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championships"},{"term":"2014 Vanier Cup"},{"term":"2017 season"},{"term":"Al Alderson"},{"term":"Announcements"},{"term":"Barry Rawlyk"},{"term":"Basil Hughton"},{"term":"Blue Jays"},{"term":"Bruno Prud'homme"},{"term":"CBC Sports Plus"},{"term":"CCES"},{"term":"CKNW"},{"term":"Calvin Westbrook"},{"term":"Canada WNT"},{"term":"Canadian Interuniversity Sports"},{"term":"Chantal Vallée"},{"term":"Chris Oliver"},{"term":"Dave Preston"},{"term":"Dax Dessureault"},{"term":"Devon Pierre"},{"term":"Dick Mosher"},{"term":"Dissenting Thoughts"},{"term":"Don't You Forget About"},{"term":"Doping"},{"term":"Edmonton CFL Team"},{"term":"Eva Thouvenot"},{"term":"Frank McCrystal"},{"term":"GNAC"},{"term":"Graham Brown"},{"term":"Greg Jockims"},{"term":"Heather Lund"},{"term":"Jacob Doerksen"},{"term":"Jamelle Barrett"},{"term":"Jay Triano"},{"term":"Jeff Giles"},{"term":"John Levy"},{"term":"Jon Lalonde"},{"term":"Josee Belanger"},{"term":"Justin King"},{"term":"Kentucky Wildcats"},{"term":"Laurentian Voyageurs"},{"term":"Michael Faulds"},{"term":"Michael Lysko"},{"term":"Mike Sirant"},{"term":"NBL"},{"term":"Navel-gazing"},{"term":"Old Crows"},{"term":"Olympics"},{"term":"Pacific Nations Cup"},{"term":"Pan Game"},{"term":"Paul Hamilton"},{"term":"Paul James"},{"term":"Promotion"},{"term":"Rob Saunders"},{"term":"Ross Bekkering"},{"term":"Rémi Aboussouan"},{"term":"SIC"},{"term":"Seattle Seahawks"},{"term":"Sebastien Levesque"},{"term":"Sidney Halter Award"},{"term":"Swimming Canada"},{"term":"TV"},{"term":"TV issues"},{"term":"Terry Danyluk"},{"term":"The Nuge"},{"term":"Timberwolves"},{"term":"Tonner Jackson"},{"term":"UBC Golden Hawks"},{"term":"Universiade"},{"term":"University of Toronto"},{"term":"Vancouver Whitecaps"},{"term":"What we learned this week"},{"term":"Wilfrid Laurier University"},{"term":"William Houston"},{"term":"Wrestling"},{"term":"alcohol"},{"term":"beer"},{"term":"betting"},{"term":"broadcasts"},{"term":"dave johnson"},{"term":"do not adjust your set"},{"term":"funding"},{"term":"host berths"},{"term":"international basketball"},{"term":"interviews"},{"term":"journalism"},{"term":"mud fights"},{"term":"schedules"},{"term":"technical difficulties"},{"term":"ted goveia"},{"term":"tiering"},{"term":"tragedy"},{"term":"trinity western"},{"term":"trivia"},{"term":"university sport"},{"term":"Étienne Légaré"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The CIS Blog"},"subtitle":{"type":"html","$t":"News and notes on U SPORTS - even if we refuse to change our name"},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/posts\/default"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/-\/Lions?alt=json-in-script"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/search\/label\/Lions"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"},{"rel":"next","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/-\/Lions\/-\/Lions?alt=json-in-script\u0026start-index=26\u0026max-results=25"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Scott Hastie"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08081415078301065374"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"http://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"133"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"25"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-7169832032799803905"},"published":{"$t":"2016-03-01T15:46:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-03-01T15:54:15.977-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Carabins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"CIS Issues"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Eligibility"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gaiters"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lancers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Media Coverage"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mount Royal Cougars"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Panthers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Soccer"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Volleyball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Warriors"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Wilson Cup"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"X-Men"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Eligibility: York Lions' brief history of OUA forfeits"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"How many people does it take to check player eligibility? Or more to the point, how many times can York University play an ineligible player and not have severe consequences?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFurther to that, what does it say about the state of Ontario University Athletics that media — choose your adjective(s); corporate media, old media, legacy media, traditional media, the salary-and-benefits media — does not even deign to cover it? Apart from the blogs maintained by us hobbyists who find other ways to get paid, the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/02\/york-lions-booted-from-oua-wilson-cup.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EYork Lions' men's basketball team's ouster from the OUA Wilson Cup\u003C\/a\u003E was hardly covered, by anyone.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis is a public university, funded by the province, and no one seems to care that one of its most public departments is dropping the ball. By unofficial count, starting with the most recent first, York has forfeited games five times since \u003Cb\u003EJennifer Myers\u003C\/b\u003E' \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/yfile.news.yorku.ca\/2012\/05\/16\/jennifer-myers-named-president-of-ontario-university-athletics\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ehire as director of sports and recreation in 2008\u003C\/a\u003E. Myers is also a past OUA president.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2015-16, men's basketball — \u003C\/b\u003EForfeited nine games after using \u003Cb\u003ERaheem Isaac\u003C\/b\u003E, who was not eligible since he had played exhibition games for Windsor and OUA rules proscribe playing for two teams in one season.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2011-12, women's volleyball — \u003C\/b\u003EDisqualified from hosting the OUA final four after playing middle hitter \u003Cb\u003EMichelle Pierce d\u003C\/b\u003Euring a 3-0 quarter-final against the RMC Paladins. Pierce, another Windsor transfer, had not played an OUA match in 365 games, but was not eligible for the playoffs since she had not competed during the regular season. As a result, OUA had to move the final four to Ottawa. As CIS Blog alumnus \u003Cb\u003EAndrew Bucholtz\u003C\/b\u003E put it at that time, \"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/ca.sports.yahoo.com\/blogs\/eh-game\/top-seeded-york-women-volleyball-team-disqualified-oua-002334879.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EFrom what's come out, York has to bear most of the blame for this fiasco\u003C\/a\u003E.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2010-11, women's soccer\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003ERelatively minor, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.oua.ca\/sports\/wsoc\/2010-11\/releases\/7272.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Esince this was self-disclosed\u003C\/a\u003E, although the culprit was midfielder \u003Cb\u003ERita Keimakh\u003C\/b\u003E, who was a former national under-20 and Big Ten player. On Tuesday after Thanksgiving weekend, Keimakh dropped a class, reducing her load to 7½ hours per week. York required 9 hours in order to be considered a full-time student and, thus, OUA-eligible. Keimakh competed one day later. It was caught and the game was forfeited to McMaster six days later. To her credit, Keimakh competed for York in later seasons.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2009-10, football\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E—\u003Cb\u003E Patrick Hooey\u003C\/b\u003E had played for Saint Mary's in 2008, and enrolled at York with intentions to start a new degree, so he could play right away. Instead, he was enrolled as a \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2009\/09\/football-york-discloses-it-played.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Efull-time undergraduate student\u003C\/a\u003E\" but coach\u003Cb\u003E Mike McLean\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003Eallowed him to play in the season opener against Windsor. If memory serves, York self-disclosed the error, calling it a \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/yfile.news.yorku.ca\/2009\/09\/11\/new-u-of-t-library-fee-hits-york-students-staff-and-faculty\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ebreakdown in communications\u003C\/a\u003E,\" after Saint Mary's athletic director \u003Cb\u003ESteve Sarty \u003C\/b\u003Ealerted them.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMcLean (career record: 0-16) left coaching after that season.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2008-09, men's soccer\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003EWhere have you gone, \u003Cb\u003EAndrea Lombardo\u003C\/b\u003E? A shut-in sports blogger turns his lonely eyes to you, woo-woo-woo.\u003C\/i\u003E Actually, Lombardo works at York, in the admissions department, and no doubt is great at his job. Hopefully, he would be a good sport about his line of work seeming ironic, lo, these many years later. In 2008, he played four games for the No. 1-ranked men's soccer Lions after having played for Toronto FC during its maiden Major League Soccer campaign.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs \u003Ci\u003EMacLean's\u003C\/i\u003E put it: \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.macleans.ca\/general\/york-universitys-soccer-scandal\/\"\u003EThe fact that they managed to play four games with this illegal player ... is just mind blowing. The fact that they didn’t know it was illegal is somewhat hilarious\u003C\/a\u003E.\" \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI apologize, fully completely, to Mses. Keimakh and Pierce and Messrs. Hooey, Isaac, Lombardo and even McLean that unpleasant incidents from their past have to be exhumed. It's just that a thread runs through all of this, which is that is seems like this isn't begin taken very seriously, by anyone whatsoever.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat is very, very bad. That goes for the scary thought that this happens since there is essentially no check and balance. Those have to be there. It can derive from \u003Cb\u003E1) \u003C\/b\u003Esome combination of intensely local news coverage that has a collective long memory; \u003Cb\u003E2) \u003C\/b\u003Eengaged alumni who expect more from an alma mater's varsity sports program and \u003Cb\u003E3) \u003C\/b\u003Ean athletic conference, OUA in this case, keeping member schools accountable. Honestly, I feel like the Walter Sobchak character in \u003Ci\u003EThe Big Lebowski\u003C\/i\u003E, minus the concealed carry, of course.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThis is not 'Nam ... this is high-performance sport. There are rules.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe allowfullscreen=\"\" class=\"YOUTUBE-iframe-video\" data-thumbnail-src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/P41gT4eicrE\/0.jpg\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"266\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/P41gT4eicrE?feature=player_embedded\" width=\"320\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYork is far from alone in having had player eligibility issues, of course, and this is not meant to be a call-out or a castigation. It just bears pointing out that a serious sports conference takes these matters seriously. That might help with getting the media to pay attention outside of Vanier Cup and Super Championship Weekend time, when they wonder why no one cares when they do a drive-by on something they have ignored for the other 49 weeks of the year.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHere is a brief list of other eligibility-related forfeits in recent years:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2015-16\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003EWaterloo men's volleyball\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2014-15\u0026nbsp;— \u003C\/b\u003EQueen's football; Calgary football; Mount Royal men's soccer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2012-13 —\u003C\/b\u003E Bishop's football; UPEI men's soccer; St. Francis Xavier men's soccer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2011-12 — \u003C\/b\u003EUBC football; Montreal football\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2010-11 — \u003C\/b\u003ELaurier football\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2009-10 — \u003C\/b\u003EManitoba football; Simon Fraser football.\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/7169832032799803905\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/03\/eligibility-york-lions-brief-history-of.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7169832032799803905"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7169832032799803905"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/03\/eligibility-york-lions-brief-history-of.html","title":"Eligibility: York Lions' brief history of OUA forfeits"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/P41gT4eicrE\/default.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-2677801174095343939"},"published":{"$t":"2016-02-29T12:54:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-02-29T15:52:24.864-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lancers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"RPI"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Blues"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Wilson Cup"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"York Lions booted from OUA Wilson Cup playoffs over ineligibility snafu — report"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"While March might come in like a lamb, it is out with the Lions.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMonday morning, 60 hours before the start of the OUA Wilson Cup playoffs, with teams and athletic departments arranging travel and for Wednesday playoff games, the report from \u003Cb\u003EMark Wacyk \u003C\/b\u003Edropped that the York Lions have been bounced due to using an ineligible player for nine games.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn other words, two August exhibition games, the ones that Windsor used \u003Cb\u003ERaheem Isaac\u003C\/b\u003E in before he enrolled at York, are affecting the playoffs in March. Over to the oracle:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E... the Lions used 6’1″ Raheem Isaac for 9 games earlier this season before he was released from the team. Isaac had also played in two games for Windsor in August during Lancers NCAA\/CIS series vs. Indianapolis at the St. Denis Center. By allowing Isaac to play for them after suiting up for a different OUA team in the same season, apparently by ruling, York forfeits at least the 9 games Isaac played in and as such U of T finishes third in the OUA Central. Still no word on why Toronto will go to Queen’s: clearly with U of T in the playoffs instead of York, RPI- calculated seedings are very likely change, throwing the entire bracket into uncertainty. With it being Monday morning and games on Wednesday and the other 6 playoff teams already preparing for their initial opponents, OUA likely was trying to think practically in the adjusted bracket. (\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/canhoopsca.wordpress.com\/2016\/02\/29\/eligibility-issue-reverses-oua-playoff-seedings\/\"\u003ECANhoops.ca\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Ci\u003EQuelle clusterfudge! \u003C\/i\u003EIt goes without saying OUA is following the manual, adhering to protocol, and trying to do as little harm as possible to teams' prep for playoff opponents. Not to be Mr. Negativity, since it is always better to be prescriptive ... but if it was not determined until 2-3 days prior to the playoffs that York was in the wrong by using Raheem Isaac, then, well, it's too late to do anything about it that affects the outcome of the 2015-16 season.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EThis presumes using Isaac was all that was wrong. It might not be prudent to bring this up now, but York guard \u003Cb\u003EShane Reader \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/oua.ca\/sports\/mbkb\/2015-16\/players\/shanereaderhug2?view=gamelog\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Edid not play any games\u003C\/a\u003E after Feb. 6. He played 30 minutes in his last game, and that typically means someone was healthy.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESanctioning York and levying a fine would have been much more of a direct punishment to the alleged offender, which is the men's basketball program\u003C\/b\u003E. Isaac has already been punished with his release. The Lions players have done nothing wrong. Moreover, coaches and players on seven to 11 other playoff teams shouldn't have the distraction of wondering if they are playing or going somewhere else. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUpdated: The big takeaway from the OUA release is that, fortunately, the recalculated RPI after York vacated the three wins that Isaac played in, didn't affect any other teams. Toronto went into the No. 10 seed:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe University of Toronto Varsity Blues, who previously finished tied for third with York, finish in third place in the OUA East Division and qualify for postseason play.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003EWith the updated division standings, the Varsity Blues were included in a recalculation of the Rating Percentage Index (RPI) resulting in amended playoff matchups. Toronto will enter the playoffs as the tenth seed, a position that was previously held by York. (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.oua.ca\/sports\/mbkb\/2015-16\/releases\/20160229l1g94l\"\u003EOUA\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/blockquote\u003EWell, then, everything has been wrapped up a in neat little package. Sorry if it came out sarcastically.\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnyone want to take bets on whether we see some tweaks to RPI come OUA AGM time?\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/2677801174095343939\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/02\/york-lions-booted-from-oua-wilson-cup.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/2677801174095343939"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/2677801174095343939"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/02\/york-lions-booted-from-oua-wilson-cup.html","title":"York Lions booted from OUA Wilson Cup playoffs over ineligibility snafu — report"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-1393772720855805554"},"published":{"$t":"2016-02-27T22:45:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-02-28T11:45:29.872-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Badgers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lancers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ottawa Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"RPI"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ryerson Rams"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Thunderwolves"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Voyageurs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Wilson Cup"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"#RPIProblems: Ryerson nabs OUA No. 1 seed due to Brock beating Guelph; tanking appears to have been avoided"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Updated ... since the OUA doesn't go to the fourth digit, Brock (.5128 RPI) and Queen's (.5130 RPI) are technically tied for the sixth seed. The Badgers move up due to having 13 regular-season wins to Queen's 11. Far be it to argue that instead of using a Tie Breaking Policy, the sixth seed could actually go to the team with the better RPI, even if it is by two-ten thousandths of a point.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAlso, far be it to wonder whether any team contemplated the reality that if you're not a Top 4 bye team, it's really immaterial where you finish. There is a 'shifting deck chairs' aspect to sweating out whether you're fifth, sixth or seventh when you have one more hurdle to get to the OUA Final Four or CIS Final 8 than Ryerson, Ottawa, Carleton and McMaster, which probably also have deeper benches.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrock Badgers coach \u003Cb\u003ECharles Kissi \u003C\/b\u003Ehad\u003Cb\u003E Dani Elgadi \u003C\/b\u003Eplay 35 minutes and three other starters play at least 30 (\u003Cb\u003ETyler Brown \u003C\/b\u003Ehad only 22 before fouling out) in their 65-62 win at Guelph, which became RPI-irrelevant since it eliminated the Gryphons.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd as it turned out, Brock would have got sixth if it had lost on Saturday. Their outcome \u0026nbsp;mainly flipped Ryerson above Ottawa for the No. 1 seed, and caused Windsor and Queen's to trade places in the 5 and 7 seeds.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EHere is the official RPI:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-aBK0gNKr2Qw\/VtMREm8yF6I\/AAAAAAAADGQ\/LHt8H-GsRJk\/s1600\/OUAMBBRPI-official.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-aBK0gNKr2Qw\/VtMREm8yF6I\/AAAAAAAADGQ\/LHt8H-GsRJk\/s640\/OUAMBBRPI-official.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo rather than 'pick your poison,' it's more like Kissi was choosing one for \u003Cb\u003ESteph Barrie\u003C\/b\u003E and the Queen's Gaels.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe upshot is no one tanked. So there is that. For comparison's sake, here is how it would have shook out with a Guelph win on Saturday:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-_kHvHZA-Mag\/VtJpLJlo1MI\/AAAAAAAADGA\/65h40WLWmZE\/s1600\/OUAwhatifGuelphbeatsBrock.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-_kHvHZA-Mag\/VtJpLJlo1MI\/AAAAAAAADGA\/65h40WLWmZE\/s640\/OUAwhatifGuelphbeatsBrock.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EConvoluted, much? One could put forth an argument that if it is between this and knowing the playoff matchups weeks ahead, then let's create the chaos apace.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe next level from that is that since it's not unheard of for teams in other university sports to rest key players before the playoffs, well, it's not that underhanded to tank in the last week of the regular season to try to exert control over potential matchups. There is a moral difference between tanking when the system rewards it and actual game-fixing.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat said, Ontario University Athletics owes it to all concerned to make one simple change: \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003Einclude all 19 teams in the RPI. \u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003EThis issue would not come up again. It must be noted, though, that in Year 1 of the RPI playoffs, it protected the top four teams, Ottawa, Carleton, Ryerson and Windsor. It didn't this time, since the OUA is more balanced among its top strata of teams and its pretty good teams.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo, mea culpa for not remembering at 11 p.m. Saturday night that the the official RPI didn't go to the fourth digit. Here is what it looked like at CIS Hoops:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-5TFfeHIdbMs\/VtMZ2tW4oBI\/AAAAAAAADGg\/tr0HGBxinIw\/s1600\/OUAMBBRPI-unofficial.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"408\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-5TFfeHIdbMs\/VtMZ2tW4oBI\/AAAAAAAADGg\/tr0HGBxinIw\/s640\/OUAMBBRPI-unofficial.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile we're here, here's what would be nice to see as a future format for the power conference.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGo to a 20-game schedule for all concerned, with the Central, East and North teams having an extra home-and-home against a non-divisional team. It could rotate through over a number of years.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECap winning margins in the 90th percentile to control for the mismatches that are a fact of life throughout regular-season play in CIS, and use Simple Ranking System (SRS) to determine a 12-team playoff field. Whether that continues to involve an even three per division or something more akin to the NHL's divisional format with at-large\/wild-card teams is irrelevant.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003EAnyway, hopefully the playoffs are half this frenetic. Put the calculators down and get the popcorn ready.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt is a modified bracket. The winner of the 12 vs. 5 game will play the 4 seed on Quarter-Final Weekend; winner of 11 vs. 6 visits the 3 seed, and so on. The OUA re-seeds for the Final Four, which Ryerson is in the driver's seat to host if it defeats either Lakehead or Western.\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/1393772720855805554\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/02\/rpiproblems-ryerson-nabs-oua-no-1-seed.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/1393772720855805554"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/1393772720855805554"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2016\/02\/rpiproblems-ryerson-nabs-oua-no-1-seed.html","title":"#RPIProblems: Ryerson nabs OUA No. 1 seed due to Brock beating Guelph; tanking appears to have been avoided"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-aBK0gNKr2Qw\/VtMREm8yF6I\/AAAAAAAADGQ\/LHt8H-GsRJk\/s72-c\/OUAMBBRPI-official.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-5557755867942852281"},"published":{"$t":"2014-02-03T12:13:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2014-06-21T21:58:35.123-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Axemen"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball Week In Review"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Citadins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Rouge et Or"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Voyageurs"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Basketball: Week in Review, Jan. 28–Feb. 2"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003ENext in a series of the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/kenpom.com\/blog\/index.php\/weblog\/entry\/week_in_review_1_10_1_16\"\u003Ekenpom-inspired\u003C\/a\u003E Week in Review. A lighter post this week ... \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBiggest upsets\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENone! The closest we got was Lakehead WBB over McMaster, but \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2014\/01\/basketball-week-in-review-jan-2126.html\"\u003Eas Scott alluded to last week\u003C\/a\u003E, wins by Lakehead might start looking less like upsets as the season wears on. After all, with every new game, the pre-\u003Cb\u003EJylisa Williams\u003C\/b\u003E Thunderwolves become less relevant to their overall ranking.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECrazy comebacks\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E1. MBB: Queen's (1.3%) over Laurentian, Saturday (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/mbkb\/2013-14\/boxscores\/20140201_691x.xml?view=plays\"\u003Eplay-by-play\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. Only one this week, and the play-by-play for the end of the fourth quarter should tell the story fairly well here. The high point for Laurentian was with 1:22 left, when they had a nine-point lead and still had possession.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBiggest changes in SRS\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003ESRS, or Simple Ranking System, is the basis for our \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/p\/basketball-team-rankings.html\"\u003Ebasketball team rankings\u003C\/a\u003E. These teams moved the most in the rankings vs. last week.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUp: Acadia MBB (+3, 15 to 12) and Laurier WBB (+3, 14 to 11)\u003C\/b\u003E. There was a multi-way tie for this so we just took the highest-ranked team in each league. Laurier kept it relatively close vs. Windsor and beat Brock by 20, a solid week. Acadia swept UNB, 93-83 and 83-64, in Fredericton. Both were on the fringes of the top 10 vote and will likely get more votes after this week.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDown: Ottawa WBB (12 to 15)\u003C\/b\u003E. Again, another tie so the highest-ranked team gets the mini-writeup here. Ottawa beat Ryerson by 2 and lost to Toronto by 4, neither one of which was in line with their previous ranking so the Gee-Gees are adjusted down to account for the under-performance.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESlowest game of the week: MBB UQAM at Laval, Saturday (61 possessions)\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003EWelcome to RSEQ basketball. All five men's teams are among the slowest 13 in the country, and the women have four of the slowest 12. When it's two below-.500 teams, it is doubtful to be exciting basketball. This one was seven possessions slower than any other men's game this week. Seven! The slowest women's game was, no joke, \u003Ci\u003Ealso\u003C\/i\u003E UQAM\/Laval \u003Ci\u003Eon the same day\u003C\/i\u003E, at 63 possessions. A perfect four hours for those in la Vieille Capitale who don't want to stay home on a Saturday night but also don't want to get \u003Ci\u003Etoo\u003C\/i\u003E excited.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFastest game of the week: MBB Laurentian at York, Friday (94 possessions)\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWell, when the teams combine for 51 points in the third and 50 in the fourth...\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMaddie Stephen Watch\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe kenpom version focuses on Alan Williams, UCSB's \"undersized center [who] piles up stats like nobody else\" and is \"ignored by scouts and media alike.\" Our version rotates among a select few of the authors' favourites.