“In the end, it wasn’t the right fit for me,” Ravens forward Alyssa Cerino said about her decision to transfer from the Windsor Lancers at the end of last season.
The Stoney Creek, Ont., native chose to attend Carleton after two years at Windsor partly because of her friendship with Ravens point guard Jenjen Abella.
“It was a tough decision,” she reflected. “Obviously transferring, change is a big thing but I knew [Abella] kind of made it more comfortable and easy.”
Abella and Cerino have known each other since Cerino’s high school days in Stoney Creek.
“At home, we train together every day and we’d always talk about playing together but never could because she was at [Mohawk College] and I was at a different university . . . we read each other really well so just knowing we could get the opportunity to play together made sense,” she said.
Cerino, who came into a young Windsor team that had won five straight national titles, said having an experienced Ravens team helps.
“It’s just slowing down the game,” she said of her learning process. “In your first year, you’re trying to do everything, not really understanding the game as much.”
Cerino credited welcoming teammates and coaches with her easy transition to Carleton.
“The girls made me feel really comfortable,” she noted. “As the practices went on, I felt more comfortable as a player.”
Cerino said the comfort level was not there at Windsor by her second year, leading her to transfer.
“As the year went on, you kind of get a feel for how things are going, and I just didn’t feel like I was the player that I should be and didn’t feel as comfortable,” she said.
Cerino noted there was a “situation” that she declined to go into detail about, as she didn’t play for the rest of the 2016-17 season after a Dec. 3, 2016 game against the Ryerson Rams.
She has fit in as a key player off the bench at Carleton, averaging a career-high 16.5 minutes-per-game and 6.6 points-per-game.
“Getting minutes does help with someone’s confidence but understanding your role as the teammate is the bigger part,” she added. “My role: I come off the bench, I give all the starters a break—especially Becky [Leblanc] and Heather [Lindsay].”
Cerino said her versatility helps as well.
“I’m a four/five [forward], but I can play a [guard], which is one of our key things because I can stretch out the defence,” she said about her position. “I think we all connect very well, no matter who’s on the court with me. There’s nobody that I do not want to play with.”
Cerino also stressed strong effort as a crucial part to her success.
“I would say keep working hard,” she said. “Every day is different. It’s not always going to be perfect but if you stay positive and keep working hard, it’ll come.”
She stated the end goal of winning a national championship motivates her every day.
“We all have the same goal in our minds so we’re all on the same page in that sense. You don’t want to let your teammates down,” she said.
Despite the praise for the Ravens’ success, Cerino highlighted her team’s work ethic as something hidden from the outside.
“I don’t think people see how hard we actually work,” she explained. “Yes, we practice two hours every day, but how hard we’re actually working is the biggest part. We put [in a] 100 per cent effort every day.”
Cerino said she realizes this year is especially important given it’s the last shot at a national title for Abella, Lindsay, Catherine Traer, and Stephanie Carr.
“We want to do it for them too because it’s their last year,” she said. “I think that’s a big thing. If I was in their position, I want my teammates to do the same thing.”
Cerino noted that the sense of finality among the Ravens team has helped them work even harder.
“You can kind of feel that energy in the gym . . . I would say personally it pushes us a little more,” she said.
At the end of the day, Cerino said she’s content with her transfer to Carleton, having found the right fit.
“I think everything happens for a reason,” she said. “The circumstances could have been different but I don’t regret anything. I’m glad I had my experience there but I’m glad I ended up here.”
Cerino and the Ravens are almost finished their season. With only two more games left to play, they sit first in the U Sports national rankings, holding an undefeated record of 21-0.
Photo by Mark Lafleur
