sport Awards|website=upei.ca|date=February 26, 2021|access-date=May 27, 2021|language=en}}
= Women's Rugby =
Since rugby became a fully sanctioned Atlantic University Sport in 2002, the Panthers have finished runner up three times (2004, 2005 and 2006) to the ever-dominant St. Francis Xavier X-Women.
=Men's Soccer=
The men's team has the sixth-most Atlantic Conference Championships (five), their last title being in 2002.{{cite web|url=https://www.atlanticuniversitysport.com/sports/msoc/records/pastchamps|title=Atlantic University Sport Men's Soccer Past Champions|year=2020|publisher=Atlantic University Sport|access-date=July 20, 2020}} The men have never reached the U Sports Men's Soccer Championship final. UPEI was the host venue for the championship in 2005 and 2014. UPEI Men's Soccer made history in 2014 as the first Panther soccer team to win a medal at the U Sports Men's Soccer Championship. The Panthers won bronze at home defeating the Canada West Champions, University of Saskatchewan Huskies in the quarter-finals, before defeating the Quebec Champions, UQAM Citadens, in the Bronze medal game.{{cite web |url=http://gopanthersgo.ca/notice/2014/11/panthers-thrill-home-crowd-bronze-medal-performance |title=Panthers thrill home crowd with bronze-medal performance {{!}} UPEI Panthers {{!}} UPEI. |website=gopanthersgo.ca |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305192106/http://gopanthersgo.ca/notice/2014/11/panthers-thrill-home-crowd-bronze-medal-performance |archive-date=2016-03-05}}
=Women's Soccer=
In all five of her seasons (2001–02 to 2005–06), Amy Connolly was named to the AUS All-Star Team. As a rookie, she was named Team MVP and would captain the team to its first ever appearance at the CIS Nationals, as the women's team won the Atlantic Conference Championship in 2004.{{cite web|url=https://www.atlanticuniversitysport.com/sports/wsoc/records/pastchamps|title=Atlantic University Sport Women's Soccer Past Champions|year=2020|publisher=Atlantic University Sport|access-date=July 7, 2020}} The following year, Connolly was recognized as the CIS Women's Soccer Player of the Year, complemented by the UPEI Female Athlete of the Year Award.
UPEI was the host venue for the 2010 U Sports women's soccer championship. During that year, Tessa Roche would capture her second consecutive AUS Most Valuable Player Award.
In 2017, Alanna Taylor was the first female soccer player inducted into the PEI Panthers Hall of Fame.{{cite web|url=https://www.gopanthersgo.ca/panthers_un1te/hall-of-fame/alanna_taylor|title=PEI Panthers Hall of Fame: Alanna Taylor|publisher=PEI Panthers Athletics|access-date=July 20, 2021}} The following year (2018), Connolly also gained induction.{{cite web|url=https://www.gopanthersgo.ca/panthers_un1te/hall-of-fame/Amy_Connolly|title=PEI Panthers Hall of Fame: Amy Connolly|publisher=PEI Panthers Athletics|access-date=July 20, 2021}}
Awards and honours
- 2019–20 Atlantic University Sport Female Athlete of the Year: Jenna Mae Ellsworth - UPEI Basketball{{cite web |url=https://www.atlanticuniversitysport.com/genrel/2020_AOTY_winners| title=UPEI's Jenna Mae Ellsworth and Dalhousie's Keevan Veinot named 2019–20 AUS Athletes of the Year|website= atlanticuniversitysport.com/|date=2020-05-05|accessdate=2021-07-09}}
=Athletes of the Year=
| class="wikitable" | |||||
| align="center"
! style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|UPEI Panthers|border=1|color= white }}| Year ! style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|UPEI Panthers|border=1|color= white }}| Female Athlete ! style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|UPEI Panthers|border=1|color= white }}| Sport ! style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|UPEI Panthers|border=1|color= white }}| Male Athlete ! style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|UPEI Panthers|border=1|color= white }}| Sport ! style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|UPEI Panthers|border=1|color= white }}| Ref. | |||||
| 2011–12 | Janet Gamble | Swimming | Manock Lual | Basketball | |
| 2012–13 | Marina MacAulay | Field Hockey | Jimmie Mayaleh | Soccer | |
| 2014–15 | Amy Gough | Basketball | |Tyler Scott Cole MacMillan | Basketball Soccer and Ice Hockey | |
| 2015–16 | Alysha Corrigan Katelynn Donahoe | Rugby Basketball | |Tyler Scott Cole MacMillan | Basketball Soccer and Ice Hockey | |
| 2016–17 | Marie-Soleil Deschenes | Ice Hockey | Mark Ashlee | Soccer | |
| 2017–18 | Kiera Rigby Bailey Smith Alysha Corrigan | Basketball Track and Field Rugby | Ryan MacKinnon | Ice hockey | |
| 2018–19 | Bailey Smith | Track and Field | Kameron Kielly | Ice hockey | |
| 2019–20 | Jenna Mae Ellsworth | Basketball | Owen Headrick | Ice Hockey | |
| 2020–21 | colspan="5" | {{center|Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic.}} | ||||
| 2021–22 | Jolena Gillard |
Notes
:{{note label|A|A}}Two of the Panthers' six conference championships were won by their previous incarnation; the St. Dunstan's Saints.
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
{{ccat}}
- {{Official website}}
- [http://www.panthertv.ca Panther Television]
{{University of Prince Edward Island}}
{{Prince Edward Island Sports}}
{{Atlantic University Sport}}
{{U Sports basketball}}
{{U Sports men's ice hockey}}
{{U Sports soccer}}