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOwner of the 12th-best PER in Ontario this year and a 56th-place spot in our nationwide player rankings last year, Stephen is another of those underrated players who play on slow-paced teams and don't have gaudy scoring stats as a result. (She was also a rookie with a 25 PER playing behind Hannah Sunley-Paisley on \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/championships\/wbkb\/2011-12\/boxscores_champ\/20120319_clit.xml\"\u003Ethe first Ottawa team to medal at nationals\u003C\/a\u003E.) \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis week Stephen had 9 points and 9 rebounds against Ryerson and 8 and 12 against Toronto. Not the best pair of games, with twice as many turnovers in the U of T game as made baskets, especially given that she has such a low turnover rate to begin with. The Gee-Gees have a big weekend coming up with a road trip to Queen's, whom they must beat by 10 to hold the point-differential tiebreaker, and York.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBest games of the upcoming week\u003C\/b\u003E (all times Eastern)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EGames to watch for playoff implications, the closeness of the two teams competing, or the standout individual performances...\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWBB: Brock at McMaster (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/links\/90w9mh\"\u003EWednesday 6:00pm\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. Gee, you think \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/brocktv.ca\/badgers-den-update-january-15th\/\"\u003Ethis\u003C\/a\u003E might be a relevant story for this game? Aside from that, it's No. 9 vs No. 13, in a battle to climb out of fourth place in the OUA West. Laurier came on strong in the second half to complicate things in that division.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWBB: Ottawa at Queen's (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/links\/n4lgf2\"\u003EFriday 6:00pm\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. 12-6 vs. 12-6 and, as mentioned, an important game for the division. Queen's will play 13-5 Carleton the next night, too, of course.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWBB: Saskatchewan at Winnipeg (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/client.stretchinternet.com\/client\/canadawest.portal\"\u003EFriday 7:00pm, Saturday 7:00pm\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. One of two road series for the Huskies to finish the season; next week's is Alberta, and they may both be 18-2 heading into that.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMBB: McMaster at Windsor (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.golancers.tv\/\"\u003ESaturday 2:00pm\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. Mac can clinch first in the division here if they win. That No. 1 seed in the West would give them the chance to qualify for the Final 8 before playing Carleton again.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWBB: McGill at UQAM (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/links\/xpm0ka\"\u003ESaturday 5:00pm\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. The Quebec league is starting to get bunched up at the top after Concordia took two from McGill. This is No. 8 at No. 16 and could be a great under-the-radar matchup. Friend of the blog and regular MUBL champion \u003Cb\u003EAlexandre Tourigny\u003C\/b\u003E will be calling this game for \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/sports.tvgo.ca\/index.php?option=com_content\u0026view=article\u0026id=1943:uqam\u0026catid=52:chaines\u0026Itemid=233\"\u003ETVGO\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMBB: Ryerson at Laurentian (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/client.stretchinternet.com\/client\/laurentian.portal\"\u003ESaturday 8:00pm\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/b\u003E. It's the Rams' turn for the dreaded-by-Ontario-teams, business-as-usual-for-Canada-West-teams road trip to Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie. Both teams here went 0-2 this past week, though Ryerson kept Carleton closer than anyone has all year.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/5557755867942852281\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2014\/02\/basketball-week-in-review-jan-28-feb-2.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/5557755867942852281"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/5557755867942852281"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2014\/02\/basketball-week-in-review-jan-28-feb-2.html","title":"Basketball: Week in Review, Jan. 28–Feb. 2"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Rob Pettapiece"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-803609518668811884"},"published":{"$t":"2014-01-02T11:44:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2014-01-02T11:44:39.524-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Hockey"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Patriotes"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Redmen"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ryerson Rams"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Blues"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Warriors"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Men's Hockey: OUA Mid-Season Wrapup"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"It’s been thirty years, but the Queen’s Golden Gaels finally find themselves back in the CIS Top 10 with OUA teams set to hit the ice again and enter the second half of the season. As the games begin to mean more and we come out of the turn and into the final stretch of the playoff push, here's five of the biggest storylines from the conference over the first half, and that are worth watching as we begin the second.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch4\u003EGaels on Top\u003C\/h4\u003EIt took until the eighth week for Queen’s to finally crack the top ten and take the eighth spot. In spite of three other OUA teams placing ahead of them in the voters’ eyes, the Gaels find themselves atop the conference standings with a two-point lead on #5 McGill. More impressively, despite racking up two losses in overtime and three as a result of shootouts, the Gaels remain undefeated in regulation, the only team in the OUA who can claim that (the only other in CIS is the #1 Calgary Dinos). \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHead coach \u003Cb\u003EBrett Gibson\u003C\/b\u003E has found success through a balanced attack, as not one player on the team finds themselves even in the top fifty of CIS scorers. \u003Cb\u003EKelly Jackson\u003C\/b\u003E, who leads the team with eight goals in fourteen games, only comes in tied for fifteenth in the OUA. Netminder \u003Cb\u003EKevin Bailie\u003C\/b\u003E, who previously played with the Oshawa Generals and London Knights, has also played a large part in the Gaels' early success, boasting the third best save percentage in the country at .941, with an impressive 1.78 GAA to boot. It’s not as if Bailie’s had an easy go of things, either, with the team right in the middle of the OUA pack in terms of shots faced, yet second best in the nation in total goals against.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe other factor that was in the Gaels' favour over the first half was a favourable schedule that put them at home nine times in fifteen games. They have a tough month ahead of them waiting in January, when they will play a dreadful seven road games which includes visits to two tough barns; McGill (7-1-0 at home this season) and Carleton (5-1-0). However, with RMC on the schedule twice, as well as games against UOIT, Laurier and Nipissing, and a pair against a lackluster Concordia team, Queen’s should find themselves with home-ice advantage in the first round for just the second time in Gibson’s eight-year term behind the bench.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch4\u003EUsual Suspects in their Usual Spots\u003C\/h4\u003EWith the exception of Queen’s, whose success, as highlighted above, is unprecedented to anyone born after Canada’s official adoption of the metric system, there really isn’t much difference in who the top contenders coming out of each conference will be. In six of the last seven regular seasons, Western and Lakehead have finished in the top three spots in the West, while McGill and UQTR have done the same in the East (the one year it didn’t happen, Lakehead finished fourth). With hot starts for all four teams this season, they all look poised to repeat the pattern yet again.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn the East, McGill and UQTR each have 11 wins going into the break, and with 23 and 22 points, respectively, hold the second and third spots in the division. McGill are being led by American-import offensive defenseman \u003Cb\u003ERyan McKiernan\u003C\/b\u003E, who has notched eight goals and 17 points in 15 games. Meanwhile, UQTR’s success is in part thanks to goaltender \u003Cb\u003EMarc-Antoine Gelinas\u003C\/b\u003E, whose fourth nation-wide with an impressive .940 save percentage.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn the West, Lakehead are back at the top of the division with a solid 11-3-0 record heading into the break. \u003Cb\u003EMike Hammond\u003C\/b\u003E leads the Thunderwolves on offense with 18 points already this campaign. Western is also looking good again this year, currently tied for third in the West with 20 points. They’ve relied heavily offensively on \u003Cb\u003EMatt Clarke\u003C\/b\u003E, who’s fourth in points and sixth in goals nationally, and \u003Cb\u003EDaniel Erlich\u003C\/b\u003E, also tied in fourth with 25 points, but third in assists in the country.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAll four teams look poised to take home-ice advantage in the first two rounds of the playoffs and to make deep runs in pursuit of a University Cup appearance.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch4\u003EWoes in Waterloo\u003C\/h4\u003EComing into the season, the \u003Cb\u003EWaterloo Warriors\u003C\/b\u003E were ranked fifth in the country. The ranking was surprising to some as it came off the heels of a, (truthfully) rather disappointing regular season where the Warriors squeaked into the playoffs with the sixth seed in the OUA West with a 12-11-5 record. They proceeded to have a wonderful playoff run, knocking off the favoured Lakehead Thunderwolves in a two-game sweep, sliding past first-place Western in a third and deciding game, and then taking out Windsor in two before falling to UQTR in the Queen’s Cup finals. The Warriors snuck into the University Cup by virtue of beating Windsor, and eked out \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/03\/2013-university-cup-cinderella-story.html\"\u003Ea 2-1 win over Alberta\u003C\/a\u003E before being blown out by Saint Mary’s.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EApparently, that was deserving of a number five ranking to kick off this season, the second highest ranking in the OUA (UQTR, last year’s OUA champions, were ranked only tenth). The season started out on a shaky foot, as Waterloo squeaked out one-goal wins over UOIT and Queen’s at home, before dropping three straight to divisional foes Windsor, York, and Western. Since then, the Warriors have been streaky, but the bad has outweighed the good, emphasized by an 8-2 thumping at the hand of \u003Cb\u003EToronto\u003C\/b\u003E, and a loss at home to \u003Cb\u003ENipissing\u003C\/b\u003E, in a game they were heavily favoured to win.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThey were promptly booted out of the top ten by the fourth week, but still, it’s been a disappointing start for a team with high expectations. The first half ended on a positive note with a 6-2 victory over \u003Cb\u003ECarleton\u003C\/b\u003E (after beating RMC by the same score the night previous), so head coach \u003Cb\u003EBrian Bourque\u003C\/b\u003E better hope his team can pick up where they left off.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EChris Chappell\u003C\/b\u003E has been a bright spot for the Warriors, as the former Saginaw Spirit forward leads the nation in goals, averaging one per game, and is tied for seventh in overall points. The Warriors will need to continue to find success on their top-ranked powerplay, and play better in the “big games” against divisional foes if they can turn this season around. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMeanwhile, players at the other end of University Avenue have had it even worse. The Laurier Golden Hawks, who managed a decent fifth-place finish in the West last year, find themselves in the basement this time around. The G-Hawks lost six of their first seven games, and while they’ve been steadily trying to climb out of the hole, they face a pretty steep climb if they hope to make the playoffs this season.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch4\u003ETwo Tiers in the East?\u003C\/h4\u003EThe Golden Hawks might have an easier time in the other half of the league. It would appear that the East is suffering from a lack of parity this season, after the \u003Cb\u003ELaurentian Voyageurs\u003C\/b\u003E' entrance bumped the Rams and Varsity Blues westward. While the Golden Hawks have a measly 11 points through the first half, that record would be good enough for the seventh spot in the East, not to mention Laurier’s two games in hand over \u003Cb\u003EUOIT\u003C\/b\u003E who sit one point ahead. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOf the 10 teams in the West, only two fall below .500 in terms of points percentage, contrasted with five in the East. However, when it comes to the remaining top teams in the East, the gap is enormous. While the top five teams understandably have an unblemished-in-regulation 14-0-1 record against the bottom five, their records against the West speak volumes. When the West has faced off against the East’s bottom five teams, they also have a commanding 38-8-0 record. However, when the West has faced off against the East’s top five, the record is 29-11-5 in favour of the Queen’s-McGill-UQTR-Ottawa-Carleton coalition.* With respect to the teams at the bottom of the East, especially as many of them are smaller schools still developing their programs, they face a difficult situation in trying to knock off the top five established schools. Further, as proven by the performance of the bottom five teams, it would appear that a top three finish in the East equals a much easier route to the second round than it does in the West.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E*It should be noted here that the West vs. East records include single wins for Queen’s and UOIT over Ryerson, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/11\/mens-hockey-rams-take-down-lions-in.html\"\u003Ewho forfeited two games\u003C\/a\u003E due to a suspension handed down by university administration.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch4\u003EToronto Rivalry Heating Up\u003C\/h4\u003EAfter years of being split up, the three Toronto teams now find themselves battling it out in the West. Currently, the Ryerson Rams, Toronto Varsity Blues, and York Lions all find themselves in playoff contention, sitting in third, fifth, and sixth place, respectively.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOf course, the Varsity Blues and Lions have a long-held hateful rivalry that carries across all varsity sports. The rivalry between the blue \u0026amp; white and red \u0026amp; white is rooted in the historical traditions of both institutions, and their battles for supremacy in the city’s university athletics. However, Ryerson’s recent transformation that accompanied their renovation and move into Maple Leaf Gardens, and rise in success, has helped legitimize their program. It was less than a decade ago that Ryerson ended a five-season stint where they won just 11 games (from 2002-03 to 2006-07), and now that they’re a contender, with a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/10\/hockey-queens-spoil-ryersons-mlg-opener.html\"\u003Ehigh-profile, professional looking hockey program\u003C\/a\u003E, they look poised to take over their intra-city rivals and insert themselves firmly into the rivalry conversation.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEach team has faced each other once thus far, and the Varsity Blues currently sit undefeated in those games. Early in the season, the Blues blew out Ryerson in a 7-3 thrashing, before taking down York on the road 4-2 just over a week later. In the remaining first half match-up, the Rams were able to withstand a late York attack and come away with a close 4-3 victory.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn the second half of the season, the rivalry continues with York heading to Maple Leaf Gardens to face Ryerson on the road on February 1, and then head to UT the next week. Meanwhile, Toronto make the short trip to Ryerson on Feb. 12 for the second last game of the year, in what should be an especially intense game with playoff implications at stake.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith just four points separating York from Ryerson and Toronto, this three-way rivalry should continue to heat up over the winter months and into the Queen’s Cup playoffs.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe OUA Game of the Week will begin again next week, with this weekend's national capital rivalry between the Gee-Gees and Ravens on Saturday night.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/803609518668811884\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2014\/01\/mens-hockey-oua-mid-season-wrapup.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/803609518668811884"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/803609518668811884"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2014\/01\/mens-hockey-oua-mid-season-wrapup.html","title":"Men's Hockey: OUA Mid-Season Wrapup"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Kyle Brown"},"uri":{"$t":"https:\/\/plus.google.com\/100079013344179668072"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-8020016309213055041"},"published":{"$t":"2013-11-05T11:38:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-11-05T19:07:39.285-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Algoma Thunderbirds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Badgers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lancers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ryerson Rams"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Thunderwolves"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Blues"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Voyageurs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Warriors"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Tiers of the OUA: A Men's Basketball Season Preview"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"For the 2013-14 OUA preview, I've divided all the teams up into tiers. Ontario is deep this year with four teams being in the conversation for nationals. There are other teams who could surprise too, if they get a few lucky bounces and some transfers pan out. Then, we have some programs floundering in the basement without a shred of hope of making noise. For each team, I've given a projected finish and a player to watch. That player is a combination of on-court entertainment while also being a barometer for the success a team will have. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003ECIS Title Contenders\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003ECarleton Ravens\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere is no weakness in the Ravens’ game. Sure, their jerseys are lacking in creativity, but that’s the most significant criticism I can find. The team that claimed its ninth CIS title in 11 seasons this past year, Carleton will put more distance between themselves and the rest of the pack come March 2014.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBehind \u003Cb\u003ETyson Hinz\u003C\/b\u003E, the \u003Cb\u003EScrubb\u003C\/b\u003E brothers, and transfer \u003Cb\u003EVictor Raso\u003C\/b\u003E there is just no way another team beats these guys. We’re talking about a team that nearly beat the Syracuse Orange.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPhil Scrubb\u003C\/b\u003E is the best player in the country — this much is tough to debate and until he shows any signs of slowing down, Carleton is a lock to compete for the W.P. McGee Trophy. Scrubb led the conference in PER (with Tyson Hinz and \u003Cb\u003EThomas Scrubb\u003C\/b\u003E right behind him) and he shoots 47 per cent on two point shots and 41 per cent on three point shots. (Unless otherwise specified, all statistics refer to the 2012-13 season.) \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELast year, Dave Smart orchestrated the best offence and defence in the country. Not just the OUA — the entire CIS. The Ottawa Gee-Gees had an offensive rating of 107, second in the country to Carleton’s 122 (!). The gap between the Ravens and the field for defensive was closer — Carleton put up a defensive rating of 84, with the next closest figure being 89 from the Ryerson Rams.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECarleton owns the best REB% in the league at 41 per cent. They get to the line at a great pace – second to McMaster – and shoot the highest 78 per cent at the charity stripe. The Ravens hold teams to a 40 per cent eFG% too. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf you haven’t caught on yet, Carleton can do it all and their key players all fall somewhere in the top ten in the nation. Expect another dominating season from the Ravens.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Phil Scrubb. I just want to know what this guy’s ceiling is. He opened the year with 38 points on 13 shots through two games. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: CIS Finals – Wilson Cup Champions\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EWindsor Lancers\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis is a veteran team. \u003Cb\u003EJosh Collins\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EEnrico Diloreto\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003ELien Phillip\u003C\/b\u003E are all in their fifth year of eligibility. They are this year’s version of the 2012-13 Lakehead Thunderwolves, relying on experience through the long season. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWindsor’s strength lies in their defence, which plays a suffocating press that forces turnovers at the highest rate in the conference. Phillip grabs 28% of the Lancers’ defensive rebounds, good for No.1 in that category. He’s also a highly capable defender on the block and while not a player who blocks shots (he only had 14 blocks last season), Phillip can bother shots in a help situation.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe concern for this team will be how they function on offence. \u003Cb\u003EMichael Petrella\u003C\/b\u003E played a ton of minutes at guard for the Lancers last year, but with his departure, Windsor has to look elsewhere to get the ball moving on offence. Collins is a top-level point guard, great at distributing the ball to his teammates. His average of 4.1 assists per game put him at 15th in the country. But the issue here is his turnovers. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe talented teams in the OUA prey on turnovers, and if you can’t control turnovers — as Collins has shown — you’re not going to win. Last year, take a look at the OUA teams who made it to the CIS Final 8: Lakehead, with Greg Carter and Dwyane Harvey leading the charge; Carleton, with the Scrubb brothers and Clinton Springer Williams wreaking havoc on ball-handlers; Ottawa, with Johnny Berhanemeskel and Warren Ward finishing top-five in total steals, and the Lancers. Windsor as a team has a low TOV% (20 per cent) but Collins owns a 24 per cent TOV%. It’s tough to build a successful offence around that, proven by their lowly 98 O-Rtg. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnother key to shoring up their offence will be reigning in Diloreto. He’s a talented offensive player, but he shoots an abysmal eFG% of 44 per cent. His shooting is only compounded by his USG%, which ranks 13th in the league among qualified players. If coach \u003Cb\u003EChris Oliver\u003C\/b\u003E can move some of those possessions to \u003Cb\u003ERotimi Osuntola Jr.\u003C\/b\u003E - a hyper-efficient guard with range - Windsor should be able to come out on top of the OUA West.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELastly, they need to improve in all areas of free throws — both getting to the line and knocking them down. Their free throw to field goal attempted ratio is second worst in the OUA (to Western), and their free throw percentage is the worst, at 65%. If they can do a better job at getting to the line and setting up that hellacious press that Oliver has crafted, the O-Rtg should improve greatly.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Lien Phillip - Professional-level talent, will be key to maintaining their defence. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: Medal at the CIS Championship - potential Wilson Cup finalist\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EContenders for a Final 8 berth\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EMcMaster Marauders\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe talk in Hamilton has been about nationals, and I think that’s a fair conversation to have.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAdam Presutti\u003C\/b\u003E had a rough sophomore season, riddled with injuries causing him to never catch on in the lineup. Outside of that, McMaster’s roster all made significant strides; \u003Cb\u003EJoe Rocca\u003C\/b\u003E become a reliable offensive weapon, \u003Cb\u003ETaylor Black\u003C\/b\u003E emerged as one of the best players in the conference (and nation), \u003Cb\u003ERohan Boney\u003C\/b\u003E won a Rookie of the Year award and \u003Cb\u003ENathan McCarthy\u003C\/b\u003E proved himself to be a top defensive big man. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith all of those players back, the Marauders seemed poised to build off a good season in 2012-13. It started off rough, with only two wins and five losses after the interlock period. But the team would turn it around and finish 13-8 and were this close to getting to the Final Four before succumbing to Lakehead in the Thunderdome. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMcMaster had an average offence, but that was largely a product of Boney and Redpath having to take control when Presutti missed games. When the 2011 CIS Rookie of the Year did play however, he improved the offence with his playmaking ability. Presutti posted a 26 per cent AST% last season, good for second in the conference.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhere McMaster hangs their hat is on defense, and don’t expect a regression there. Boney is a great defender, Black and McCarthy can handle nearly any frontcourt and head coach \u003Cb\u003EAmos Connolly\u003C\/b\u003E has added some other talent to beef up the defense. \u003Cb\u003ETrevon McNeil\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EHamid Nessek\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003ELeon Alexander\u003C\/b\u003E — all in their first year with the program — are solid players who are overwhelming when defending the perimeter. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBlack could take the next step and be in the conversation for an All-Canadian spot. He posted the best PER for players not from Carleton and has shown a knack for scoring at the right time and taking over quarters.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI’m very high on this team because I’ve already said a couple hundred words about them and haven’t even talked about some players who won't be playing major minutes for them. They lost \u003Cb\u003EScott Laws\u003C\/b\u003E, an emotional leader for the team, but as the team matures, they should have been able to replace the void.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThey’ll need to knock off a ranked team to get to the CIS Final 8, but don’t be surprised if they do. This team is ten players deep and capable of playing with any team in the conference.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Taylor Black. He is only in his fourth year of eligibility and has already made noise through the beginning of this season. Just how good can he be?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: Second in the OUA West, potential Wilson Cup finalist.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EOttawa Gee-Gees\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith the departure of \u003Cb\u003EWarren Ward\u003C\/b\u003E — a player who received NBA camp invites and praise from professional hoops writers — \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ottawacitizen.com\/sports\/Former+Warren+Ward+signs+deal+Germany\/8737365\/story.html\"\u003Eto Germany\u003C\/a\u003E, it’s easy to sweep the Gee-Gees out of the conversation. But there is more to the Garnet and Grey than Ward. \u003Cb\u003EJohnny Berhanemeskel\u003C\/b\u003E is the league-leader in three-pointers made, \u003Cb\u003EVikas Gill\u003C\/b\u003E is an efficient option to take some more of the offensive load and \u003Cb\u003EMike L’Africain\u003C\/b\u003E has been stellar through the Gee-Gees undefeated pre-season. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETo say L’Africain struggled through his sophomore season is putting things gently. Offensively, he was unable to be efficient while playing off Ward’s double teams and was an average defender with a D-Rtg of 98. But L’Africain has all the tools to be an effective point guard for an electric offence. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHead coach \u003Cb\u003EJames Derouin\u003C\/b\u003E has looked to increase the tempo of the game, and that lends to L’Africain’s ball handling abilities and decision-making. Last year, the second-year guard finished 16th in the OUA for assists. Playing alongside Gill and Berhanemeskel gives L’Africain two lethal weapons on the perimeter, so his assist numbers should improve this year.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI mentioned earlier that the Ottawa offence is second in the conference and while it will regress due to the loss of Ward, it will still be up there with the best. The defence is what’s suspect here.