Alumni Spotlight
 | Tara Boyce: the New Face of Women's Basketball at LakeheadMarch 13, 2007
Thunderwolves Graduate Profiles: Tara BoyceTara Boyce has become the new face of Lakehead women’s basketball over the past four seasons and her excellent and improving play each season is a good reflection of the rebuilding of the women’s Thunderwolves program. The Hamilton native was then new Head Coach Jon Kreiner’s first recruit in 2003 and Kreiner’s high expectations were fulfilled in Tara’s freshman season when she was named to the OUA All Rookie Team. Boyce has won many other honours during her career at Lakehead; Lakehead Female Freshman Athlete of the Year, Team MVP twice, three-times a tournament All Star at various CIS tourneys, and multiple selections as Lakehead Athlete of the Week and Month.
The senior Concurrent Education/English Major also had a huge impact on developing young basketball players in Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario through her work at the Thunderwolves mini-ball camps; run during the summer, Christmas, and March breaks. This past season, her last, may have been the Lakehead co-captain’s best. After perhaps a slightly slow start for her; she caught fire and led the team with drive, desire, and determination and her stats and leadership should have been enough to make her an OUA All Star. But, more importantly; they were enough to lead her young Wolves to a playoff appearance. This season she averaged 11.1 ppg, 4 rebounds per game, and 3.17 asssists per game which was sixth in the OUA. A big stat was that she led the OUA in assists to turnover ratio (7th in CIS); which is one of the most indicative stats for a point guard as to the quality of her play. Tara will be remembered as a fierce competitor whose leadership brought the fire back to the Thunderwolves women’s program and whose joy in the game and huge smile while playing would light up the Thunderdome and show future young Lakehead players how to play the game.
ProfileName: Tara Boyce
Q & A with Tara BoyceQ: What are your fondest memories as a Lakehead varsity athlete? Boyce: As a Lakehead Athlete, I have experienced many fond memories. My fondest memory is by far the wonderful fans that week in and week out, came out to the Thunderdome to cheer us on. For me, these wonderful people embraced me as one of their own, and made me feel like I was an integral part of Thunder Bay. My senior's night award celebration was amazing! Receiving a standing ovation and my framed jerwey, the flowers and gifts - this will remain with me forever. Lakehead also provided me with an opportunity to travel and see cities all over the country, while playing the sport that I love. Where else in Ontario/Canada would you get this wonderful opportunity? I treasure getting to know and having helped to develop basketball skills in the young girls in Thunder Bay, who look up to me as a role model. I feel very privileged to be the face of the Lakehead Varsity basketball program and am truly honoured to be an ambassador for Lakehead University and the athletic department. Boyce Makes the Pass!Q: What do you think was your top athletic achievement or performance as a Lakehead Varsity Athlete? Boyce: There are many that come to my mind, my game against Ryerson (2005) in their gym, and I socred a career high of 33 points, shooting 5/8 (3 point land) and 12/12 (free throw line) to lead our team to victory and to keep us in the playoff hunt. Every year we are in the Sesmen Shootout, and in 2005 I was on fire, scoring 27 points against the CIS silver medalist team, Winnipeg Wesmen. I was also named to their tournament All Star team. Our trips to BC, Winnipeg and Saskatchewan, I was selected to multiple All Star teams in these tournaments. Another exciting highlight of my career, was going home (Hamilton) and playing against the #1 team in the nation, McMaster, and taking them to OT in the first night and almost winning, and the second night competing with them once again and losing by a slim margin. This year in Jaunary -07, I led our team to a sweep over Windsor in our gym, averaging 16 points a night, and 5.5 assists a night, and was named Athlete of the week at Lakehead University for three consecutive weeks in a row, followed by Athlete of the month for January. This was awesome!
Q: What did being a Lakehead varsity athlete teach you that will help you in your life after university? Boyce: Being a varsity athlete has taught me many things. You will be faced with difficult times and you have to make sacrifices personally and socially. No matter how hard you work or how well you do, you will be challenged and tested. "Life isn't always fair or just" but you must "be strong, stay committed, be true to yourself, give it your all, value your supporters and you will find the inner strength to rise above it all and succeed! "The human spirit is stronger than anything that happens to it" (CC Scott).
Boyce sets on D vs. York 2006
Lakehead/OUA/CIS Honours:
Stats:2004: OUA- All Rookie Team 5th in OUA in Assists (91) 9.6 points per game
2005: 5th in OUA in Assists& 14th Assists/Turnover Ratio 20th in OUA in steals 19th in OUA in scoring *10.9 points per game
2006: **Led the OUA in Assists (99) 4.5/game & 5th in the CIS ** Led the OUA in Assists/Turnover ratio (8th in the CIS) 9th in OUA in steals( 2 /game) 9th in freethrow in OUA (81%) , 16th in CIS
2007: **1st in Assists/Turnover ratio in OUA & 7th in the CIS 6th in OUA in Assists 3.17/game & 19th in CIS 14th in 3 point shooting in the OUA 19th in OUA in steals *Averaged 11.1 points per game & 4 rebounds per game |
Head Coach Jon Kreiner said Boyce has made an immeasurable mark on Lakehead women’s basketball. "Tara Boyce has meant a lot to the women's basketball program. Tara was my first recruit and had the tough task of helping solidify the point guard position to help cut down on turnovers and to lead a team's transformation into a solid playoff bound program. Tara has been the face of our program and has had a tremendous career to date. Tara works hard and always looks to be the best she can be. She is a leader and really takes care of the younger players in terms of school and feeling comfortable. Tara has done well in her education program and has a great rapport with the kids in camps which will give her confidence to be a great school teacher and coach one day.”
