Linking the country: It wouldn't be CIS football season without last-minute losses and forfeited games

Concordia might have lost more than one football game this week, as Rémi Aboussouan is reporting they will forfeit retroactively all 2012 games so far, due to the use of an ineligible player (not named in the report). The Gaiters and X-Men would gain a win each if this turns out to be true.

When the Mustangs were down 33-7 at the half, most people probably assumed they would lose. And they did. But it wasn't that easy for Guelph, who in the second half gave up 29 points, didn't get into the end zone, but still won 42-39. Somewhat amusingly, the Mustangs' main QB in this game, Blake Huggins, played just last week for the OFC London Beefeaters. Huggins considered this a callup to the major leagues, which I guess is one way of looking at it. (Question: if appearing on a game roster is enough to make you ineligible for further junior football that year, would the same not apply if you were on the season roster, as Huggins was to begin the year?)

And in what figured to be the best OUA game of the week, the Lancers didn't really show up ("finally scored in the game’s 50th minute" is not a phrase you like to hear as a Windsor fan), and Queen's won 24-7.

The first regular-season CIS hockey game played at Maple Leaf Gardens (this is what we will be calling it always, by the way) was a smashing success if only because the Ryerson women "have already matched their [win] total from last season." It was a shootout win for the Rams over U of T, 2 to 1, with both goals coming from Emily Rose Galliani Pecchia.

From Thursday night's OUA football action, I was surprised that the Hawks were favoured only by 11 over hapless Waterloo in my point spreads, and then they go and win 12-0 on four field goals (please note: that article contains perhaps the worst lede in the history of the written word).

Here's a short profile on Earl Zukerman, the now-34-years-serving, do-everything communications officer with McGill. Not that I've been around forever or anything, but I've visited enough athletics websites and read enough team releases to know when there's a new sports information director at a given school. It's, shall we say, very common to see such turnover. So Zukerman's longevity alone is remarkable.

It's preseason, but the Bishop's men's basketball team, below-average last year, just knocked off UVic and TWU this weekend out west, and were not blown out (87-75) by UBC, a successful 2-1 road trip by most accounts. If this means the team is improving, then those of us who own various Gaiters in the MUBL are happy. Video of the UBC game, from the T-Birds, is below.

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2 comments:

  1. Can't help but wonder if the Lancer's inability to compete with the best teams in the conference has more to do with Austin Kennedy not surprising anyone this season instead of the issues they have on their lines of scrimmage. On a side note, although I didn't see the game, I'm wondering what has happened to the Gaels'offense. Injuries; ineffectiveness; bad luck with weather? Perhaps it's time to start considering a world where the Gryphs get the bye.

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  2. The weather was pretty horrid, otherwise it's a 38-14 game. Granberg rushed 31 times for 193 yards and Queen's defence had 7 sacks.

    I expect a close game between the Golden Gaels and Gryphons, but Queen's defence will make enough plays to win. Either way, looks like Queen's and Guelph will have a 2-3 finish, but not in that particular order.

    WRT to the Record, I'm more dismayed at the use of "(gutted)." I watched Laurier's video recap and Coach Jeffs clearly said they "guts-ed" out the win. I preferred that phrasing.

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