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMatt Nelson\u003C\/b\u003E, a six-foot-nine centre, hardly played last year after suffering multiple injuries. In fact, he even doesn’t show up on the CIS roster for last year’s team. But he’ll be the key to keeping the Gee-Gees defence in the upper echelon of the OUA ranks. Ottawa played a small-ball rotation, with Gill at six-foot-seven being the largest player on the court. While this rotation led them to a CIS bronze, it’s hard to imagine this being sustainable after losing a strong perimeter defender in Ward. If Nelson can come in and become a fearsome paint presence, Ottawa’s defence could take a leap. But that’s a tall task for a second-year player with minimal on-court experience. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnother key piece to the defensive puzzle is \u003Cb\u003ECaleb Agada\u003C\/b\u003E, who showed himself to have a little something during the Gee-Gees CIS Final 8 run. He has been getting a lot of minutes early in the season and I'm bullish on his perimeter defence being able to slow some offences down.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENelson should have time to grow, however. Last year, Derouin had his team forcing opponents into difficult shots, gang-rebounding and forcing turnovers. All of those skills do not require height; they require extreme amounts of will and no player missing a beat. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith Derouin behind the bench, L’Africain poised to become a top OUA point guard and the majority of the parts from a CIS medal finish still in tact, the Gee-Gees could be in the hunt for a CIS wild card berth.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Mike L’Africain. With Ward gone, someone will have to take over on offense and orchestrate. Can L'Africain pick up the slack? My quick answer is yes.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: potentially in the OUA bronze medal game - CIS wild card conversation\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003ERyerson Rams\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYou could make the case for Ryerson to be a CIS contender. They have the pieces; they only lost one player from last year’s team and added some intriguing talent.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut I’m pessimistic about this Rams squad. Their offence earned a pedestrian O-Rtg of 100 despite having \u003Cb\u003EJahmal Jones\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EAaron Best\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EJordan Gauthier\u003C\/b\u003E. Those players though, might be the reason that their offence struggled. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBoth Best and Jones have been efficient on two-point shot attempts: Best shot 55 per cent from inside the arc while Jones shot 45 per cent last year. That figure from Jones is a dip in production from his first three years in OUA play, when he shot 48.3 per cent in 2011-12 and a scorching 52.4 per cent in 2010-11. His shot totals through those years were all within 11 FGA of each other. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGauthier shot 51 per cent on non-threes last year, but 122 of 266 shot attempts were threes last year, where he only made 40 — or 32 per cent of his attempts.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt’s the three-point shots that are killing the Rams. Through twenty games last year, 38 per cent of Ryerson’s shots were threes and they only shot 29.0 per cent behind the arc. That’s a lot of threes for a team that isn’t particularly good at it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETeams with similar three-point shot rates? Carleton with 39.5 per cent and Ottawa with 39.7 per cent. But those squads are really, really good at threes. The Ravens knocked down 40.2 per cent of threes and Ottawa knocked down 40.1 per cent.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI’m not saying that Ryerson should abandon the three-point shot. My point is that they’ll need to make better decisions in the half court. The three aforementioned guards lead the team in USG% and if they want to make it to the Final 8 tournament, head coach \u003Cb\u003ERoy Rana\u003C\/b\u003E is going to have to reign their shooting in. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInstead, they should look to \u003Cb\u003EBjorn Michaelsen\u003C\/b\u003E. He is a solid big man and shoots a team-best eFG% of 56 per cent. He is polished in the post and should receive more touches than he did last year. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERyerson is capable of making nationals, but it will take a major shift in player tendencies to get there. Can Rana change the established player styles of his three guards?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Aaron Best. In his third year, he has the opportunity to climb into the top five scorers of the OUA. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: potentially in the OUA bronze medal game - Wild card conversation\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EUp-and-comers\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003ELaurentian Voyageurs\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EManny Pasquale\u003C\/b\u003E is gone, but this team has the ability to rework itself and make noise in the OUA East. Don’t expect them to be challenging Ottawa or Carleton at the top of the standings, but they should have upset potential in the playoffs.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGeorges Serresse\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EJamie Weldon\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EStephen Williams\u003C\/b\u003E have all moved on from the program but \u003Cb\u003EJosh Budd\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003ENelson Yengue\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003ETychon Carter-Newman\u003C\/b\u003E should have no issues filling those minutes. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBudd has already shown a scoring prowess, leading the team in scoring over Waterloo in the season opener. Carter-Newman is a defensive monster and able to clean up some plays on the offensive glass too. Nelson Yengue didn’t use a ton of offensive possessions last year, but made good on the times he did, shooting a 52 per cent eFG%.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis team is balanced, with an O-Rtg and D-Rtg of 101. \u003Cb\u003EAlex Ratte\u003C\/b\u003E had a great year last year while leading the team in USG%, but it’ll be interesting to see how the loss of Pasquale impacts the defenders he faces. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI’m buying Voyageur stock because of that Sudbury advantage and returning players who are capable of filling in for the losses. The only thing that worries me about this team is what happens when Ratte has an off night or takes on an elite defender. Who takes on the shooting responsibilities? It looks like Budd, but he only averaged 7.2 points a game last year in 24 minutes per game. Will he be able to carry the offence?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Josh Budd. I hinted at it before, but I’m really curious to see if the fourth-year can take these offensive units to new heights in the post-Pasquale era.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: Third in OUA East\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EQueen’s Golden Gaels\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EQueen’s has never made the national tournament. For a school with rich history and enough spirit to support a handful of OUA competitors, that’s a jarring fact. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut the Gaels seem to be building towards something now. Last year, rookies \u003Cb\u003ESukhpreet Singh\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003ERoshane Roberts\u003C\/b\u003E were second and third in minutes played per game. Fourth-year \u003Cb\u003EGreg Faulkner\u003C\/b\u003E led the team in minutes and scoring before going down with an injury. His strong debut in tricolour after transferring from Carleton put Queen’s at 6-3 heading into the winter break. The wheels fell off later in the season, going 1-4 in their final five games without Faulkner to finish 10-10.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt’s those outstanding rookies that put the Gaels in the up-and-coming conversation. Both were thrust into high usage situations, tasked with carrying the offence. The adjustment from high school to the OUA got the best of the two, with Singh putting up an eFG% of 46 per cent and Roberts hitting at a 40 per cent clip. Those are two sobering numbers, but there are positives.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESingh got the line at an all-OUA level. His free throw rate of 0.37 was good for ninth in Ontario. He only made 74 percent of his free throw attempts, but for a rookie to come out and make a habit of getting to the charity stripe is nothing short of impressive. Singh also has an elite play-making ability, finishing his first-year campaign with a 21 per cent assist rate to put him at tenth in the conference.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor Roberts, there are not many redeeming offensive numbers. All around, it looks pretty bleak. He’s not a great shooter from anywhere, doesn’t do well at the line (71 per cent last year) and averaged just over an assist a game. Those numbers will definitely turn around as he gains experience.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhere Roberts could redeem himself is to grow on the defensive end. He showed promise; he averaged a hair over a steal per game last year and owned an impressively low 2.6 fouls committed per 40 minutes. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMike Mullins\u003C\/b\u003E — brother of Columbia University and member of the Canadian development team Grant Mullins — joins the team and should take some of the scoring load off of Roberts.\u003Cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENikola Misljencevic\u003C\/b\u003E has had a strong pre-season, including 20 points over No. 8 McGill to lead his team to an OT victory. He only averaged seven shots a game, but it’s likely that he’ll take more possessions too.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDon’t expect a breakout season though. This team will likely be building off of last year’s success and give their young players more on-court experience.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Greg Faulkner. He is a savvy player with range who has the potential to go for 30 if the defence is sleeping on him.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: Loss in OUA quarterfinals\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003ELaurier Golden Hawks\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis one is a tough call. Their roster screams \"average\" as evidenced by last year’s O-Rtg of 94 and D-Rtg of 101. Both marks are just middle of the pack, but more importantly, they are far off from the mark of teams that compete for the Wilson Cup year-in and year-out.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EStill, they have a chance to make a run. \u003Cb\u003EMax Allin\u003C\/b\u003E, in his final year of eligibility, is one of the best scorers in the country. He plays an efficient style; good three-point shooting and a ton of free throws. Third-year \u003Cb\u003EWill Coulthard\u003C\/b\u003E has one of the quickest triggers in the conference, willing to throw it up at any second. Consistency is still an issue for him, though. He used the most possessions out of any player on his team, but only shot at an eFG% of 45 per cent. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile those two players are good on the offensive end, there are not many other players to rely on and that’s where we see the difference between them and true contenders. Allin and Coulthard combine for many of the team’s possessions per game but the others go to players who simply are not efficient enough to be deemed worthy of using a possession.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe next two leaders in USG% are \u003Cb\u003EPatrick Donnelly\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EJamar Forde\u003C\/b\u003E, at 20 per cent and 19 per cent respectively. Donnelly, who left the team late last year for unknown reasons but is back now, shot a horrific 39 per cent eFG%. That’s 96th worst among players that played at least one-third of team minutes. There were only 107 players that qualified. Forde isn’t much better - he ranks 85th in the category.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHead coach \u003Cb\u003EPeter Campbell\u003C\/b\u003E will have to either move those shots to Coulthard and Allin or find new sources of offence. \u003Cb\u003EMatt Chesson\u003C\/b\u003E, OUA Rookie of the Year, and incoming rookie \u003Cb\u003EJack Simmons\u003C\/b\u003E could give them that offence. Chesson has size and a post-game, while Simmons has put up 11.6 points through five preseason games.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETheir defence is average but should be better with Donnelly back, Chesson playing more minutes and Allin maintaining a low foul rate. Turning that offence around is more important than making that defence on par with team’s in the running for the title.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Max Allin. He broke the school scoring record last year in his first game back after the passing of his father. Allin can light it up with the best of them and is always worth a look.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: Fourth in OUA West - OUA semifinal loss\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003ELakehead Thunderwolves\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI refuse to put Lakehead in the basement. Yes, \u003Cb\u003EScott Morrison\u003C\/b\u003E is on a professional leave of absence, scouting for the NBA D-League’s Maine Red Claws. Yes, the group of players like \u003Cb\u003EJoseph Jones\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EGreg Carter\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EYoosrie Sahlia\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EBen Johnson\u003C\/b\u003E, and \u003Cb\u003EMatthew Schmidt\u003C\/b\u003E who took this program to a new level are all gone. But the Thunderwolves will find a way, as they always seem to.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELakehead had a surprising preseason, playing the Victoria Vikes tough and grinding through a game against Carleton. They dropped some games to inferior opponents, but once this team plays gets their feet wet and uses that Thunderdome advantage, they’ll be back in the conversation for the top of the OUA West. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESince the majority of players who played for this team are gone (and \u003Cb\u003ERyan Thomson\u003C\/b\u003E is sitting out the year to recover from knee surgery), I’ll shy away from putting stock in team stats. However, we can look at some players with increased roles that will try to get Lakehead back in the CIS Final 8.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAnthony McIntosh\u003C\/b\u003E is a fourth-year player who has been asked to take on increased importance for this squad. He did not log major minutes last year — his highest minute total was in the final game of the regular season with 13 — but has already played a ton in the preseason.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EIgor Lebov\u003C\/b\u003E is a transfer from Franklin Pierce University and he has a wealth of talent. Lebov could another one of those players that Morrison has plucked out of seemingly nowhere and has potential to lead this team in scoring.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJustin Bell\u003C\/b\u003E is in his final year of eligibility after bouncing around the OUA. He’s played for Ottawa and York but looks poised to grab a starting forward spot on the roster. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith so many moving parts, this season could go very right or very wrong for the Thunderwolves. Not having Morrison behind the bench puts a damper on my optimism slightly. What will kill this team’s chances is a slow start in the difficult interlock period.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Igor Lebov. The transfer is a talented player on offensive who can hit from anywhere on the court. He could give below-average defenders nightmares.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: Third in the OUA West, loss in the semifinals\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EPlayoffs, but barely\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EYork Lions\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHead coach \u003Cb\u003ETom Olivieri\u003C\/b\u003E has built a good roster here, with a lot of depth and experience. True, this team is competing in a tough conference, but I like their chances.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAaron Rados\u003C\/b\u003E is leading this squad as a fifth-year forward. He plays tough and led the team in minutes last year, although just barely beating out \u003Cb\u003EDavid Tyndale\u003C\/b\u003E. Rados will be asked to take on more of the offensive load this year since Tyndale was a major source of their scoring.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis could be a good shift though, as Rados had a 52 per cent eFG% last year, a respectable mark in the top-third of the conference. He spreads his shots well; taking just under half his shots from three while shooting a decent 35 per cent and getting to the line consistently. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Lions’ defence was respectable last year too, posting a D-Rtg of 103. A lot of that can be credited to \u003Cb\u003ENick Tufegdzich\u003C\/b\u003E, a fourth-year forward who anchors this defense. Olivieri has to hope that his presence inside can push that D-Rtg south of 100. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI’ve put this team in the \"up-and-coming\" section because I think their experience will pay off. But there is no time for growing pains and the loss of Tyndale can’t linger on the offence. Tyndale was an \"oh no the shot clock is running down, here just take the ball\" guy and did a decent job in that role. But do they have the pieces to replace that? They should, as Olivieri seems intent on playing nine guys in his rotation, according to a York Lions website video. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Aaron Rados. With more possessions heading for his hands, he is one of the most intriguing players in the OUA East.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: Sixth in OUA East, lose in quarterfinals.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EWestern Mustangs\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI’m expecting this team to squeak into the playoffs but only as a product of a weaker lower half of the OUA. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI’m not a fan of this team whatsoever, as they play a rough style that is not exactly fun to watch. Last year, in a regular season match-up against McMaster, the Mustangs could not hit a shot from anywhere on the court. Mac was running them out of the gym and instead of accepting that the game was lost, Western decided to just start playing dirty. They began to hit players at every possible second and it became a safety concern.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat Mustang squad is the proud owner of the worst O-Rtg in the conference, at 86. The leader for that offensive unit was \u003Cb\u003EPeter Scholtes\u003C\/b\u003E, who used 27% of the possessions but put up an eFG% of 41 per cent. He is back to lead the offensive, which is not an encouraging sign. Western also turned the ball over on 25% of their possessions last year.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAlongside him on offence is \u003Cb\u003EQuinn Henderson\u003C\/b\u003E. He too used a lot of possessions for them and shot a better percentage at 47 per cent, but that mark is not something to structure an offence around.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDefensively, this team was bad. They posted a D-Rtg of 106 and turned the ball over at an OUA-worst rate of 25 per cent of possesions. There is reason for optimism, though. \u003Cb\u003EGreg Morrow\u003C\/b\u003E is back for a third-year and he was the strongest defensive player for the Stangs last year. He also shot a great percentage from the field with a 58 per cent eFG%, so if you’re looking for a bright spot, here it is.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EEric McDonald\u003C\/b\u003E is a transfer from Guelph and could provide more offence for the squad. He had a strong preseason, including 18 points against Acadia.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBrad Campbell\u003C\/b\u003E has added some recruits but it’s yet to be seen how many minutes they will play. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWestern’s experience could pay off and they should prey on weaker OUA teams like Waterloo, Guelph, Toronto and Algoma. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Greg Morrow. He shoots the best percentage (by far) on this team and can get his own shot. Will he be given the keys to the offence over Scholtes though?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: Fifth in the OUA West. Quarterfinal loss.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EGuelph Gryphons\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGuelph is just too young of a team to put in a category other than the basement. \u003Cb\u003EZach Angus\u003C\/b\u003E is one of my favourite players to watch in this league, but he can only do so much. Angus and \u003Cb\u003EMichel Clark\u003C\/b\u003E are two returning players who logged major minutes, but the rest of the returning cast are relative unknowns. 13 (!!!) players averaged double-digit minutes per game last year too, and they need to figure out their rotation.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETheir O-Rtg and D-Rtg were so bad last year, I contemplated not putting them in to save the horror. For offense, Guelph was tied for third worst in the league with 92 and for defense, they were second worst in the league, with 107. What’s scary is that \u003Cb\u003EDan McCarthy\u003C\/b\u003E — one of the team’s best defenders — is gone. \u003Cb\u003EAdam Kemp\u003C\/b\u003E is a six-foot-seven forward and has a year of experience under his belt. They will need him to anchor the defence.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOffensively, McCarthy’s departure means that the team will need to look elsewhere for offence. He used a lot of possessions for the team last year and the Gryphons will miss his production. For a player using as many possessions as McCarthy did, you would want his eFG% to be higher (it was 46 per cent) but Guelph needs whatever they can get.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThey have a fresh crop of rookies, with 12 first-year players listed on their 2013-14 roster. It’ll be a rough start for the season to them if head coach \u003Cb\u003EChris O’Rourke\u003C\/b\u003E spreads the minutes as much as he did last year.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGuelph has committed themselves to the development of athletics, with a new indoor complex, brand-new football stadium and revamped soccer complex. They have some highly competitive teams in soccer, rugby, football, field hockey and cross country (to name a few). Basketball has been lacking though. Could this be the year where they start to turn that around? Probably not on paper, but through the development of their first-years, it could be the beginning.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Zach Angus. He is a tough player with solid stroke and ability to get to the hoop. He’ll get more touches this year and it’ll be fun to see what he does with it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: Sixth in the OUA West. Quarterfinal loss.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EBasement Dwellers\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EToronto Varsity Blues\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI’ve put Toronto here because of the conference they play in, but I’m optimistic about the future of this team.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor one, \u003Cb\u003EJohn Campbell\u003C\/b\u003E is the new coach. He is leaving Dalhousie, where he took two teams to the Final 8. He has implemented a new system, but said that it’s been \"challenging\" to introduce. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThen there is the new Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport opening in 2014. If you’ve seen the promotions for it, you know that Toronto has laid the foundation to host a CIS-best athletic department.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut for this year, they have \u003Cb\u003EAlex Hill\u003C\/b\u003E returning, \u003Cb\u003EMatt Savel\u003C\/b\u003E should hopefully be healthy and \u003Cb\u003EDakota Laurin\u003C\/b\u003E should get more shots since \u003Cb\u003EArun Kumar\u003C\/b\u003E has left. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELast year, Kumar and Hill used a large proportion of the team’s possessions and neither was even close to efficient. Losing Kumar is a blessing for Campbell, as he stopped any and all ball movement. If he can rein Hill in a bit, Toronto will improve on offence.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe defence was an issue last year, but again that comes from Kumar. He is a short guard and let a lot of guys get by him. If your point guard can’t defend in the OUA, you’re going to have a bad time.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThese guys will be worth a watch to see what Campbell can do, but you won’t see these guys making much noise in a loaded OUA East.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: Eighth in the OUA East. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EAlgoma Thunderbirds\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe newest OUA team could turn into a Lakehead-lite. Their coach, \u003Cb\u003EThomas Cory\u003C\/b\u003E, casts a wide net in recruiting — he grabbed recruits from British Columbia and Michigan — and he has been the team’s coach through their college competition. Throw in the travel factor, where teams are playing in Sudbury the night before and you’ve got a distinct advantage. The two schools even share the same weird \"Thunder\" prefix. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMcMaster’s \u003Cb\u003EJoe Rocca\u003C\/b\u003E said that the team is ultra-athletic and will look to just run teams out of the gym, a sentiment Mac coach \u003Cb\u003EAmos Connolly\u003C\/b\u003E echoed in a separate interview.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThey’ll be able to surprise some teams too, with teams having to do so much travelling to get there.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: \u003Cb\u003ETerrell Campbell\u003C\/b\u003E. Athletic player who can get up and down the court as fast as anyone. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: Seventh in OUA East.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EBrock Badgers\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe new head coach in St. Catharines has already called this a rebuilding season, but Brock seems to finally be having a positive rebuild.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor the past couple of seasons, the Badgers have fielded teams that struggle to mesh on the offensive end. Last year, they put up a brutal O-Rtg of 90. With \u003Cb\u003ECharles Kissi\u003C\/b\u003E in charge, the offence already looks better when I watched a preseason game against Niagara College. The ball moved a lot quicker and they were playing an inside-out style instead of the iso-ball of years past.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMike Luby\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EBrian Nahimana\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EJameson Tipping\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EMark Gibson\u003C\/b\u003E have all moved on from the program. Tipping had two years of eligbility remaining but left the program to play for the Brampton A’s — where Tipping’s older brother is the president and his father is the owner. Tipping used a lot of possessions for this team but was a treat to watch, as he could get to the hoop with ease, back you down in the post and hurt you from outside — evidenced by his 34 per cent mark from three. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETshing Kasamba\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EIssack Egueh\u003C\/b\u003E played the most minutes of returning players and are set to lead this squad. Alongside them is \u003Cb\u003EDani Egaldi\u003C\/b\u003E, a six-foot-seven rookie with long arms and scoring touch. He doesn’t have the size to handle older players on the defensive end but his quickness is a plus if Kissi wants to switch him on to a guard.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYou don’t want to look too much into last year’s team stats because the roster will be comprised of a whole new crew. I’m looking forward to seeing where this team ends up in February because they could be really coming into their own. Egaldi is a player with OUA Rookie of the Year potential and Kissi is a coach who seems intent on changing the culture at Brock. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Dani Egaldi. I can’t say enough about him. He looks like he could really give defence problems with his size and ball handling abilities. Needs to find a three point shot, though.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: Eighth in OUA West\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EWaterloo Warriors\u003C\/u\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Warriors only lost two players — Brendan Smith and Kyrie Coleman — but having so many players return is exactly what I don’t like about this squad.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWaterloo was just as bad as Western was last year offensively and marginally better defensively. Their offence lacks any balance and their defence is susceptible to foul trouble, with abysmal fouling numbers for their major players. