Women's basketball adds star recruit

The Mount Royal University Cougars women's basketball team has committed their first major recruit of the season in point guard Jessica Comfort.

Jessica is a senior at Sir Winston Churchill high-school, and also plays for the Vision Basketball Academy in the off-season. Listed at 5’7", Jessica has been touted as one of the most athletic and versatile guards in the province. Cougars’ head coach Joe Enevoldson has been actively scouting Jessica since her grade 11 year, and knows she will be a hugely valuable addition to his team.

“She is going to step in and help our team immediately,” says Enevoldson. “She is an impact player, really athletic, great passer, great open floor player and shoots the ball pretty well. Anytime you get a top notch point guard it immediately makes your team better.”

Enevoldson was in charge of running the Ranger Elite spring league in 2010, where he was able to see Jessica play against elite competition as a member of the Vision Basketball Academy.

Vision coaches Erin Hogan and LeeAnn Lesniewski weren’t shy with their praise for Jessica’s abilities, and both agree that Jessica is indeed an impact player on both ends of the floor. Vision often relies on Jessica to guard the opposition’s best player, but her coaches say she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Jessica doesn’t shy away from any challenge. She probably has more defensive stops and steals than most people in the league, and her hard work rubs off on all her teammates. She is a silent leader, but her teammates see how hard she works and they follow along,” says Hogan.

“Jessica is our best bet in any one-on-one situation, and in the final seconds we put the ball in her hands. We also rely on her to get the ball to the player with the hot hand. She understands the game, that’s just the type of kid she is. She may not be the most vocal athlete, but her best leadership is by example,” adds Hogan.

Lesniewski summed it up best when asked about Comfort.

“Jess brings a true passion for the game along with a highly competitive attitude and she is the type of point guard that every coach wants to have on their team.”

The Cougars would love to take one last run at an ACAC championship (their last came in the 2005-2006 season) before they make the transition, and have a legitimate shot this season (they currently sit at 10-2, good for third best record in the province). The addition of Comfort should bolster the Cougars’ line-up next season, giving them a formidable backcourt that will need to play a larger role to compensate for the loss of star forward Jamie Morck, who is in her fifth and final year of eligibility.

Enevoldson and his staff know the drive and competitive fire that Comfort brings to the gym, and can’t wait to see her in a Cougar uniform next fall.