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI’ll highlight some positives for the team, though: it’s \u003Cb\u003EGreg Francis\u003C\/b\u003E’ second year with the program, and perhaps that will give the team a little more stability. \u003Cb\u003EJaspreet Gill\u003C\/b\u003E has potential to be a dynamic offensive weapon too. But I’m running low on positives.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESimply, this roster lacks the talent to compete. In losing Smith, they lost their best rebounder, a loss that is already showing signs of problems as they nearly got doubled in rebounds in their season opener. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETo get back to the playoffs, players need to have worked hard at becoming better defenders and cleaning the defensive glass. Otherwise, this team is going to be lucky to reach the quarterfinals again.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPlayer to Watch\u003C\/b\u003E: Jaspreet Gill. He could be asked to take even more shots than he did last year, and that could lead to some eye popping stat totals.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProjected Finish\u003C\/b\u003E: Seventh in the OUA West.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/8020016309213055041\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/11\/the-tiers-of-oua-mens-basketball-season.html#comment-form","title":"6 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8020016309213055041"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8020016309213055041"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/11\/the-tiers-of-oua-mens-basketball-season.html","title":"The Tiers of the OUA: A Men's Basketball Season Preview"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Scott Hastie"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08081415078301065374"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"6"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-1746792453546548331"},"published":{"$t":"2013-11-04T23:34:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-11-06T19:14:09.670-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Hockey"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ryerson Rams"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Men's hockey: Rams Take Down Lions in Cross-City Clash"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"The #9 \u003Cb\u003EYork Lions\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003ERyerson Rams\u003C\/b\u003E kicked off their cross-town rivalry on Halloween last week, in what looked to be a closely contested matchup with both teams entering the game at just one-loss apiece. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EStrangely, the single loss for each team came courtesy the other team in the Toronto equation, the Varsity Blues.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBefore the puck even dropped, there was a sense that this would be a heated game, as each team fought to catch #10 Lakehead at the top of the OUA’s West Division.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt didn’t take long for the scoring to get started, either. York’s \u003Cb\u003EMike Lombardi\u003C\/b\u003E scored just twenty-nine seconds into the contest, on a beautiful pass from Lions captain \u003Cb\u003EJesse Messier.\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe teams traded shots for the period, keeping both Ryerson’s \u003Cb\u003EAdam Courchaine\u003C\/b\u003E and York’s \u003Cb\u003EAndrew Perugini\u003C\/b\u003E busy throughout the frame.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERyerson was able to tie things up not too long after the midway point of the first, as \u003Cb\u003EMitch Gallant\u003C\/b\u003E banged home the rebound off a \u003Cb\u003EJason McDonough\u003C\/b\u003E shot.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003EHowever, the tie didn’t last long. Messier was able to slide the puck through Courchaine’s five-hole and regain the one-goal lead for the Lions.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Lions were able to take that lead into the first intermission, largely thanks to the strong play of Perugini who made eleven saves in the frame.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUnfortunately for York, that luck ran out in the second period, which started out sloppy for both teams. There were several avoidable turnovers, poor shot attempts on net, and just a general slow, sluggish feel to the game.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHowever, that all ended when Ryerson’s \u003Cb\u003EDustin Alcock\u003C\/b\u003E scored off a nice turnaround wrist-shot from the sideboards, picking up a big rebound following \u003Cb\u003EPeter Hermenegildo\u003C\/b\u003E’s shot, seven minutes into the period. That’s when the floodgates temporarily opened.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EVictor Terreri\u003C\/b\u003E scored a powerplay goal four and a half minutes later, on a controversial goalmouth scramble that put the Rams ahead. York was upset, as it appeared Perugini’s helmet came off, which should have resulted in play being whistled dead, but the referees came to the decision that the puck had already crossed the line when the helmet came off. As part of the arguments following the goal, York’s \u003Cb\u003ETroy Barss\u003C\/b\u003E received a ten-minute misconduct, creating a big swing in the Rams' favour.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERyerson took advantage of the momentum, with \u003Cb\u003EDomenic Alberga\u003C\/b\u003E quickly scoring his sixth of the season a mere thirty-five seconds later. The Rams would take that 4-2 lead into the second intermission, following another high-offense period where the Rams outshot the Lions 16-12.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn the final frame, momentum swung back in York’s favour. Lombardi broke in on a breakaway off the opening faceoff but rung it off the post, and the Lions kept momentum as they peppered Courchaine with shots and the home crowd began to buzz.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELombardi worked hard and was able to bury his second of the game with six and a half minutes to go, closing the lead to 4-3.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYork put a lot of pressure on the Ryerson defenseman for most of the remaining time, before their second too-many-men penalty of the game came with less than two minutes left to seal their fate. With a man-advantage and a one-goal lead, Ryerson merely controlled the puck and escaped with their one-goal lead still intact, moving to 5-1-0 on the season. Ryerson outshot York 36-35 in the game that saw both goalies stand out.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESurprisingly considering their strong starts, both teams dropped their second weekend matchups. Ryerson fell to Western by a 6-4 tally on Saturday night, while Windsor had an easy time defeating York 4-1, giving the Lions their third straight loss that will certainly see them booted from the CIS Top Ten.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYork will play Carleton and RMC this week, whereas \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ryersonrams.ca\/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=109726\u0026SPID=13614\u0026DB_LANG=C\u0026DB_OEM_ID=22300\u0026ATCLID=209298664\"\u003ERyerson won't play at all\u003C\/a\u003E. They must forfeit their next two games after some players apparently broke the school's code of conduct by drinking alcohol on their road trip to play Princeton University on Oct. 18 and 19. The infraction was severe enough for the school to suspend head coach \u003Cb\u003EGraham Wise\u003C\/b\u003E for four games as well, though all four games happen to be against teams in the East division.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E**\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EJoin us Saturday for the next rendition of the OUA Hockey Game of the Week, when the 5-1-0 Western Mustangs visit Montréal to face the 5-1-1 McGill Redmen.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/1746792453546548331\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/11\/mens-hockey-rams-take-down-lions-in.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/1746792453546548331"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/1746792453546548331"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/11\/mens-hockey-rams-take-down-lions-in.html","title":"Men's hockey: Rams Take Down Lions in Cross-City Clash"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Kyle Brown"},"uri":{"$t":"https:\/\/plus.google.com\/100079013344179668072"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-6779922688049154853"},"published":{"$t":"2013-08-25T07:00:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2013-08-30T21:58:20.690-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"CIS Countdown 2013"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lancers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"OUA Football Recap"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Blues"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Warriors"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Yates Cup"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: 2013 OUA preview"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EFraser Caldwell, Perry King, and Neate Sager answer some burning questions about the Ontario teams ahead of Sunday's openers. \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EDisclosure: Fraser is employed by McMaster's athletics department as a communications assistant.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGENERAL\u003C\/b\u003E: \u003Ci\u003EDoes the 8-games-in-9-weeks schedule make much of a difference vs. 8-in-8? In 2010, when teams also opened early, attendance was not significantly lower in those home openers, for whatever that's worth. And will the clear distinction from last year remain, with four good teams at the top?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPK\u003C\/b\u003E: For the time being, I don't see this making a big difference but the potential of a rested team making a game of it with a powerhouse club this season is likely, and probably better for 1) morale on lower echelon clubs and 2) for competitive balance in the OUA. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf a \"middle\" team, like a Toronto or a Guelph, can have some rest before taking on a (beatable) powerhouse, then we could have a chance for parity. If the added rest just gives the powerhouse clubs more ammo to load up, then so be it. Honestly, parity can only build interest, and ample rest goes a long way for a conference known to be more lighter in the belt, so to speak. The distinction between upper and lower echelon clubs should be distinct, but making efforts to support parity is a long term project, like it would be in the CFL or NFL.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENS\u003C\/b\u003E: Whether 2012 was an anomaly or watershed for competitive balance will be determined by how it plays out this fall; how is that for a nice fence-straddling opening statement? York and U of T \u0026mdash; which, you decide what it's worth, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.varsityblues.ca\/news\/2013\/8\/18\/FB_0818134255.aspx?path=football\"\u003Etied Concordia in exhibition last Sunday\u003C\/a\u003E \u0026mdash; are proving they can compete with mid-pack teams. Laurier and Ottawa definitely trended downward over 2011 and '12, but with new head coaches in place, there's some shot of renewal; new Gee-Gees coach \u003Cb\u003EJamie Barresi\u003C\/b\u003E has been described to me as an \"evil genius.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOverall, seeing each team post at least two wins last fall was a welcome sight. It is shaping up as a year where there is going to be some parity.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFC\u003C\/b\u003E: I don't foresee the new wrinkle in the schedule having any tangible effect on the product on the field. Where I do see a potential difference is in the marketing of games and the attendance\/viewership numbers. It's right to point out that an earlier start did nothing to dampen opening week receptions a few seasons ago. But I can't help but think that the hype machines in the OUA will lose some of their edge when teams are two games deep before students have attended a single class. Diehards will make their way to the stadium, but it's the casual student who has yet to even consider school or their varsity teams as they try to suck the last vestiges of free time from their summer.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-Cy3i0gB0UrQ\/Uhld7kWkdqI\/AAAAAAAABM0\/l8MFFiLVC5s\/s1600\/marauders.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-Cy3i0gB0UrQ\/Uhld7kWkdqI\/AAAAAAAABM0\/l8MFFiLVC5s\/s200\/marauders.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMcMASTER\u003C\/b\u003E (last year in OUA: 10-0, +26.0 SRS) \u0026mdash; \u003Ci\u003EOnly one non-Laval loss in two years is impressive. Do they take a step back without \u003Cb\u003EKyle Quinlan\u003C\/b\u003E (or other key players)? \u003Cb\u003EMarshall Ferguson\u003C\/b\u003E's numbers were usually impressive as well, so they may have a good system in place, or they may simply have had two very talented QBs in recent years.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENS\u003C\/b\u003E: McMaster is still McMaster and they have experienced new starters to plug in, including Ferguson replacing Quinlan as QB1, but keep in mind the depth players on a championship team always benefit from a 'halo effect.' They're still loaded, though, let's not kid ourselves.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFC\u003C\/b\u003E: This is not the seemingly invincible team of 2012. But the Marauders will be more competitive in 2013 than many realize (again, I work for them, so take that with as much salt as you wish). The list of graduands is long, and filled with many an all-star. Gone is Quinlan, quarterback and talisman, and with him two of McMaster's best receivers and four of their starting five offensive linemen. Also remove three starters from the defensive line, including CIS single-season sack leader \u003Cb\u003EBen D'Aguilar\u003C\/b\u003E. Oh, and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/11\/the-anatomy-of-mcmasters-yates-cup.html\"\u003EYates Cup MVP \u003Cb\u003EShane Beaton\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut the Marauders have built a great deal of depth in the past few years, and will be putting it to use in 2013. Ferguson will not be the athletic, defender-leaping threat that Quinlan was, but brings a cerebral approach and a sure set of hands to the McMaster offence, already \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/09\/calculated-reactions-2011-quarterback.html\"\u003Eproving capable during Quinlan's suspension in 2011\u003C\/a\u003E. While \u003Cb\u003ERob Babic\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EBrad Fochesato\u003C\/b\u003E represented dependable production through the air, \u003Cb\u003EDahlin Brooks\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EMax Cameron\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003ETyler Loveday\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EBen O'Connor\u003C\/b\u003E have all shown comparable ability in extended action. The Marauders will lean on a formidable secondary which returns all five of its starters, while hoping that the lines gell quickly in what is a tough early schedule.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-vuIkpHJe0CE\/UhleEvsH05I\/AAAAAAAABM8\/_QX5wYCHzfs\/s1600\/gryphons.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-vuIkpHJe0CE\/UhleEvsH05I\/AAAAAAAABM8\/_QX5wYCHzfs\/s200\/gryphons.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGUELPH\u003C\/b\u003E (8-2, +6.3 SRS) \u0026mdash; \u003Ci\u003ESome would say the Gryphons got lucky last year. If so, does it run out in 2013?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENS\u003C\/b\u003E: With Quinlan moving on, Guelph's \u003Cb\u003EJazz Lindsey\u003C\/b\u003E and Queen's \u003Cb\u003EBilly McPhee\u003C\/b\u003E are the only incumbent QBs in the league who have guided a team to a 6-2 finish or greater. The Gryphons are evidently talented and have given themselves a leg up with their recruiting. One warning is that some regression might be inevitable after a year where seemingly every up-for-grabs football bounced into their hands.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFC\u003C\/b\u003E: There's an awful lot of hype surrounding this team this season, after an improbable run to the Yates Cup final a year ago. Many other pundits seem to think that the Gryphons are ready to take another step forward, but I have the opposite opinion. I think they overachieved in a big way a year ago, no more so than \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/11\/football-twice-in-lifetime-guelph-comes.html\"\u003Eduring that semifinal in which the Gaels mashed the self-destruct button\u003C\/a\u003E. Offensively, the Gryphons do have continuity going for them, and will return 11 of 12 starters. \u003Cb\u003ERob Farquharson\u003C\/b\u003E should be among the league rushing leaders once again, and Lindsey will be steady if unspectacular. But those who only remember the Gryphons' late-season romp should reacquaint themselves with Guelph's narrow victories over Toronto and Laurier. This was a Jekyll and Hyde team a year ago, and I think that we'll see more of Hyde in 2013.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-jHY09XBxZKg\/UhleIwpNDOI\/AAAAAAAABNE\/HQoKdZ18Z_k\/s1600\/mustangs.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-jHY09XBxZKg\/UhleIwpNDOI\/AAAAAAAABNE\/HQoKdZ18Z_k\/s200\/mustangs.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWESTERN\u003C\/b\u003E (6-4, +14.2 SRS) \u0026mdash; \u003Ci\u003EWhat determines the success of this team, one that drew Mac in last year's OUA semi, and might have gone to the Yates otherwise?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFC\u003C\/b\u003E: How far along \u003Cb\u003EWill Finch\u003C\/b\u003E is in his progression will determine just how deep the Mustangs go this season. I see Western at the top of the heap, winning the Yates Cup, because I believe that he'll fulfil the potential that made him the top quarterback prospect in Canada in 2011. Finch doesn't need to be a world-beater, because he has the best running game in the province (by a landslide) at his beck-and-call, and the most well-rounded offensive line. Defensively, Western returns most starters, including defensive linemen \u003Cb\u003EDaryl Waud\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EDylan Ainsworth\u003C\/b\u003E, and linebacker \u003Cb\u003EBeau Landry\u003C\/b\u003E. The loss of \u003Cb\u003EHarold Mutabola\u003C\/b\u003E will hurt the secondary, but \u003Cb\u003EGreg Marshall\u003C\/b\u003E recruited heavily, and successfully, at that position. With the strength of Western's ground game, their line play, and the expected emergence of Finch, the Mustangs are in an enviable position this season.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENS\u003C\/b\u003E: Western could be very dangerous \u0026mdash; \u003Cb\u003EMatt Uren\u003C\/b\u003E is such a good all-purpose threat \u0026mdash; but Finch is still very early on in his maturation cycle as a quarterback. It might be another season before Marshall really opens up the whole playbook. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-UmNkEspahv4\/UhleMuIirPI\/AAAAAAAABNM\/JIkd_2YZyUY\/s1600\/goldengaels.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-UmNkEspahv4\/UhleMuIirPI\/AAAAAAAABNM\/JIkd_2YZyUY\/s200\/goldengaels.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EQUEEN'S\u003C\/b\u003E (7-3, +10.7 SRS) \u0026mdash; \u003Ci\u003EAnother member of the top four that just missed a shot for the championship. Will they return to the Yates Cup for the first time since 2009, the year they won some other trophy as well?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENS\u003C\/b\u003E: Queen's is in the same turn-hurt-into-hunger scenario some of its past teams faced. The 2009 team was coming off consecutive home playoff losses; their '92 Vanier winner also had a 22-point lead go up in smoke in the playoffs, just like the '12 crew did \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/11\/football-twice-in-lifetime-guelph-comes.html\"\u003Evs. Guelph last November\u003C\/a\u003E. Their window to win might not be as wide open as it is this fall; they return 20 starters and McPhee will now have a dedicated offensive coordinator with \u003Cb\u003ERyan Sheahan\u003C\/b\u003E rejoining the staff after his year with the Tiger-Cats. That might provide the solution to an all too frequently peaks-and-valleys passing game. There's a good skill-position group with the fifth-year trio of \u003Cb\u003ERyan Granberg\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EGiovanni Aprile\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EJustin Chapdelaine\u003C\/b\u003E, incoming D1 transfers \u003Cb\u003EBrandon Morgan\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EDaniel Heslop\u003C\/b\u003E, and the emerging \u003Cb\u003EAlex Carroll\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EChris Patrician\u003C\/b\u003E. Queen's, for the most part, has been steady in its running game, defence and special teams for the last two years, notwithstanding the inordinate number of punt blocks they allowed last fall.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFC\u003C\/b\u003E: A year ago, the Gaels remembered that they planned a kegger for the day of the Yates Cup and promptly shuffled out of their OUA semifinal. I wouldn't bank on that happening again. This is the most veteran squad in the province in 2013, with one last chance to take top prize before hanging up the tricolour. Aprile and Chapdelaine provide a great one-two threat through the air, and Granberg is reliable as always (though overused). Both lines are chalked full of experience and size, and will be among the very best in the province. Veterans abound on defence as well, with \u003Cb\u003EAndrew Lue\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EChase Dunawa\u003C\/b\u003E, and \u003Cb\u003ESam Sabourin\u003C\/b\u003E anchoring a fearsome back eight. But the lynchpin in it all may be McPhee, and that's why I don't think Queen's can win the championship they so desperately want this season. Quite simply, I've never thought very highly of McPhee as a passer. He does well underneath, and makes the routine play, but he doesn't protect the ball particularly well and he doesn't throw deep routes on par with a passer like Austin Kennedy. Maybe this is the year that McPhee makes a breakthrough, but I wouldn't bet on it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-TS45fJ8LJhY\/UhleRYGZfwI\/AAAAAAAABNU\/c5bWginfkq4\/s1600\/lancers.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-TS45fJ8LJhY\/UhleRYGZfwI\/AAAAAAAABNU\/c5bWginfkq4\/s200\/lancers.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWINDSOR\u003C\/b\u003E (3-6, -2.8 SRS) \u0026mdash; \u003Ci\u003EDo they have a shot at getting past those 5-at-4 or 6-at-3 matchups, losses in which seem inevitable for midpack OUA teams? Having perhaps the best returning OUA quarterback won't hurt.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFC\u003C\/b\u003E: The Lancers will have to navigate a few key losses in 2013, and how they fare this season may depend on how well they fill those holes. First and foremost, Windsor will be without the services of \u003Cb\u003EJordan Brescacin\u003C\/b\u003E, far and away the most dominant receiver in the OUA in 2012 (and as an aside, the fact that Brescacin is currently without a CFL employer baffles me). Look for the ball to be spread more evenly between returnees \u003Cb\u003EEvan Pszczonak\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EDylan Whitfield\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EKyle Tyo\u003C\/b\u003E. Defensively, both of the Lancers' 2012 all-stars have graduated, in halfback \u003Cb\u003EMatt McGarva\u003C\/b\u003E and corner \u003Cb\u003EShea Pierre\u003C\/b\u003E. That could set Windsor's secondary back, at least momentarily. But if \u003Cb\u003EAustin Kennedy\u003C\/b\u003E can keep the Lancers' offence firing at the rate it did last season, it might not matter.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-OvUv6eeJ9Jo\/UhleVCipRHI\/AAAAAAAABNc\/VRecdFS7jyk\/s1600\/geegees.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-OvUv6eeJ9Jo\/UhleVCipRHI\/AAAAAAAABNc\/VRecdFS7jyk\/s200\/geegees.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOTTAWA\u003C\/b\u003E (2-6, -3.3 SRS) \u0026mdash; \u003Ci\u003ECompared to the other 2-6 teams they weren't blown out nearly as badly, so they have to get better, right?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFC\u003C\/b\u003E: Looking at the Gee-Gees and the Lancers, I think these teams could easily flip between 5th and 6th. Let's put it this way: both teams are better than the bottom half of this division, but a clear step behind the Big Four. I put Ottawa behind Windsor because their defence still terrifies me, but I'll get to that in a second. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe foundation of Ottawa's offence remains intact and very dangerous, with \u003Cb\u003EAaron Colbon\u003C\/b\u003E back under centre along with his two favourite targets, \u003Cb\u003ESimon Le Marquand\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EVincent Campbell\u003C\/b\u003E, and fifth-year rusher \u003Cb\u003EBrendan Gillanders\u003C\/b\u003E. With the offensive line intact and a year wiser, there's no reason to expect a regression on offence. But where the Gee-Gees were so often victimized last season was in their backfield, and that area will take time to address. Will the group be better than they were last season? Probably. But not good enough to make Ottawa a real threat in this division.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENS\u003C\/b\u003E: On gut instinct alone, Ottawa gets back in the playoffs. Colbon, Gillanders, and Le Marquand are a good set of fifth-year triplets on offence and their line play should improve on each side of the ball. Their 'back eight' has been an Achilles heel for a couple years, perhaps more schematically than athletically.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-ej0DYF6Md3E\/UhleooC9mSI\/AAAAAAAABN0\/-SLXFgZEqmE\/s1600\/lions.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-ej0DYF6Md3E\/UhleooC9mSI\/AAAAAAAABN0\/-SLXFgZEqmE\/s200\/lions.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EYORK\u003C\/b\u003E (2-6, -12.6 SRS) and \u003Cb\u003ETORONTO\u003C\/b\u003E (2-6, -20.0 SRS) \u0026mdash; \u003Ci\u003EIs there any hope?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPK\u003C\/b\u003E: They had games they could have won in 2012. Both teams came off seasons with upsides but not a whole lot of results. Toronto lost something after their Laurier opener, and York simply had trouble putting a complete performance in games last season. Both teams will be hungry, and have a lot of their core guys back to play. There are a lot of beatable teams in the OUA, including the Beta version of Carleton's program, and they have the assets to win.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-TYONdzeNn8o\/UhleuOwGstI\/AAAAAAAABN8\/cIurxg4bAz0\/s1600\/varsityblues.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-TYONdzeNn8o\/UhleuOwGstI\/AAAAAAAABN8\/cIurxg4bAz0\/s200\/varsityblues.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFC\u003C\/b\u003E: If I had to pick an adjective to best encapsulate Toronto, it would be “nondescript”. The Varsity Blues are there. They're not terrible. They're not very good. They're there. There's a reason that there were no All-Stars named from Toronto in 2012. The quarterbacking duo of \u003Cb\u003ESimon Nassar\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003ERichard Quittenton\u003C\/b\u003E return to do completely average things, and the amazingly-named \u003Cb\u003EPaul de Pass\u003C\/b\u003E will lead the way as Toronto's fifth-year receiver. Leading rusher \u003Cb\u003EAshton Nelson\u003C\/b\u003E is gone, but on the plus side, the Blues return the bulk of their young defence, which should improve this season. Still, they look to be set for yet another year in the murky middle ground of the OUA. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs for York, there are a lot of new faces in the Lions' defensive backfield this season, and rightly so. The secondary was victimized early and often last year en route to the dubious distinction of giving up the most passing yards of any defensive unit in the OUA. So in scanning the Lions' roster, it doesn't surprise me to see 12 rookie defensive backs listed. If York is to make further strides this year, it will need its defence to stop holding back a promising offence, which was quietly among the OUA's best last season. \u003Cb\u003EMyles Gibbon\u003C\/b\u003E has one last kick at the varsity can, as do primary targets \u003Cb\u003EWill Austin\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EJonelle Tolbert\u003C\/b\u003E. The question is whether that offence can adapt to the loss of leading rusher \u003Cb\u003EKyle Exume\u003C\/b\u003E. I think they'll manage.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-6WNx8TU3dYc\/Uhle1XA7u9I\/AAAAAAAABOE\/1GNZkZmqfzM\/s1600\/goldenhawks.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-6WNx8TU3dYc\/Uhle1XA7u9I\/AAAAAAAABOE\/1GNZkZmqfzM\/s200\/goldenhawks.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELAURIER\u003C\/b\u003E (3-6, -16.1 SRS) \u0026mdash; \u003Ci\u003E2012 was quite an awful year, especially by their standards. What happened? Can they improve?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFC\u003C\/b\u003E: Remember when the Golden Hawks were perennial contenders and a feel-good story of small town success? Good, because those times are long gone. This team reached a new low last season, and I see nothing to expect an immediate turnaround. What seniors there were in last year's atrocious offence – which scored the fewest points in the OUA (109) by a fairly wide margin – are gone, including receivers \u003Cb\u003EAlex Anthony\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EAnton Bennett\u003C\/b\u003E, and fullback \u003Cb\u003EJosh Pirie\u003C\/b\u003E. Sophomore \u003Cb\u003EJames Fracas\u003C\/b\u003E takes over under centre, after being thrown to the wolves appearing in four games \u0026mdash; including Laurier's 34-0 quarterfinal thrashing at the hands of Queen's \u0026mdash; and completing 28 of 57 passes for 327, a pick and no points in 2012. Oh, and Laurier's only All-Star from a season ago, linebacker \u003Cb\u003EMitchell Bosch\u003C\/b\u003E is gone, alongside fellow linebacking starter \u003Cb\u003ENick Sapone\u003C\/b\u003E, defensive back \u003Cb\u003ECarlos Naranjo\u003C\/b\u003E and defensive linemen \u003Cb\u003EAlex Brouwers\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EBen Ivany\u003C\/b\u003E. This could be fun for the other teams in the league.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-37aWEUgUwfs\/Uhle5OdEMNI\/AAAAAAAABOM\/tK_bnwjNfkU\/s1600\/warriors.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-37aWEUgUwfs\/Uhle5OdEMNI\/AAAAAAAABOM\/tK_bnwjNfkU\/s200\/warriors.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWATERLOO\u003C\/b\u003E (2-6, -22.0 SRS) \u0026mdash; \u003Ci\u003EThe great saga continues: this team's last win over a non-York\/Toronto\/Windsor opponent was five years ago. Will they get one this year?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFC\u003C\/b\u003E: Little by little, the Warriors pick up the pieces and get crucially older. With \u003Cb\u003EJoe Paopao\u003C\/b\u003E sticking around, the Warriors will also enjoy continuity at the top, which is a must if they want to dig themselves out of the cellar anytime soon. But returning your players only matters if those players were worth a toss in the first place. On offence, there were some things to like, namely, receiving warhorse \u003Cb\u003ENick Anapolsky\u003C\/b\u003E and lineman \u003Cb\u003EMatt Vonk\u003C\/b\u003E. But this is a group whose returning quarterbacking duo of \u003Cb\u003EJamie Cook\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EBrian Chris\u003C\/b\u003E threw four more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (8), and didn't boast a single rusher inside the league's top 20. Not to mention, the offence means very little when your defensive line is being treated like a TTC turnstile and there's only scorched earth where your backfield should be. This will be another ugly season.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-xpIBmCwX5Ng\/UhlfZ_2jW4I\/AAAAAAAABOc\/HqiBqZy3Yvc\/s1600\/ravens.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-xpIBmCwX5Ng\/UhlfZ_2jW4I\/AAAAAAAABOc\/HqiBqZy3Yvc\/s200\/ravens.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECARLETON\u003C\/b\u003E (did not play) \u0026mdash; \u003Ci\u003EWhat is our realistic expectation for their success this year? Can you build a program from scratch that's instantly better than some or all of Waterloo, York, and Toronto?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E[Ed. note: Neate has covered Carleton's return for Yahoo \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/ca.sports.yahoo.com\/blogs\/cfl-55-yard-line\/cis-corner-ottawa-gee-gees-carleton-ravens-giving-190803207.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/ca.sports.yahoo.com\/blogs\/cfl-55-yard-line\/cis-corner-carleton-ravens-reboot-nears-launch-amount-175607974.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.]\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFC\u003C\/b\u003E: In talking with football folk around McMaster and elsewhere, the sense that I get of Carleton is that this is a program with great potential, but one that won't be able to realize it for a few seasons. \u003Cb\u003ESteve Sumarah\u003C\/b\u003E has gathered together an impressive first class of recruits to much fanfare, but they remain just that: recruits. There's obviously a desire to win on the administration's part at Carleton, and they've put their money where their collective mouth is. But this football embryo needs time to grow. I would peg the Ravens at 1-7 this season, with the victory coming at the expense of Waterloo in Week 2.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/6779922688049154853\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/08\/football-2013-oua-preview_25.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/6779922688049154853"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/6779922688049154853"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2013\/08\/football-2013-oua-preview_25.html","title":"Football: 2013 OUA preview"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"The CIS Blog"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/04279535209746489243"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-Cy3i0gB0UrQ\/Uhld7kWkdqI\/AAAAAAAABM0\/l8MFFiLVC5s\/s72-c\/marauders.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-3861404364316223169"},"published":{"$t":"2012-10-18T07:00:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2012-10-18T07:00:07.919-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lancers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"statistics"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Blues"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: OUA playoff odds, and York's 1-in-3200 chance of making the playoffs"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"The OUA's \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/oua.ca\/news\/2012\/10\/16\/FB_1016122909.aspx?path=football\"\u003Eunveiling of the various football playoff scenarios\u003C\/a\u003E entering the final week of conference play (in \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/oua.ca\/documents\/2012\/10\/16\/2012_OUA_Football_Tie_breaking_scenarios.pdf\"\u003Ea nine-page PDF\u003C\/a\u003E, no less) has inspired CIS Blog Labs to run the numbers and figure out which ones are actually likely to happen.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003ESpoiler alert: there probably won't be any surprises.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWe give each OUA team odds of winning their next game based on their RPI and SRS rankings, and whether the game is home or away. We then combine these odds for each scenario. (If, for example, Queen's and McMaster are each 90% likely to win, there's an 81% chance they will both win.) We'll group outcomes by playoff seeding, so if two different scenarios lead to the same ranking of teams, they're considered to be the same scenario. (We've done this \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2010\/10\/football-canada-west-playoff-scenarios.html\"\u003Ein past years\u003C\/a\u003E, too.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENo matter what, McMaster finishes first, Guelph finishes second, and Queen's third. Waterloo cannot make the playoffs, and Windsor and Western also are safe from elimination. What's left up for grabs are the fourth through sixth seeds.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn the end, we get the following outcomes:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E1. Laurier (6) at Queen's (3), Windsor (5) at Western (4)\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E94.7% likely to happen\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBasically this is it right here. Unless something crazy happens, like \"two of Toronto, Ottawa, and Waterloo win\", these will be the playoff matchups. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E2. Windsor (6) at Queen's (3), Ottawa (5) at Western (4)\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E3.9% likely to happen\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFrom firing their coach to a 5 seed in the playoffs. It's not exactly that easy, since \u003Cb\u003EGary Etcheverry\u003C\/b\u003E didn't get a chance to play Waterloo or Toronto. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe only way this can happen is if Guelph, McMaster, and Queen's all win, and then Waterloo and Ottawa do too. That gives us a three-way tie for fifth between Ottawa, Windsor, and Laurier, with the Hawks left out. (Based on the Waterloo requirement alone it's pretty unlikely Ottawa will avoid Queen's, although somehow I have the Warriors at only 20-80 underdogs ... how is that possible?)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E3. Ottawa (6) at Queen's (3), Windsor (5) at Western (4)\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E0.6% likely to happen\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOttawa and McMaster have to win (keeping Ottawa and Laurier at 3-5), and then either Guelph\/Windsor\/Toronto win (Windsor 5th, three-way tie for 6th), or York\/Waterloo\/Queen's all win (four-way tie for 5th). \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E4. Windsor (6) at Queen's (3), Laurier (5) at Western (4)\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003Eor \u003Cb\u003E5. Windsor (6) at Queen's (3), Western (5) at Laurier (4)\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E0.5% likely to happen\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThose of you hoping for a WLU-UWO matchup (so, basically, everyone at either school) will first need to hope that Laurier wins (that would be the same Laurier who have failed to score a touchdown in three games so far this year). After that, it gets kind of complicated. Guelph\/Ottawa is probably the most likely of the sets of wins needed.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E6. Toronto (6) at Queen's (3), Windsor (5) at Western (4)\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E0.2% likely to happen\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis one's easy: in addition to Toronto winning and Laurier losing, Guelph\/Western\/Windsor all have to win. It's one of two ways Toronto can sneak in; the other (York\/Ottawa\/Waterloo) is much less likely.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E7. York (6) at Queen's (3), Windsor (5) at Western (4)\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E0.03% likely to happen\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ciframe width=\"420\" height=\"315\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/p3-eavMSBnk\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/3861404364316223169\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/10\/football-oua-playoff-odds-and-yorks-1.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/3861404364316223169"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/3861404364316223169"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/10\/football-oua-playoff-odds-and-yorks-1.html","title":"Football: OUA playoff odds, and York's 1-in-3200 chance of making the playoffs"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Rob Pettapiece"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/p3-eavMSBnk\/default.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-6288462200287439362"},"published":{"$t":"2012-09-09T13:51:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2012-09-09T13:51:04.413-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Bisons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Bears"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lancers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Linking the country"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"U of S Huskies"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UBC Thunderbirds"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Linking the country: Could the Gee-Gees use Hechavarria instead of Etcheverry?"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.yorkulions.ca\/sports\/fball\/2012-13\/releases\/20120908kf724l\"\u003EYork beat Ottawa\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWait, York beat Ottawa? Yes, it would appear so. Final score was 47 to 36. 47! York outscored their entire 2008 in one game. That's actually true. Not to get too far ahead of ourselves here, but York has Laurier away and Waterloo home in the next two weeks, and a 3-1 start is not out of the question. 2-2 is certainly possible. The last time York finished with more than one win was the 2005 season. Meanwhile, the Beckwith Gee-Gees are 0-2. Just like adding a CFL coach didn't turn Waterloo around, adding a CFL defensive co-ordinator hasn't stopped Ottawa from allowing 1,122 yards of total offence in two games. Some defensive improvement seems crucial.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMaybe \u003Cb\u003EBlake Nill\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.canadawest.org\/news\/2012\/8\/29\/FB_0829125331.aspx\"\u003Ewas onto something\u003C\/a\u003E. His team, and the team he (presumably) voted for top spot in the Canada West coaches poll, are the only 2-0 teams in the conference. This win will solidify Manitoba's spot in the top 10 (they're on my ballot this week) but let's point out that \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/huskieoutsider.com\/2012\/09\/08\/game-story-bisons-31-huskies-28\/\"\u003Ethe Huskies didn't have a terrible game\u003C\/a\u003E, and credit them for going for it on 3rd and 2 early in the game when most teams would not. (Neither conversion worked, and they didn't try it again until the end of the game. But: baby steps.) Also, if I'm reading this right, the team with the wind outscored the other by 52-7. \u003Cb\u003EDavid Larkins\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/blogs.canoe.ca\/thefeed\/uncategorized\/canada-west-football-week-2-my-return-to-something-ill-call-glory\/\"\u003Epicked Manitoba to win 28-24\u003C\/a\u003E, but they actually won 31-28. Slacker.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECase in point about how you can't just use transitivity to evaluate teams: Mac beat Guelph by 41. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/blogs.windsorstar.com\/2012\/09\/08\/lancers-humbled-by-gryphons\/\"\u003EGuelph beat Windsor by 19\u003C\/a\u003E. Windsor beat Ottawa by 45. That doesn't mean McMaster will outscore Ottawa by 105 points next week. Though I'd kind of like to see that. Anyway, there was not even a touchdown from the Lancers yesterday. QB \u003Cb\u003EAustin Kennedy\u003C\/b\u003E (23-45, 244 yards, 77 rushing yards) told \u003Cb\u003EBob Duff\u003C\/b\u003E, \"It’s a game where you can’t blame anyone but yourself.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt's a few days late, but our \u003Cb\u003EEvan Daum\u003C\/b\u003E has a follow-up from CJSR's \u003Cb\u003ENick Frost\u003C\/b\u003E on U of A football coach \u003Cb\u003EJeff Stead\u003C\/b\u003E's comments about Canada West officials. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/blogs.edmontonjournal.com\/2012\/09\/05\/football-stead-not-shying-away-from-criticism-of-canada-west-officiating-inconsistencies\/\"\u003EStead believes\u003C\/a\u003E it's too inconsistent, not just from Vancouver to Winnipeg, but between the West and Quebec and Ontario and so on: “At some point Football Canada needs to understand that officiating in our game needs to be the same.” You'll hear very similar comments about basketball officials in this country as well.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe UBC men's basketball team has just two players left over from 2010-11, but \u003Cb\u003EHoward Tsumura\u003C\/b\u003E, after watching them drop a close one to Eastern Washington, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/blogs.theprovince.com\/2012\/09\/09\/new-look-basketball-birds-drop-exhibition-opener-to-eastern-wash-but-show-plenty-of-promise\/\"\u003Ewas pleased with what he saw\u003C\/a\u003E, and talks about the promising rookies on this T-Birds squad. \u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/6288462200287439362\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/09\/linking-country-could-gee-gees-use.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/6288462200287439362"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/6288462200287439362"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/09\/linking-country-could-gee-gees-use.html","title":"Linking the country: Could the Gee-Gees use Hechavarria instead of Etcheverry?"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Rob Pettapiece"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-4242711005010888417"},"published":{"$t":"2012-09-04T07:00:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2012-09-04T07:00:16.051-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lancers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Linking the country"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Blues"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Warriors"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Linking the country: Labouring through OUA blowouts"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EWhat you missed while trying not to make eye contact with Daniel Negreanu ...\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENot the best start for \u003Cb\u003EGary Etcheverry\u003C\/b\u003E at Ottawa U: the Lancers \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.windsorstar.com\/sports\/Lancers+trounce+Gees\/7183592\/story.html\"\u003Eput 63 on them\u003C\/a\u003E, the highest score Windsor's had since [looks it up] September 24, 2005, when they beat a very poor U of T team 63 to 22. This result also means the Gee-Gees have surrendered 164 points in their last three games going back to last year. Etcheverry \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ottawacitizen.com\/sports\/Gees+even+close+football+opener\/7183491\/story.html\"\u003Etold the \u003Ci\u003EOttawa Citizen\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E that \"we lacked explosion in everything we did\" \u0026mdash; which is true, as this was more of an implosion.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMan, remember when Waterloo beat McMaster four years ago? No, I don't either. Yesterday they \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.therecord.com\/sports\/article\/792144--familiar-face-familiar-result-for-warriors\"\u003Edropped their opener to the Mustangs 54-10\u003C\/a\u003E. The focus \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.therecord.com\/sports\/article\/792144--familiar-face-familiar-result-for-warriors\"\u003Ein \u003Ci\u003EThe Record\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E is on \u003Cb\u003EDennis McPhee\u003C\/b\u003E, former head coach of one program now defensively coordinating for the other, who left Waterloo \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/kitchener.ctvnews.ca\/warriors-football-coach-resigns-from-waterloo-1.730414\"\u003Eto spend more time with his Mustangs family\u003C\/a\u003E. We also hear from his replacement, \u003Cb\u003EJoe Paopao\u003C\/b\u003E, who says of the Warriors, \"Based on what we saw today, we’ll be alright.\" Does anyone have the heart to tell him?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAsk Mac how Guelph is this year. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/english.cis-sic.ca\/sports\/fball\/2012-13\/boxscores\/20120903_pd5v.xml\"\u003EThe final was 50-9\u003C\/a\u003E, a combination of \u003Cb\u003EKyle Quinlan\u003C\/b\u003E being very good and the Gryphons, apparently, completely giving up before two minutes had passed in the second half by conceding a safety and a 75-yard TD pass on consecutive plays. Quinlan actually \u003Ci\u003Erushed\u003C\/i\u003E for 104 yards himself, half of what the entire Guelph offence gained on the day. When you remove Waterloo games from last year's results, only three teams had a negative point differential: York, Toronto, and Guelph. There is no current relevance to that anecdote whatsoever.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E19 points (Toronto over Laurier) isn't a blowout, really, but \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/thevarsity.ca\/2012\/09\/03\/u-of-t-football-team-forces-shut-out-against-wilfrid-laurier\/\"\u003Eit gets extra credit for being a shutout\u003C\/a\u003E. Because this game hadn't started by 4:56pm, it didn't make the earlier Record story (not even in a \"late action included...\" mention). \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe most noteworthy thing out of the York-Queen's game was that \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thewhig.com\/2012\/09\/03\/gaels-easily-win-season-opener\"\u003Ethe \u003Ci\u003EKingston Whig-Standard\u003C\/i\u003E used \"Golden Gaels.\"\u003C\/a\u003E No, really. The highlight package \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/video.thescore.com\/watch\/qns-48-yrk-13\"\u003Eput together by The Score\u003C\/a\u003E consisted of exactly two plays. The game was played in front of 8,191 spectators, 8,215 if you include York.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBecause there wasn't much else of interest yesterday, let's bring in the 2012-13 edition of \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Chris__Oliver\/status\/241505741914124288\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThis Week In Chris Oliver\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E a few months early: \"Use stats to reveal the truth to your players.\"\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/4242711005010888417\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/09\/linking-country-labouring-through-oua.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/4242711005010888417"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/4242711005010888417"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/09\/linking-country-labouring-through-oua.html","title":"Linking the country: Labouring through OUA blowouts"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Rob Pettapiece"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-4013148816740167385"},"published":{"$t":"2012-08-23T18:59:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2012-08-23T23:26:17.718-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"CIS Countdown 2012"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lancers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Blues"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Warriors"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"CIS Countdown 2012: OUA preview"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Our preview of the OUA football season will start here at 7 p.m. EDT.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ciframe frameborder=\"0\" height=\"500\" width=\"500\" src=\"http:\/\/embed.scribblelive.com\/Embed\/v5.aspx?Id=56543\u0026amp;ThemeId=6556\" style=\"border: 1px solid #000;\" width=\"400\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/4013148816740167385\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/08\/cis-countdown-2012-oua-preview.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/4013148816740167385"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/4013148816740167385"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/08\/cis-countdown-2012-oua-preview.html","title":"CIS Countdown 2012: OUA preview"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Mike Radoslav"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-534084850470599054"},"published":{"$t":"2012-07-03T23:36:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2012-10-17T22:37:42.398-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Algoma Thunderbirds"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"CIS expansion"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Voyageurs"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Basketball: Accommodating Algoma; should new northern team play in OUA East?"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Were money less of an object, there would be a solution for what OUA basketball will look like once it's a sweet 16 again in 2013. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHistory, not geography, ought to guide how the OUA is aligned come 2013 when the Algoma Thunderbirds essentially take the spot in the league that the RMC Paladins' \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/06\/basketball-rmc-drops-out-of-oua.html\"\u003Evacated last week\u003C\/a\u003E. There probably is no perfect way to fit in the northern 'Birds. Instead of having a team in Kingston whose campus is jogging distance from another team in Kingston, the OUA now has a team in Sault Ste. Marie. The Soo is a four-hour drive from the nearest OUA basketball-playing school, Laurentian, and about a 10-hour drive from most OUA West schools. To Ontario people, that's a huge jaunt. (Cue Cam Charron laughing.) \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAt the risk of wading into \"what, the renovating the restaurant you don't own part, or spending the 200 million you don't have part\" territory, the solution seems fairly obvious. The Thunderbirds should play in the East division, presuming the OUA is married to its two-division, 22-game format. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003EThe alternative is that one of the West division teams, perhaps Guelph since it's near Highway 401 and is relatively close to the GTA, shifts to the East. At the same time, the Gryphons would be giving up long-running rivalries with other Southern Ontario schools. Why should a team of several decades' standing have to sacrifice to make room for the new kids on the block? It would be the same story if the McMaster Marauders were the ones to shift to the East. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlease keep in mind the OUA West was essentially a distinct league until it began crossing over with the East in 2001-02. Up until then, the divisions only came together for the Wilson Cup. The West schools have also been more traditionally minded\/reluctant to change; by and large they were later to get on board with having cross-over semifinals for the OUA Final Four. One can imagine there might be some heel-digging over who has to switch to \"the Carleton division.\" Putting Algoma in the East might sidestep some of the politics. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere's more to this than preserving tradition. Making sure teams don't have to travel excessively should be high-priority in university sport, whose stated aim is make sure student-athletes graduate with stellar marks. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPorter Airlines services the Soo and Sudbury. It obviously flies from Ottawa and Toronto, which takes care of the six teams in eastern and southern Ontario. The point is the obvious. Algoma probably should go in the OUA East and have the same arrangement Lakehead does in the West, where it plays two-game series every weekend, starting with the first week back in January. Fly in (or out) on Friday, fly home Sunday morning or afternoon. That might be better for the players than trying to sleep on a bus and than having to study on Sunday while they're mentally run down. The OUA West schools also get the long trip out of the way in November, before winter driving conditions take hold. (In my imagination if nothing else, teams would have to do a Sudbury-Sault Ste. Marie roadie; Queen's and York make better sense as travel partners since both schools are close to the 401.) \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAt the very least, the OUA has a year to cost this out and see if it makes sense. If it's a no-go, then someone in the West has to the bite the bullet next season. It's just seems worth seeing if there's a cost-effective way that keeps rivalries intact and perhaps encourages a new one between Algoma and Laurentian in the near north.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/534084850470599054\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/07\/basketball-accommodating-algoma-should.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/534084850470599054"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/534084850470599054"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/07\/basketball-accommodating-algoma-should.html","title":"Basketball: Accommodating Algoma; should new northern team play in OUA East?"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"sager"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/08757652892056684490"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HoppI3_eGQc\/VrWGl9xFY2I\/AAAAAAAADEA\/ucwvqUnIa7M\/s220\/Neate1379-4x4M.JPG"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-6132336194397458092"},"published":{"$t":"2012-02-23T19:56:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2012-02-23T19:56:06.841-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"2012 women's volleyball championships"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Volleyball"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Women's Volleyball: York disqualified, Final Four moved"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"In what's becoming a regular\u0026nbsp;occurrence\u0026nbsp;in CIS sports, history \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/ca.sports.yahoo.com\/blogs\/eh-game\/top-seeded-york-women-volleyball-team-disqualified-oua-002334879.html\"\u003Ehas been rewritten again\u003C\/a\u003E. It turns out the York Lions' women's volleyball team did not, in fact, win in three sets against the RMC Paladins Saturday, and they will not, in fact, be hosting the OUA Final Four this week. York \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/blogs.canoe.ca\/thefeed\/uncategorized\/a-fork-in-york-volleyball-team-makes-unthinkable-error\/\"\u003Eapparently used an ineligible player\u003C\/a\u003E, middle blocker \u003Cb\u003EMichelle Pierce\u003C\/b\u003E, who transferred from Windsor and sat out the mandated 365 days, but didn't play in a regular-season game (so was ineligible for the playoffs). The rule isn't all bad, but it's remarkable that York didn't pick up on this; these kinds of eligibility situations should be intensively studied by every coach and athletic department given the consequences. Instead, we now have a tournament\u0026nbsp;rescheduled and relocated\u0026nbsp;on short notice\u0026nbsp;(it's now set for Ottawa), an #8 seed in it instead of the favoured #1 seed (which might have been the OUA's best hope at nationals), and egg once again over the collective face of CIS.\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/6132336194397458092\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/02\/womens-volleyball-york-disqualified.html#comment-form","title":"9 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/6132336194397458092"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/6132336194397458092"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/02\/womens-volleyball-york-disqualified.html","title":"Women's Volleyball: York disqualified, Final Four moved"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Andrew Bucholtz"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/14156615450275929751"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-PYfWMgcgT4k\/Vs738VQPajI\/AAAAAAAAApE\/c7WzHdUaERU\/s113\/Profile%2B1.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"9"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-5838068604606810303"},"published":{"$t":"2012-01-08T15:08:00.004-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2012-01-09T21:45:47.046-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"OUA East Men's basketball recap"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Paladins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ryerson Rams"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Blues"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Voyageurs"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Basketball: OUA East Men: Rams, Blues go 2–0; Lions not so lucky"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Good teams taking advantage of the weak teams in their schedule should be the least of a team’s expectations, even if they do not admit it. For two of the three Toronto-based hoops squads, who have been feeling the burn of a sub-.500 season, those expectations were in play as they went 2–0 this weekend. \u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Toronto Varsity Blues and Ryerson Rams (both 5–5) are keeping pace with each other, each defeating the RMC Paladins and Queen’s Gaels (both 0–10) to keep pace with each other.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Blues really needed this, after letting the OUA West toss them around like rag dolls in November, who had a relatively slow 3–5 start this fall, put the RMC Paladins and Queen’s Gaels away 92–36 and 69–56 respectively. The games weren’t close, as the Blues kept the Paladins at bay with five players scoring double digit points—and three double digit players against the Gaels. Blues G \u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EJustin Holmes\u003C\/span\u003E made the most of his playing time this weekend, with 10 and 21 points in each game. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile beating the Paladins and Gaels were a given, the Blues very much needed to keep pace with their downtown Toronto rivals. The Rams, tied with Toronto for third in a loose OUA East, put Queen’s and RMC in their place. Their 78–50 win over Queen’s was a tremendous defensive effort. The Rams allowed 16 points in the second and third quarters, forcing 26 turnovers from the Queen’s squad. Their 92–19 win over RMC is almost comical, really, but on the surface of it, the Rams seem to have it together. I could actually see them defeating Toronto down the road, shutting down a Blues squad trying to figure out its identity as an offense and defense. They will have a chance Jan. 18 to show their mettle.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBy the way, the York Lions, that third Toronto squad, are having a nightmarish season, and this weekend was only a small sample of their woes. The Lions hit the Ottawa-Carleton iceberg this weekend, losing to the Ravens and Gee-Gees 90–54 and 92–71 respectively. It is this very iceberg that Toronto and Ryerson will have to navigate next weekend. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/5838068604606810303\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/01\/basketball-oua-men-rams-blues-go-20.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/5838068604606810303"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/5838068604606810303"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2012\/01\/basketball-oua-men-rams-blues-go-20.html","title":"Basketball: OUA East Men: Rams, Blues go 2–0; Lions not so lucky"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Perry King"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/09888613455383972574"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"21","src":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-Ry955DxoWa8\/Tjx9SYC4TfI\/AAAAAAAABcM\/5cKxXRn7n1A\/s220\/DSC_0001.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-8568742313934847016"},"published":{"$t":"2011-12-15T23:20:00.001-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2011-12-17T12:49:36.903-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"OUA East Men's basketball recap"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Paladins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ryerson Rams"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Blues"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Voyageurs"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Men's basketball: OUA East 2011-12 - Ballers, freshly graded (Holiday edition)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan style=\"font-style:italic;\"\u003EWith exams coming to a close and the winter break upon us, it won't be long before many CIS teams are playing in mid-season tournaments and preparing for the stretch drive of the second semester season. But before we start looking ahead to the holiday tournaments and second half games, it's time to make like professors and TAs and start dishing out the first-half grades. How have the teams done in their pursuit of athletic excellence? We'll start with the OUA West and East today, with Canada West and the AUS to follow tomorrow. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EPerry King\u003C\/span\u003E moves us eastward with his look at the haves (perhaps have) and have nots of the OUA East.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe OUA East has become strange territory in the last month or so. The division may be identifiable by the Carleton Ravens at the top, and the abysmal York Lion, RMC Paladins and Queen’s Gaels at the bottom, but the mighty middle has looked mildly mediocre at times in the last month. We have unscientifically graded their performance, and placed expectations adequately.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003ECARLETON RAVENS (CIS no.1)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003ERecord:\u003C\/span\u003E 8-0, 16 points; 1st place \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EWhat’s going on:\u003C\/span\u003E The Ravens are great at going about their business and winning when it counts. When the Lakehead Thunderwolves pulled out a victory on them to win the OUA last season, the Ravens shrugged it off to the tune of a national title. Without a hitch, this squad has already sprinted to a four-game lead on the next team. Undefeated, first in many team stats, and winning the games they’re supposed to—including a tight one against the Wolves. Stats and wins are a small indication of what we have come to understand about the Raven’s success, but we do understand that this squad is good in every aspect of the game.. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EThings to look for next semester: \u003C\/span\u003EI am, like many, already looking to how the Ravens will fare in the playoffs next spring. I can say this: the OUA West playoff teams will give the Ravens a problem, but not before they beat up on each other.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EGrade:\u003C\/span\u003E A+\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EOTTAWA GEE-GEES\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003ERecord:\u003C\/span\u003E 4-4, 8 points; 2nd place\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EWhat’s going on:\u003C\/span\u003E It looks like the Gee-gees are doing much better than last season, by comparison with a similar roster. Coach James Derouin’s squad started the 2010-11 season 2–6 before rallying to an 11–11 finish. While the expectation for Carleton’s neighbour is equal win-loss perfection, a relatively young coaching staff has slowly found its legs, with a 4–4 start. While we can’t assume their start will improve next season, this season they’re competitive but I’m still not sold on them. They should have beaten Laurier last week and the Windsor Lancers on Nov. 18—those games were heartbreakers—and their 0–2 start was a bit disenchanting.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EThings to look for next semester:\u003C\/span\u003E The Gee-gees are not faring well with rebounds, they’re 26th in the nation in boards. They need to hustle out there, but expect the numbers to improve against the likes of the Blues, Lions, and Paladins.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EGrade:\u003C\/span\u003E B\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EU OF T VARSITY BLUES\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003ERecord\u003C\/span\u003E: 3-5, 6 points; 3rd place\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EWhat’s going on:\u003C\/span\u003E This is not how the Blues go about business. When they have won, they have won close. When they have lost, they have been blown out, though with exceptions to losses against very good teams in Lakehead and Laurier the opening weekend. The common thread has been offensive woes. Squads have figured out that if you take away the Blues bombers behind the arc, they become worse at ball handling and they simply are not well-organized. To UofT's credit, they are defensively better than they have been in the past few years, but they need to keep the point totals down. Coach \u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EMike Katz\u003C\/span\u003E is a man with an impressive resume, and if this squad can win 10 of their last 14 games, that is at least at par with some of Katz’s past squads. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EThings to look for next semester\u003C\/span\u003E: This squad needs their second team to produce. Filling the holes left by vets like \u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EArun Kumar\u003C\/span\u003E, \u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EJustin Holmes\u003C\/span\u003E, and\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003E Drazen Glisic\u003C\/span\u003E can ensure this squad can stay in games more often.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EGrade:\u003C\/span\u003E B-\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003ERYERSON RAMS\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERecord: 3-5, 6 points; 3rd\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EWhat’s going on:\u003C\/span\u003E The Rams are perhaps performing exactly as was predicted. The epitome of the middle of this division, they have played well enough to win against Guelph and Brock—the same Badgers who beat the Blues this season. They have been handed their asses on a few occasions, though.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EThings to look for next semester:\u003C\/span\u003E This squad wants to beat the Blues, they want claim to who rules downtown Toronto. Expect this Jan. 18 contest to be very close.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EGrade:\u003C\/span\u003E C\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003ELAURENTIAN VOYAGEURS \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003ERecord:\u003C\/span\u003E 2-6, 4 points; 5th\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EWhat’s going on:\u003C\/span\u003E Despite their record, I’m very impressed with this squad. The Voys have the two top scorers in the East this season—Alex Ratte (17.9 ppg) and Isiah Pasquale (16.9 ppg). They have been competitive in all their games, and have been blown out only a couple times so far. They have exceeded my expectations so far.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EThings to look for next semester:\u003C\/span\u003E Watch out for the Voys when they face the third-place squads next semester. I feel like this squad can beat Toronto and Ryerson outright without it being a long shot. They do need to deal with defensive gaffes, but so do the Blues and Rams.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EGrade:\u003C\/span\u003E B-\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EQUEEN’S GOLDEN GAELS\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERecord: 0-8, 0 points; 6th\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EWhat’s going on:\u003C\/span\u003E Not so golden so far, unfortunately. What’s the most ridiculous stat of their futility so far? They are forty-first in the nation in points per game (60.2)—which include losses by 32 against Lakehead, 26 against Laurier, and 21 against Western. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EThings to look for next semester\u003C\/span\u003E: Hilarity, but if you’re a fan of the squad, defend them. They need the motivation, especially if they want to beat the likes of Toronto, Laurentian, and Queen’s.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EGrade:\u003C\/span\u003E F\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003ERMC PALADINS\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003ERecord:\u003C\/span\u003E 0-8, 0 points; sixth\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EWhat’s going on:\u003C\/span\u003E While we have come to expect this winless performance each season, it still doesn’t excuse the Paladins to be beaten by an average margin of 49.9 points. This upside of ridiculous stat is that their margins of loss have shrunk over the length of the season—including losses by 38 and 41 last weekend. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EThings to look for next semester: \u003C\/span\u003EExpect much of the same, although they do face Queen’s Feb. 3. Can we say first victory since the 2006-2007 season?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EGrade:\u003C\/span\u003E F\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EYORK LIONS\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003ERecord:\u003C\/span\u003E 0-8, 0 points; sixth\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EWhat’s going on:\u003C\/span\u003E Simply put, this team is ridiculously lacking in overall experience. They have three fourth-year players—F Justin Bell, G Ken Buchanan and G Dave Tyndale—on a team that was really young last year, too. It’s quite a risk to do this, and a 10–12 finish last season was surprising, so the Lions’ good luck may have run out\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EThings to look for next semester:\u003C\/span\u003E This squad will win some games, hope is not lost. Expect the offense to improve a tiny bit—they are 34th in field goals made, 40th in three-pointers made, and 40th in freethrow percentage.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EGrade:\u003C\/span\u003E D \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/8568742313934847016\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2011\/12\/basketball-oua-east-2011-12-ballers.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8568742313934847016"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8568742313934847016"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2011\/12\/basketball-oua-east-2011-12-ballers.html","title":"Men's basketball: OUA East 2011-12 - Ballers, freshly graded (Holiday edition)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Perry King"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/09888613455383972574"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"21","src":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-Ry955DxoWa8\/Tjx9SYC4TfI\/AAAAAAAABcM\/5cKxXRn7n1A\/s220\/DSC_0001.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-5774404079007409639"},"published":{"$t":"2011-12-05T12:00:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2011-12-05T12:00:06.886-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Basketball"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"OUA East Men's basketball recap"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Paladins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ryerson Rams"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Blues"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Voyageurs"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Basketball: OUA East, Week 4 - Voyageurs, Blues lose tough, Gee-Gees claim second"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"The Toronto Varsity Blues couldn’t have needed the holiday break any more. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith a chance to claim second in the East for their own, they in fact \u003Ci\u003Egot\u003C\/i\u003E owned\u0026mdash;with losses to the McMaster Marauders and Brock Badgers. The 78–60 loss to Mac Dec. 2 was fairly competitive out of the gates, but 30 turnovers, a mere four 3-pointers, and 20 points by \u003Cb\u003EAndrew Wasik\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EAlex Hill\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EDrazen Glisic\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026mdash;the veteran leadership on this team\u0026mdash;are clear indicators of an offensive shutdown. The pattern seemed almost similar in the 95–55 spanking by Brock, a squad that has the Blues’ number in the last few seasons. A 19–13 first quarter by Toronto was followed up by a 82-point performance by the tricky Badgers. While Wasik had 16 points to follow on a 4-point performance the night before, this is not like the Blues at all. Somehow, they need to get the ball control and offensive personnel sparked up before their next OUA match in January.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003EThe Laurentian Voyageurs also need some kind of spark. This team has a lot going against them, but a lot of heart and can squeak out games if they bring their best stuff. Their luck was absent this weekend, losing by a basket, 79–76, against the Guelph Gryphons, and 99–95 in OT against the powerful Lakehead Thunderwolves in Thunder Bay. A 27–19 third quarter was the difference against Guelph, and while they kept their turnovers down and made 46 per cent of their shots, they could not keep up with the Gryphon starters, who played a cache of minutes. The next night, the home court advantage for the Thunderwolves was a catalyst in the Wolves’ four-point victory. Six Thunderwolves, lead by G \u003Cb\u003EJoseph Jones\u003C\/b\u003E, had double digit points. An 0–2 weekend is a bitter pill to swallow, but the Voys have glimpses of good things coming. G \u003Cb\u003EAlex Ratte\u003C\/b\u003E is quietly becoming a leader on the floor for Laurentian\u0026mdash;if his 28 points against the Wolves were any indication. This team may need to work on defensive issues, especially with rebounds and such, but they could upset an Ottawa or Toronto. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe rest of the OUA East had a so-so weekend. While a 0–4 showing by RMC and Queen’s and a 2–0 weekend by Carleton are pretty much destined to occur, the Gee-Gees have landed second in the division. Their 77–76 victory was a sweet one, as the squad was trailing after three quarters. G \u003Cb\u003EKale Harrison\u003C\/b\u003E left it out on the court, putting up 31 points for the game. That game became the wake up call the Gee-Gees have been waiting for, as they buried the Waterloo Warriors 119–76 the next night. Five Gee-Gee players had double-digit scoring, and two\u0026mdash;\u003Cb\u003EWarren Ward\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EVikas Gill\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026mdash;had at least 20 points. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/5774404079007409639\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2011\/12\/basketball-oua-east-week-4-voyageurs.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/5774404079007409639"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/5774404079007409639"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2011\/12\/basketball-oua-east-week-4-voyageurs.html","title":"Basketball: OUA East, Week 4 - Voyageurs, Blues lose tough, Gee-Gees claim second"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Perry King"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/09888613455383972574"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"21","src":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-Ry955DxoWa8\/Tjx9SYC4TfI\/AAAAAAAABcM\/5cKxXRn7n1A\/s220\/DSC_0001.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-7740662852430682271"},"published":{"$t":"2011-11-30T20:30:00.003-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2011-11-30T20:53:58.857-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"OUA East Men's basketball recap"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Paladins"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ravens"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ryerson Rams"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Thunderwolves"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Blues"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Voyageurs"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Basketball: OUA East - Week 3: Blues, Ravens go 2–0, Gee-Gees break road losing streak"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"Quietly observing the OUA East in the last couple weeks has been a quiet frustration, on my part. With most of these squads bringing back experienced rosters from last season, I was expecting a few teams—besides the Carleton Ravens—to march onward in the division very quickly. The reality is that the cobwebs are still hanging around. The Ravens are the only undefeated squad in the division, with the Toronto Varsity Blues and Ottawa Gee-Gees (both 3–3) both three full games behind them.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003EThe Blues and Gee-Gees should be wary, the Ravens are beyond parity or any of these losing slumps at this point, but I think both squads are slowly getting their court feet back. The OUA East faced the West in interdivisional play this weekend, and the Blues and GeeGees went 3–1. The rest of the division went 2–8 in their contests combined.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile the Ravens shrugged off the Guelph Gryphons and Lakehead Thunderwolves (98–55 and 88–85 respectively), the Blues kept pace with tough road wins against the Western Mustangs and Windsor Lancers. Their 83–79 win against Western was a doozy, 58–55 after three quarters. The Blues’ ball control (winning the rebound game 42–27) proved to help control the flow of an evenly matched fourth quarter. Veteran C \u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EAndrew Wasik\u003C\/span\u003E had 20 points in the win. The Blues took advantage of the roadtrip momentum, and had five double digit scorers in their 86–81 win over Windsor. Kudos goes to F \u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EAlex Hill\u003C\/span\u003E’s three 3-pointers in the clutch. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEven though Gee-Gees went 1–1 this weekend—interpretively a shaky start for a team with high expectations—the squad has played four road games. They nipped a potential albatross in the bud by winning their first road game against the Gryphons 83–77. Ottawa had control from the get-go in this one, shooting 46 per cent from the floor. Guard play was much better, with G \u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EWarren Ward\u003C\/span\u003E scoring 28 points, and G \u003Cspan style=\"font-weight:bold;\"\u003EMike L’Africain\u003C\/span\u003E scoring 16 off the bench. This team has the personnel to go out there and get it done. When this squad scores often, their defence has a better shot down the stretch. Even though they lost to Lakehead 78–72, being outrebounded and turning it over 23 times, they somehow kept it close with their baskets. They will have much to mull over this week.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith six games completed by each East squad, there are plenty of questions to be explored. We will not truly know what kind of parity exists until the divisional matchups go into full throttle in the new year. But, we do know that the West continues to look incredibly dominant over the East so far. In the first three weekends, the West is 32–16 (.667) over the East, up from last year's record (39-25, .610), with only one team (Western) below .500. Against everyone but Carleton, the OUA West teams are 32-10. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/7740662852430682271\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2011\/11\/basketball-oua-east-week-3-oua-east.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7740662852430682271"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7740662852430682271"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2011\/11\/basketball-oua-east-week-3-oua-east.html","title":"Basketball: OUA East - Week 3: Blues, Ravens go 2–0, Gee-Gees break road losing streak"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Perry King"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/09888613455383972574"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"21","src":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-Ry955DxoWa8\/Tjx9SYC4TfI\/AAAAAAAABcM\/5cKxXRn7n1A\/s220\/DSC_0001.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-5804334244509868353"},"published":{"$t":"2011-10-24T11:39:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2011-10-24T11:39:23.730-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lancers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"OUA Football Recap"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Blues"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Warriors"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"OUA Football Recap: Who showed up?"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"For anyone who saw the spreads for the games this week, and thought about placing a bet, I have to ask: why would you want to risk your hard-earned cash? One last week of university football regular season is never easily predictable if you are a casual observer but loose with the wallet. What we had in this weekend’s games in Ontario were a sly mix of playoff teams resting their best guys (though some didn't have a choice), and pack teams attempting to make a statement before the playoffs. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith York, Toronto, and Waterloo already eliminated from playoff contention, the games this weekend were mere chances to gain a home playoff game. Regardless of that, whether it is some sample of the season now past, this weekend’s games were generally boring and\/or gruesome. Four of the five games were sheer blowouts.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E#1 Western 0\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EQueen’s 37\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf you had the nation’s top rushing attack, and a number one ranking, what would you do on a week like this? The Mustangs opted for rest, of epic proportions.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith first-team starters—including injured freshman \u003Cb\u003ERB Tyler Varga\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EQB Donnie Marshall\u003C\/b\u003E—seeing no snaps this week, the Mustangs’ backups still rushed for 153 yards, and 378 net yards. It didn’t translate to points, and the Gaels were up by 18 at halftime. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECredit where credit is due, the Gaels end the regular season with six wins. \u003Cb\u003EQB Billy McPhee\u003C\/b\u003E only threw for 192 yards, but was mistake-free. The Gaels did their best impression of the Mustangs rush attack, with Ryan Granberg posting 197 yards. The team possessed the ball for 35 minutes, and sacked Mustangs \u003Cb\u003EQB Ian Noble\u003C\/b\u003E four times.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf there is any team that is more dangerous right now, it has to be Queen’s. All their wins on their streak have had a margin of at least a touchdown. They lead the nation in third down conversions (with the OUA's best conversion rate), and are top ten in multiple offensive categories. They will host a playoff game this Saturday, and possibly have a chance to upset a bye team a week after that. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWindsor 40\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EYork 15\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWindsor, unlike Western, played their best guys. But, by halftime, and a 40–7 lead, the Lancers pulled the plug. No worries, though. They kept York at bay, winning by 25.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith a season that peaked with a Top 10 ranking, the Lancers went into this game needing to avoid a .500 season. \u003Cb\u003EQB Austin Kennedy\u003C\/b\u003E got that message loud and clear, passing for 338 yards and scoring all five touchdowns in the first half—four by the pass, one with his legs.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHow dominant were the Lancers? They posted over 450 net yards, intercepted the ball twice (thank you, \u003Cb\u003EDB Udoka Nwaesel\u003C\/b\u003E), and allowed only 121 pass yards—a sore spot that the team has been trying to keep in check after allowing 323 against Ottawa and 294 against Queen’s. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI have a soft spot for this team. They should have a home playoff game, but imagine if they had exorcised their demons and beat the Mustangs and Gaels this month… \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs for the Lions, there is not much to say at this point. They did break their losing streak this season, but between where they want to be and where they are is a wide margin. \u003Cb\u003ECoach Warren Craney\u003C\/b\u003E and his staff will have many issues to address in the winter.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELaurier 15\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGuelph 10\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Golden Hawks may have had their backs against the wall—with a road game against a familiar foe—but they squeaked out a victory, and grabbed the playoff spot in the process.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EStatistically, the Hawks had no business winning this game. With a “bend but don’t break” approach, the Hawks allowed over 400 net yards, including 343 passing yards, from the Gryphons. The Hawks only possessed the ball for 25 minutes. But, somehow they denied Guelph touchdown chances, and were able to keep the Gryphons under 100 yards rushing for the game. It may say something to the character of this Hawks squad, or perhaps it exposes offensive woes for Laurier. Regardless, the squad will be playing next Saturday.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs for Guelph, they shall have much to mull this winter. They ended the season in mediocre fashion, with middle of the pack offensive and defensive stats. They were also one of the least disciplined teams in the nation, ranking close to the bottom in penalties and penalty yards. Let’s hope they can pick it up next year. Those pretty uniforms need good football to back them up.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOttawa 24\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMcMaster 51\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith Western in possession of the regular season crown because of their tie-break win over McMaster, the Marauders were playing for two pivotal things: respect, and a home playoff game next Saturday. They certainly earned a berth, with a sprint over the Gee-Gees, who have not played their best football in the last few weeks.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EQB Kyle Quinlan\u003C\/b\u003E had a solid day, passing for 367 and scoring four touchdowns. They ran for over 200 yards on the ground, and kept Ottawa at 10 points at halftime. Even though the Marauders were sacked four times, they still took risks with their play-calling—there were obvious benefits.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith a home playoff game now secured for the Marauders, the standing question is whether the team is considered in the conversation for a national championship. The drama has been rubber for their locker room, and they executed despise Quinlan’s brief absense. They are scary good, and certainly have a chance for a Yates win. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMeanwhile, even though Ottawa \u003Cb\u003ERB Brendan Gillanders\u003C\/b\u003E had 123 rushing yards, the GeeGees were intercepted three times, and sacked a small handful. They are in the midst of mediocrity in the OUA, and need to work on their numerous issues if they want to compete this coming weekend.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWaterloo 6\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EToronto 45\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EToronto had high expectations this season, but a lack of offensive production was an issue all season. Was beating Waterloo a statement for the Blues themselves? It had to be. The win broke a four-game losing streak, where they scored an average of 7 points.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis game provided a different narrative. The Blues scored 38 points in the first three quarters, rushing for over 400 yards for the game. \u003Cb\u003ERB Aaron Milton\u003C\/b\u003E had his best game in his collegiate career, running for 140 yards on 18 carries. He also caught a pass for 34 yards. \u003Cb\u003ERB Emiljano Daci\u003C\/b\u003E ran for 156 yards. If there was anything to watch out for next season, it’s Toronto’s best impression of the Mustangs' rush attack. That should be at least consistent with how the Blues have been recruiting and developing their football identity—as they continue to try recruiting big linemen.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/5804334244509868353\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2011\/10\/oua-football-recap-who-showed-up.html#comment-form","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/5804334244509868353"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/5804334244509868353"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2011\/10\/oua-football-recap-who-showed-up.html","title":"OUA Football Recap: Who showed up?"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Perry King"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/09888613455383972574"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"21","src":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-Ry955DxoWa8\/Tjx9SYC4TfI\/AAAAAAAABcM\/5cKxXRn7n1A\/s220\/DSC_0001.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-8952146945752252465"},"published":{"$t":"2011-10-18T09:09:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2011-10-18T09:09:17.312-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lancers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"OUA Football Recap"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Blues"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Warriors"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"OUA Football Recap: Wind and Windsor"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"There is nothing like the fine October weather in Ontario to ruin what could have been a pretty good weekend of football. I suppose it wasn’t all bad if you like watching terrible passing, a large dose of running and some solid defence.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAt least we can look at the Lancers if we want a little bit of excitement. I never thought I’d say that either.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E#5 McMaster 25\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaurier 6\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUnfortunately for viewers across the country, The Score got it wrong this week. What should have been a relentless aerial battle between the leading passer in the CIS and arguably the best quarterback in the country turned out to be a wind-blown defensive struggle with lots of (short) kicking for the majority of the game.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMac’s \u003Cb\u003EKyle Quinlan\u003C\/b\u003E still looked pretty sharp after his three-game break completing 14 of 26 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 36 yards. For him, those numbers are rather pedestrian, but considering the wind and rain, he definitely earned player of the game honours. He pretty much took the game over in the second half, turning a 9-6 lead into a 25-6 win.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERookie \u003Cb\u003EChristopher Pezzetta\u003C\/b\u003E led the Marauders on the ground with 79 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown while \u003Cb\u003EMichael DiCroce\u003C\/b\u003E had 5 receptions for 89 yards and a major.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaurier, on the other hand, just couldn’t do much of anything with the ball. That happens when you only have it for 22 minutes. They managed to put up a respectable 125 yards on the ground, but \u003Cb\u003EShane Kelly\u003C\/b\u003E could only complete 15 of 34 passes for just 151 yards and two picks. They managed to connect on two \u003Cb\u003ERonald Pfeffer\u003C\/b\u003E field goals in the first quarter and never really threatened after that.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBoth of these teams have important games next week as McMaster looks to secure second place against the Ottawa Gee-Gees at home while Laurier will be fighting for their playoff lives in Guelph.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E#1 Western 21\u003Cbr \/\u003EToronto 9\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat wasn’t exactly impressive for Western in their first game as the top-ranked team in over a decade. In fact, they may not hold onto that ranking much longer with Calgary and Laval coming up with impressive victories this weekend. They even trailed 9-7 at half-time. In truth, they have struggled a bit in their last three games against York, Guelph and Toronto. That’s not a great sign going into the playoffs.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOn the plus side, \u003Cb\u003ENathan Riva\u003C\/b\u003E. The fourth-year running back got the majority of the carries this week and made good use of them, rushing 34 times for 218 yards and a touchdown. Rookie sensation \u003Cb\u003ETyler Varga\u003C\/b\u003E had 31 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game with an injury.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBen Rossong\u003C\/b\u003E was up and down once again at the quarterback position completing 7 of 12 for 60 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Again, we can probably chalk that up to him getting used to the CIS game and the brutal weather. But he needs to be better with the playoffs looming.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs a side note, what happened to Mustangs kicker \u003Cb\u003ELirim Hajrullahu\u003C\/b\u003E? He had a fantastic season last year when he was handed the kicking duties, winning the Yates Cup on a last second field goal. This year, he is 11 for 20, missing another field goal in this game.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EToronto’s \u003Cb\u003EAndrew Gillis\u003C\/b\u003E completed 16 of 36 passes for 260 yards and two picks. He wasn’t helped by the fact that the Blues could only muster 69 yards on the ground all game. The 12 penalties for 108 yards also didn’t help Toronto’s cause.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFormer Florida Gator defensive back \u003Cb\u003EDorian Munroe\u003C\/b\u003E showed why Toronto was excited to have him on the team as he contributed six tackles, a sack and a forced fumble.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENext week Western travels to Richardson Stadium to take on the Gaels in a meaningless game for the Mustangs (at least in terms of the standings). Toronto will be fighting to get into the playoffs next week, so it is a good thing they get to host Waterloo.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWaterloo 0\u003Cbr \/\u003EQueen’s 53\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI think \u003Cb\u003ERyan Granberg\u003C\/b\u003E is trying to make a push for the OUA player of the year. With 240 rushing yards on 31 carries, he actually overtook Varga for the OUA lead in rushing. He also managed to score four times, bringing his total up to 8 on the season. Only seven behind Varga, but he has been impressive nonetheless.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGiovanni Aprile\u003C\/b\u003E has also been superb all season and continued it against the Warriors. He has three receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown and took a kickoff return 109 yards to the house. The man is hard to stop and has been ever since he enrolled at Queen’s.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBilly McPhee\u003C\/b\u003E did what was needed at the quarterback position, completing 8 of 14 passes for 77 yards and a touchdown. With a running game like that, he really just needs to avoid turning the ball over.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt’ll be interesting to see Granberg go up against a formidable Mustang defensive line next week. At least, for as long as Western keeps in their starters.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs for Waterloo, the less said the better. The team rushed for 15 yards and QB \u003Cb\u003EBrian Chris\u003C\/b\u003E completed less than half of his passes for 82 yards and three picks. Receiver \u003Cb\u003EDustin Zender\u003C\/b\u003E has been one of the lone bright spots, catching six passes for 41 yards.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWaterloo will travel to Toronto next week looking for a little pride. Queen’s will host Western next week, looking to finish third in the OUA. We might actually have a game where the two teams will combine for less than 30 passes and about 700 yards rushing.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EYork 2\u003Cbr \/\u003EGuelph 51\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESince they demoted \u003Cb\u003EChris Rossetti\u003C\/b\u003E and started \u003Cb\u003EJazz Lindsey\u003C\/b\u003E, the Gryphons have looked pretty solid on offence. Granted, it’s not that hard to look good against York.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELindsey did only complete 13 of 26 passes but he accumulated 207 yards through the air with three TD’s and one interception. In fairness to Rossetti, he went 7 of 9 for 99 yards and two touchdowns with the game already decided.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELindsey’s two favourite targets on the day were star receiver \u003Cb\u003EJedd Gardner\u003C\/b\u003E, who caught 8 balls for 127 yards and a TD, and older brother \u003Cb\u003ESaxon\u003C\/b\u003E, who had two touchdowns.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGuelph’s defence also had a good day, effectively shutting out the Lions, who only mustered a safety. A fun statistic: Guelph had a total of 12 tackles for a loss. That works out to a little under a quarter of York’s offensive plays losing yards.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat’s probably why Lions QB \u003Cb\u003ENick Coutu\u003C\/b\u003E could only complete 5 of 18 for 42 yards and a pick. Running back \u003Cb\u003ERiser Markell\u003C\/b\u003E had 19 carries for 70 yards and a reception for 9 yards. In other words, he was 55% of York’s offence.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Lions are out of the playoff picture so they will be playing for pride and starting spots for next year against Windsor at home. Guelph will be battling Laurier at home, while hoping Toronto somehow loses, in an effort to sneak into the playoffs.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWindsor 30\u003Cbr \/\u003E#10 Ottawa 32\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe last time I did the recaps, the only truly exciting game ended with the Lancers scoring a game-winning rouge to upset Laurier.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis time, the Lancers managed to earn a one-point lead a little too early (they failed to convert on their 2-point conversion), allowing Ottawa’s \u003Cb\u003EMatthew Falvo\u003C\/b\u003E to kick an 11-yard field goal with no time on the clock for a two-point win in an incredibly back-and-forth game.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWindsor jumped all over Ottawa early on with a fumble return touchdown and an \u003Cb\u003EAustin Kennedy\u003C\/b\u003E one-yard run to go up 14-0. Kennedy completed 17 of 27 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns with adding 22 on the ground.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHis favourite targets were \u003Cb\u003EEvan Pszczonak\u003C\/b\u003E who had 130 yards and two second-half touchdowns and \u003Cb\u003ECory Fernandes\u003C\/b\u003E who caught 8 balls for 91 yards.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHowever, superb games from Gee-Gees QB \u003Cb\u003EAaron Colbon\u003C\/b\u003E and running back \u003Cb\u003EBrendon Gillanders\u003C\/b\u003E allowed Ottawa to come back and take a 20-17 half-time lead.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EColbon completed 21 of 34 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns, while Gillanders rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown, and caught 6 passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe teams traded scores until Falvo’s game-winning kick settled the score.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFortunately for Windsor, they have a playoff berth locked up. And with losses to Ottawa and Queen’s (the teams one game ahead of them) and a win against Laurier (the team one game behind), they will get to take it easy against York (which will still probably result in a win for them) knowing that they will finish 5th.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOttawa, on the other hand, has a date with McMaster in Hamilton. A win gets them second place in the OUA and a first round bye, while a loss could mean another home date with Windsor in the first round of the playoffs in two weeks. You know, just in case they needed any extra motivation to beat McMaster.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/8952146945752252465\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2011\/10\/oua-football-recap-wind-and-windsor.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8952146945752252465"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/8952146945752252465"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2011\/10\/oua-football-recap-wind-and-windsor.html","title":"OUA Football Recap: Wind and Windsor"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Daniel Da Silva"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-1233332427768408704"},"published":{"$t":"2011-10-17T21:26:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2011-10-17T21:26:44.572-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"And Others Who Weren't So Lucky: York Lions"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EAs each CIS football team is officially eliminated from playoff contention, we'll reflect on what they did this year and compare their results to our expectations.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUp next: York, who lost 51-2 to Guelph over the weekend.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERecord:\u003C\/b\u003E 1-6\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERPI:\u003C\/b\u003E 25th\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPer-game stats (as of time of elimination)\u003C\/b\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPoints for:\u003C\/b\u003E 10.7\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPoints against:\u003C\/b\u003E 43.0\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPassing yards:\u003C\/b\u003E 160.1\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERushing yards:\u003C\/b\u003E 80.1\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPassing yards against\u003C\/b\u003E: 319.0\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERushing yards against\u003C\/b\u003E: 211.0\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELooking back at our \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2011\/08\/cis-countdown-2011-york-lions.html\"\u003Epreview questions\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EQ: HOW will the coaching staff be able to rally a very young group of football players?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA: No matter who your coaching staff is, it comes down to who's on the field, and (sometimes more importantly) who \u003Ci\u003Eelse\u003C\/i\u003E is on the field. Their only win this year was an overtime win over Waterloo, which, while \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.yorkulions.ca\/sports\/fball\/2011-12\/releases\/20110917aw8mjf\"\u003Eamazing for York\u003C\/a\u003E, was still over Waterloo. Did the coaches really rally the players to win that one, or was it a letdown that it took them more than 60 minutes to defeat a team that couldn't compete against anyone else?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat said, they kept it close against Toronto, who may make the playoffs, and Warren Craney et al. deserve some credit for keeping their young-and-new team competitive in two games out of seven.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EQ: WHAT is the York Lions’ football identity?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA: In recent years, different OUA teams have taken turns running up multi-year losing streaks. York's time is over, at least for now. To most of us on the outside, there's no difference between 1-7 and 0-8, but it's a large and important distinction to many on the inside. They are not, at least for a little while, the doormats of the OUA.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EQ: WHO will emerge as the de facto leader of the defense?\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA: Possibly Marcus Grandison. Highly-regarded coming into his rookie year, Grandison led the team in solo tackles \u0026mdash; an important contribution after the departed Andre Clarke (42 solo, 48.5 total) and Theo Feroiu (38, 52) combined for more than one-fifth of all tackles last year. He certainly will have the opportunity to establish himself further in coming years, more than he would on a contending team.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/1233332427768408704\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2011\/10\/and-others-who-werent-so-lucky-york.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/1233332427768408704"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/1233332427768408704"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2011\/10\/and-others-who-werent-so-lucky-york.html","title":"And Others Who Weren't So Lucky: York Lions"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Rob Pettapiece"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-2974727046861202909"},"published":{"$t":"2011-10-14T01:26:00.007-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2011-10-14T09:15:19.602-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Badgers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Hockey"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lancers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"OUA West men's hockey recap"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"previews"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ridgebacks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Thunderwolves"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Warriors"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Hockey: 2011-12 OUA West season preview"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"With CIS hockey kicking into full gear this weekend when the AUS hits the ice, it's time to take a look at every team from coast-to-coast. Our CIS hockey preview continues with a look at the OUA West courtesy Daniel Da Silva.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBrock Badgers\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2010-11 regular season record: 13-9-6 (5th)\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlayoff result: Lost to Guelph 2-1\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPowerplay: 17.4% (5)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELast season in 50 words: A team featuring nine rookies came out of the gate slowly. Yet they pulled it together midway through the season to finish 5th overall, a huge improvement on their dead-last finish the year before. Rookie sensation Matt Abercrombie did the heavy lifting, putting up 28 points for the Badgers.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey departures: D Joey Pell, F Steve Mullin, F Adam Schwark\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey arrivals: F Sean Jones, F Dylan MacEachern, D Daniel Tanel, D Mitch Gaulton\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey player: As important as Abercrombie is to the team, their success will rely on the play of goaltender Kurt Jory. He was solid for them in net last year, carrying them through the second half and into the playoffs. If he can up his game, this team will be dangerous.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2011-12 outlook: Barring injuries, or a huge sophomore slump for key players like Abercrombie, Kaine Geldart and Jordan Gignac, this should still be a team on the rise. Having that first year of experience under their belt will be huge. In other words, they should have no problem putting the puck in the net.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETheir problem last season was their defence. Aside from Joey Pell, they didn’t really lose anyone to crucial on the back line and they definitely recruited a few talented D-men from the OHL. If their newcomers on the blue line can make an immediate impact, this team will be one of the teams to beat this season.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPredicted conference finish: 4th\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResults thus far (home team bolded): \u003Cb\u003EBrock\u003C\/b\u003E 6-3 Carleton, Queen's 7-3 \u003Cb\u003EBrock\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGuelph Gryphons\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2010-11 regular season record: 15-10-3\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlayoff result: Defeated Brock 2-1, Defeated Laurier 2-1, Lost to Western 2-0\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPowerplay: 17.2% (6)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELast season in 50 words: For the first two-thirds of the season, a Guelph team that was expected to make noise in the West was a sub-500 team that didn’t inspire a lot of confidence. Something clicked in February and they made a shocking run to 4th place and the OUA West conference final, finally fulfilling their preseason promise.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey departures: F Geoff Guimond, D Tim Priamo, F Thomas Kiriakou, F Alex Magera\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey arrivals: F Jamie MacIntyre, F Ben Holtom, D Cam Odom, G Cody St. Jacques\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey player: They lost their star defenceman Tim Priamo, so it is up to their senior defencemen to fill the void. I’m specifically looking at Nathan Martine and Patrick Campbell to shoulder the load and to chip in offensively, which they did reasonably well last year.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2011-12 outlook: It’s hard to tell whether or not this team will pick up where they left off or revert back to their early-season form. I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt, despite their opening weekend. The team has more than enough depth up front in players like Kris Belan, Edward Gale and Justin Gvora and their recruiting class bodes well for their success.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut the key is their defence picking up their game to help St. Jacques adjust to the OUA game again. He was with the team for a short period last season, performing reasonably well. Goaltending was a weakness last year, so if St. Jacques can perform to his abilities, Guelph will be just fine throughout the season.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPredicted conference finish: 5th\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResults thus far: Ottawa 5-2 \u003Cb\u003EGuelph\u003C\/b\u003E, UQTR 7-3 \u003Cb\u003EGuelph\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELakehead Thunderwolves\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2010-11 regular season record: 16-9-3 (3rd)\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlayoff result: Lost 2-0 to Waterloo\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPowerplay: 21.4% (2)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELast season in 50 words: Their offence was one of the best in the conference, putting up 118 goals. Their defence was nothing special and their goaltending was pretty gruesome at times. They limped into the playoffs and were literally shutout in their series against Waterloo. Kind of humiliating for the 2009 OUA West champion.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey departures: F Brock McPherson, F Kris Hogg, D Jordan Smith, D Andy Zulyniak, D Pierre-Marc Guilbault\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey arrivals: F Mike Hammond, F Keith Grondin, D Mitch Fillman, D Danick Malouin, D Chris de la Lande\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey player: The Thunderwolves are losing a few big offensive stars, namely McPherson and Hogg. Both were point-a-game players for their OUA careers. So it is up to last year’s leading scorer Matt Caria to pick up the slack. The playmaking winger needs to have his best season yet for Lakehead to be successful because the offence will likely have to carry the team again this year.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2011-12 outlook: The team should bounce back from their poor (by their standards) 2010-2011 season. They still have some pretty solid firepower up front with Caria, Adam Sergerie and Ryan McDonald and their defence is getting some nice pieces in Fillman and Malouin, both from the CHL. They will need their goaltending, usually a strong point, to be better than it was last year. That will fall on the shoulders of Alex Dupuis and rookie Jeff Bosch. If they can perform to a high level, Lakehead is going to be a powerhouse once again. But if they can’t, this team may sink down the OUA West table, behind the likes of Brock and Guelph.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPredicted conference finish: 2nd\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResults thus far: McGill 4-3 \u003Cb\u003ELakehead\u003C\/b\u003E, McGill 3-2 \u003Cb\u003ELakehead\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELaurier Golden Hawks\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2010-11 regular season record: 15-7-6 (2nd)\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlayoff result: Defeated UOIT 2-1, Lost 2-1 to Guelph\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPowerplay: 24.0% (1)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELast season in 50 words: Last season for the Hawks can be described in two words: Ryan Daniels. The team couldn’t score and they weren’t great on defence. Yet they finished in second place solely because of the OUA West MVP performance in goal. He carried them in almost every single game.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey departures: F Jean-Michel Rizk, F Ryan Bellows, D Ryan Bernardi\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey arrivals: F Mitch Lebar, D Chad Lowry\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey player: It goes without saying that Daniels will be critical in goal again for this team. They already couldn’t score last year and now lose two of their best forwards. Their recruitment class isn’t that inspiring either, so Daniels’ play will make or break the team.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2011-12 outlook: A few of the younger guys started to step it up last season and are continuing that success through two games this year. Benjamin Skinner has two of the team’s goals and Kain Allicock and James Marsden both have three points. Still, the fact that all of their top goal scorers from the last few seasons are pretty much gone will set this team way back.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThey also lose their best defencemen in Ryan Bernardi. As I said before, they weren’t a very good defensive team last year, with Daniels getting peppered with shots each night. While Lebar and Lowry will make a difference immediately, it won’t be enough.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDaniels will make it hard to score on this team, but that’s all they have going for them. They will drop back considerably.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPredicted conference finish: 6th\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResults thus far: Nipissing 5-4 \u003Cb\u003ELaurier\u003C\/b\u003E, Ottawa 3-1 \u003Cb\u003ELaurier\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUOIT Ridgebacks\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2010-11 regular season record: 12-12-4 (7th)\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlayoff result: Lost 2-1 to Laurier\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPowerplay: 18.4% (4)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELast season in 50 words: They performed quite well toward the end of the season once their big guns in Scott Baker, Nathan Spaling and Josh Vatri got going. They even gave Laurier fits in the opening round, coming within an overtime goal of moving on. It was another year of slow and steady improvement for this relatively new team.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey departures: F Scott Baker, F Nathan Spaling, D TJ Legge\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey arrivals: F Jesse Stoughton, F Kody Musselman, D Patrick Moran, D Andrew Randazzo\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey player: With two of the three best forwards on the team gone, it’s up to the remaining guy to lead this team. Vatri will be counted on for goals throughout the season. He can’t afford to struggle early on or this will be a big step back season for this program.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2011-12 outlook: While last season was nice to watch for this team, it’s going to be a bit of a step back as they look to replace their top players. The rookies look like they will be nice additions to the team, but it’s not quite enough, especially with their talented graduating class from last year. Goaltender Jason Guy has been a bit Jekyll and Hyde throughout his time at UOIT and I don’t think we have any indication of that changing. It doesn’t help that the Ridgebacks have a pretty weak defence that gave up the second most goals in the West last year.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn other words, it just doesn’t look like they have enough in any phase of the game to make the playoffs.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPredicted conference finish: 9th\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResults thus far: York 5-2 \u003Cb\u003EUOIT\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWaterloo Warriors\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2010-11 regular season record: 15-12-1 (6th)\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlayoff result: Defeated Lakehead 2-0, Lost 2-1 to Western\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPowerplay: 18.5% (3)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELast season in 50 words: A gruesome finish to the season without top scorer Chris Ray undoes what was a pretty solid season and causes the Warriors to sink to 6th place. But an impressive showing in the playoffs takes them to the OUA West semi-final where they took Western to 3 games.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey departures: F Kurt Thorner, F Kyle Schwende, D Kyle Sonnenburg\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey arrivals: F Justin Larson, D Joe Underwood, D Jeff Einhorn\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey player: Their two-headed beast up front in senior Chris Ray and sophomore Tyler Moir will be critical. But their most important player will be goaltender Keaton Hartigan. He was stellar two years ago, but for some reason, just didn’t perform until the playoffs last year. If he can revert to his rookie form, look out for the Warriors.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2011-12 outlook: With all due respect to Thorner, Schwende and Sonnenburg, the Warriors remained pretty well intact. Ray, Moir and Jarrett Schnurr all return up front and Kirt Hill and Josh Schappert each put up seven points on opening weekend. While Sonnenburg will be missed, the Warriors do add a really nice defencemen in Joe Underwood, a consistent D-man for Saginaw in the OHL. Returning defencemen Steve Whitely should be able to pick up some of the offensive slack as well.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf Hartigan can play the way he is capable, the Warriors might be the team to challenge Western for the title in the West.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPredicted conference finish: 3rd\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResults thus far: \u003Cb\u003EWaterloo\u003C\/b\u003E 5-3 UQTR, \u003Cb\u003EWaterloo\u003C\/b\u003E 7-2 Nipissing\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWestern Mustangs\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2010-11 regular season record: 20-3-5 (1st)\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlayoff result: Defeated Windsor 2-0, Defeated Waterloo 2-1, Defeated Guelph 2-0, Lost 6-2 to McGill in Queen’s Cup – 1-1 at University Cup\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPowerplay: 16.9% (7)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELast season in 50 words: They flat out dominated the OUA West all season long, easing their way to the Queen’s Cup, losing only one game in the process. Of course, McGill flat out embarrassed the Mustangs in London in the OUA title game and UNB showed how far Western is from the top at the national championships.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey departures: F Kyle Lamb, F Josh McQuade, D Jason Swit, G Anthony Grieco\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey arrivals: F Jeff Brown, F Zach Harnden, F Tyler Peters, D Matt Ashman, D Dominic Desando, G Alain Valiquette\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey player: Like most teams, goaltending will be the crucial factor for the Mustangs. We know what we are getting with up front and from their defencemen. Now it is up to former OHL star Josh Unice to prove he can carry the load for an entire OUA season. He was good last year, but he was still the back up to Anthony Grieco. This is his team now.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2011-12 outlook: Truthfully, I think this team is more talented than what they had last year. Losing Lamb and McQuade hurt because they scored and did the dirty work. But Harnden and Peters will more than make up for the loss. Ashman and Desando are also CHL proven defencemen who will slot in nicely behind OUA stars Scott Aarssen and Geoff Killing.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELosing Grieco hurts badly, but Unice is most definitely a quality goaltender. If Alain Valiquette can put in a few games in relief, they may not even notice the loss of Grieco.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis team is still the class of the OUA West. What remains to be seen is if they still have the ability to mow down their opposition in the playoffs, and whether they have done enough to catch McGill and UNB. Right now, I’m saying they haven’t.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPredicted conference finish: 1st\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResults thus far: \u003Cb\u003EWestern\u003C\/b\u003E 5-2 RMC, \u003Cb\u003EWestern\u003C\/b\u003E 4-2 Carleton\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWindsor Lancers\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2010-11 regular season record: 12-12-4 (8th)\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlayoff result: Lost 2-0 to Western\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPowerplay: 12.7% (8)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELast season in 50 words: Much like Laurier, this team relied heavily on their goaltending duo of Jim Watt and Frank Dayus. If not for York, they may not have been a playoff team. Only a few players managed to get it going at any point in the season, resulting in a team that scored the third fewest goals in the entire OUA.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey departures: F Mike Lombardi, F Kyle Lang, F Kyle Nishizaki, G Jim Watt, G Frank Dayus\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey arrivals: F Derek Lanoue, F Cory McGillis, F Isak Quakenbush, D Mike MacIntyre, G Parker Van Buskirk\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey player: The team relied on goaltending the last few years and I can’t see how that will be different. Parker Van Buskirk is expected to perform as well as Watt and Dayus had for years, and he is capable. But it will be a big adjustment for a player that was average in the OHL and worse in the ECHL.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2011-12 outlook: They lose their top scorer and star goaltender. Most teams can’t recover from that and this one is no exception. They do return some good defencemen in Steve Ferry and Matt McCready, who finished second and third in team scoring last year. They also didn’t really lose anyone other than the five listed above, meaning they return a lot of good depth players. Plus they have done a good job mining the Windsor Spitfires and the general Windsor area for recruits, which will bode well for the future.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut this team is still a few years away from really making any noise in the OUA.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003EPredicted conference finish: 8th\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EYork Lions\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2010-11 regular season record: 10-16-2 (9th)\u003Cbr \/\u003EPlayoff result: Missed Playoffs\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPowerplay: 10.9% (9)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELast season in 50 words: It was simply an awful season for the Lions. They were knocked out very early, finishing six points behind Windsor and UOIT. They finished couldn’t score and they couldn’t keep the puck out of the net, finished last in the West in both categories.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey departures: F Adam Stuart, F Jaskirat Gill, F Jesse Grespan, D Kyle Lamb\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey arrivals: F Ryan Andersen, F Troy Barss, D Jeremie Perron, G Andrew Perugini\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKey player: Mackenzie Micks was their second leading scorer as a rookie and, of the top three forwards, he is the only one who returns. He led the team in goals and powerplay goals and will be counted on to do the same this year if the Lions want to make the playoffs.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E2011-12 outlook: There is nowhere to go but up for this team. And they will. They had nothing but rookies last year, and they will surely benefit from the experience that last year brought. They bring in another sizable rookie class, which will make for a rough opening. But I think this team will settle in. Their opening weekend, admittedly against weak opposition, was promising. If goaltender David Blair can improve on his rather poor 2010-2011 season, this team will definitely take a step or two forward. Now if only this team could hold on to their young talent (re: Stuart, Gill and Lamb) for longer than a season, they might legitimately be competitive one day.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPredicted conference finish: 7th (This is more of a statement on the impending downfall of Laurier, Windsor and UOIT than the stark improvement of York)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResults thus far: Toronto 5-4 \u003Cb\u003EYork\u003C\/b\u003E (OT), York 5-2 \u003Cb\u003EUOIT \u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/2974727046861202909\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2011\/10\/hockey-2011-12-oua-west-preview.html#comment-form","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/2974727046861202909"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/2974727046861202909"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2011\/10\/hockey-2011-12-oua-west-preview.html","title":"Hockey: 2011-12 OUA West season preview"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"E. Daum"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"32","src":"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-033k-d3bhvI\/Twanlgk4UOI\/AAAAAAAAAUQ\/7H1mIFMDzyA\/s220\/TWITTER.png"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-9207308881699950539"},"published":{"$t":"2011-10-10T22:06:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2011-10-10T22:06:20.654-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Kyle Quinlan"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lancers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"OUA Football Recap"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Blues"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Warriors"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Football: Giving thanks for OUA football ... for some teams, anyway"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"The Thanksgiving weekend meant football action spread from Thursday to Saturday night in the OUA. There were a couple games with impacts on the playoff picture, and some noteworthy debuts and returns.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cbr style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EMcMaster 50, Toronto 14\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUnder normal circumstances this game would just be another top team playing a bottom-dwelling Blues team, but this week marked the return of Kyle Quinlan from his three-game suspension. And the all-star pivot made up for lost time by passing 23-for-32 for 455 yards and 5 touchdowns before taking a back seat to Marshall Ferguson.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith the impressive outing, Quinlan moved up the list on a couple all-time Marauder passing records. He has now recorded 36 passing touchdowns, which puts him in a tie with McMaster offensive coordinator Jon Behie's career total. He moved into fourth in passing yards with a total of 4561 yards, and fifth in career completions with 282.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrad Fochesato lead the receiving core with 4 receptions for 172 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Michael DiCroce caught 7 balls for a respectable 155 yards and a touchdown himself. Sure, Quinlan may have stayed in longer than he normally would have in a game of this nature, but he had to get readjusted to game play.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETo Toronto’s credit however, they did put up a fight: the score was 17-14 halfway through the second quarter, thanks to a couple touchdown passes from Andrew Gillis. The Blues quarterback finished with a decent outing, going 18-for-32 for 207 yards and 2 touchdowns, but tossing 3 interceptions as well.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA three score third quarter allowed the Marauders to pull away though, earning MAC (6-1) the win and Quinlan likely some of his confidence back following this week. Toronto (2-4) remains a team on the cusp of making a playoff run, but it seems that may have to wait another season. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EWestern 33, Guelph 29\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInjuries were felt this week as Guelph dared the conference-leading Mustangs to beat them through the air with a fresh-faced quarterback who had not seen much game time. And the Gryphons nearly pulled it off.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWestern built up a 13 point lead in the third quarter that fell apart in the fourth, with Guelph taking a 29-24 lead halfway through the quarter. Western responded quickly however connecting with Brian Marshall for a 73-yard score to take the lead, and adding a late field goal.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe game was in doubt right to the end, when Mike Spence picked off rookie Guelph quarterback Jazz Lindsey in the end zone to seal the win for Western.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBen Rossong filled in for Marshall and in his first career CIS start he was hit-and-miss. He did throw a clean game though, going 15-for-29 for 258 yards for 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut the Gryphons keyed on the ground game and limited Western to their lowest rushing input this season. Tyler Varga rushed for 109 yards on 26 carries, punching in a 2 yard touchdown run. The rest of the team however were limited, with Rossong’s 54 yards of scrambling the next highest output.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELindsey, starting his second game in a row for Guelph showed improvement, going 24-for-38 for 330 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Jedd Gardner caught 5 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith the narrow victory the Mustangs remain undefeated (6-0), while Guelph dropped to 1-5.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EQueen’s 27, Windsor 14\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn what was a statement game for both teams, with plenty of playoff implications as well, the Gaels proved to be the better team on the night by relying on the run.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFollowing a low scoring contest against the Blues, the Gaels earned a hard fought win in a back-and-forth contest until very late. They added some distance for the win with two late rushing scores from Ryan Granberg, who was clearly the story this week by rushing for 265 yards on 31 attempts.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBoth defences wreaked havoc on two young quarterbacks who have proven to be prolific passers this season. Windsor’s Austin Kennedy went 26-for-44 for 308 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception while Billy McPhee threw 17-for-31 for 250 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions for Queen’s. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe 320 yards on the ground by the Gaels however was the deciding factor. Noteworthy mention also goes out to Sean Plumley of Queen’s who recorded 7.5 tackles in his first career CIS game.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBoth teams now stand tied at 4-2 on the season, both are vying for the third ranking in conference and for home field advantage for the quarterfinals (where they may actually meet).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003ELaurier 69, Waterloo 3\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt was fantastic to see the Battle of Waterloo return. The game, however, was what you would expect when playing a team that did not see the field a year before. It was 21-0 after the first, 31-3 at the half and the final score did not get much better. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe positives to draw from this game for the Hawks centre on their ground attack, which has been noticeably absent this year. They had two players rush for more than 100 yards, the second and third time this year a Laurier player met that mark…I really wasn’t joking about that missing ground game. Rashard LaTouche rushed for 131 yards and 2 touchdowns on 18 carries, while Tyrrel Wilson racked up 101 yards and 1 touchdown on 10 carries.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt should be mentioned that Ashton Rochester, in his first career CIS game, ran for 78 yards on 5 carries as well for Laurier, who moves to 3-3 on the season.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOn the other sidelines it was the Luke Balch show, throwing for 148 yards and 1 interception, while rushing for 98 yards. Dustin Zender caught for 97 yards on 10 catches, but was kept off the scoresheet. Beyond that, it was a long night for the winless Warriors (0-6).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe other noteworthy parts of this game were the records established by a few Laurier players: Dillion Heap became just the third player in CIS history to break the 2,000 yard punt return mark following his three returns for 74 yards. Heap now has 2,020 yards for his career. Mitchell Bosch moved into second all-time for tackles with the Golden Hawks, reaching 159.5 career tackles following the 9.5 he racked up this week. And rookie kicker Ronnie Pfeffer tied a Laurier record for most kickoffs in one game with 11.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003EOttawa 65, York 12\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Gee-Gees won convincingly this week, putting up 28 points before York’s first points on the scoreboard, and 49 points before York's touchdown. Ottawa split the quarterback duties between Aaron Colbon (13-for-21, 280 yards, 3 TD’s, 2 INTs) and Derek Wendell (5-for-10, 133 yards, 1 TD). Simon Le Marquand caught 7 passes for 151 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Bogdan Raic caught 6 receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFranck Ngandui rushed for 172 yards and 2 touchdowns for Ottawa.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYork’s quarterback Dimitar Sevdin went 12-for-31 for 170 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. A positive for the Lions came when rookie Jordan Nugent recorded 2 interceptions, tallying 3 interceptions total for the season. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EYork falls to 1-5 on the season, while Ottawa (4-2) now control their playoff destiny with Windsor and McMaster up next.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/9207308881699950539\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2011\/10\/football-giving-thanks-for-oua-football.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/9207308881699950539"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/9207308881699950539"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2011\/10\/football-giving-thanks-for-oua-football.html","title":"Football: Giving thanks for OUA football ... for some teams, anyway"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Mike Radoslav"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-3387968538751108233"},"published":{"$t":"2011-10-02T22:00:00.002-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2011-10-02T22:00:01.165-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Capers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Bears"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Martlets"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Patriotes"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"RPI"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Soccer"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Tigers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Top 10"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"U of S Huskies"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Women's soccer: RPI risers and fallers"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ci\u003EThis weekly update brought to you by a dead computer in Halifax...\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFour teams moved up by 10 spots or more this week in \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheet\/ccc?key=0Ar0xEkmR7QNKdEhPdjJ4VV9BdW81OVR0LXVlREVuTGc\u0026hl=en_US\"\u003Eour women's soccer RPI\u003C\/a\u003E, one of whom even makes the top 10.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E(Given the weird results you're about to see in our football RPI, I won't blame you for being skeptical of this, but keep in mind that there are many more games in soccer than football, and that we have some interconference exhibition games to work with as well.)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERISERS\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ECape Breton, +11\u003C\/b\u003E (Last week: 16, This week: 5): Nowhere to be found in the official top 10, the Capers are nonetheless showing \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2011\/09\/womens-soccer-goals-in-east-recovery-in.html\"\u003Esome of that powerhouse potential\u003C\/a\u003E in knocking off Dal. The road loss to UPEI is not going to hurt them that much, since nobody has beaten the Panthers (who are 14-1 in goal differential). With Moncton and UNB on the docket next week, a 4-3-0 record may become 6-3-0.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESaskatchewan, +11\u003C\/b\u003E (Last week: 22, This week: 11): Another team whose record may belie their true performance. They're 4-3-1 in league play but with losses to Calgary, TWU, and Alberta who together have been 13-5-2 against everyone else. Split a pair in Edmonton this week, then back in the province next week for games against Calgary and hapless Lethbridge. With games in B.C. the week after that, they will go more than a month between home games. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/huskies.usask.ca\/news\/2011\/October\/2011-10-02-wsoc\/index.php\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EElizabeth Hudon\u003C\/b\u003E scored twice in their win\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUQTR, +11\u003C\/b\u003E (Last week: 28, This week: 17): A win over McGill is always nice. Their only losses are to Montreal and Sherbrooke, two teams who have not lost except to each other. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFALLERS\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EYork, -14\u003C\/b\u003E (Last week: 12, This week: 26): Lost to Waterloo at home. Need I say more?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E(Nobody else really fell in a notable way. TWU and UBC, kind of. Maybe Windsor.)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ETOP 10 LOSSES\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAlberta: L 3-2 vs. Saskatchewan\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMcGill: L 3-0 at UQTR\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDalhousie: L 2-1 at Cape Breton\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENot surprisingly, a top 10 team losing a game corresponds with their opponent's rise in the RPI. It's almost like it's designed that way!\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/3387968538751108233\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2011\/10\/womens-soccer-rpi-risers-and-fallers.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/3387968538751108233"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/3387968538751108233"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2011\/10\/womens-soccer-rpi-risers-and-fallers.html","title":"Women's soccer: RPI risers and fallers"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Rob Pettapiece"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8220121611828242531.post-7228439853072065590"},"published":{"$t":"2011-10-02T20:42:00.000-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2011-10-10T22:07:47.894-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Football"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gee-Gees"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Gaels"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Golden Hawks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gryphons"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lancers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Lions"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Marauders"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Mustangs"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"OUA Football Recap"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Varsity Blues"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Warriors"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"OUA Football: Four blowouts and a \"close call\""},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"As the OUA season waves goodbye to September, critical games remain for the conference. This past weekend, four of the five home teams got the message, and blew out their visiting opponents. The losing clubs played well, but it was not enough to keep the opposing offenses from having quintessential clinics.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"fullpost\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EQueen’s 13\u003Cbr \/\u003EToronto 6\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Queen’s Golden Gaels-Toronto Varsity Blues game may have come down to the wire, but the Blues were not in any condition to win outright.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Blues, with a meagre eight rushing yards, three lost fumbles and 120 penalty yards, disciplined themselves out of this game. They did keep the contest competitive—QB \u003Cb\u003EAndrew Gillis\u003C\/b\u003E’ 277 passing yards and the stellar Blues defence was able to keep the Blues close—but a lack of offensive execution eventually killed the momentum. The torrential downpour on Friday in Toronto certainly didn’t help either team. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith only a productive kicking game to put them over the top, the Gaels should still be worried too. Gaels quarterback \u003Cb\u003EBilly McPhee\u003C\/b\u003E only threw 91 passing yards for the game, and the team lost two fumbles.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E#10 Ottawa 16\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaurier 51\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDid you see this coming? Knocking off ranked teams are common, but a 51–16 thumping of the newly-ranked Ottawa Gee-Gees? Put it this way, coming into this game with a three-game losing streak, the Hawks nonetheless averaged 34 points in those losses. Those are scary good numbers, and the Hawks were due.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFifth-year Laurier quarterback \u003Cb\u003EShane Kelly\u003C\/b\u003E went off, with 348 passing yards and four touchdowns. The team got a 13–0 lead after the first quarter, and never looked back. What a way to celebrate \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.laurier100.ca\/\"\u003E100 years of a university\u003C\/a\u003E!\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDespite thumping the Blues 41–0 the week before, how good are the Gee-Gees, anyway? On one hand, they are in the middle of the OUA pack, and basically out of the Top 10 this week. They also face Windsor and McMaster to finish off the regular season. On the other hand, they do face the York Lions (also known as the York Sacrificial Lambs). Personally, they should be okay if they refocus on defence. After all, the team put up over 450 net offensive yards.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EYork 23\u003Cbr \/\u003E#2 Western 48\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECould you have expected anything more from the bottom-dwelling York Lions? To go on the road against one of the nation’s best is more than a challenge. But, the squad managed to put up some points in a 43–28 spanking. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGoing up 10–6 after the first quarter, the Lions registered 271 net offensive yards, including over 200 yards in the air. WR \u003Cb\u003EWilliam Austin\u003C\/b\u003E was a positive for the squad, catching 138 from QB \u003Cb\u003EDimitar Sevdin\u003C\/b\u003E. DB \u003Cb\u003EJordan Nugent\u003C\/b\u003E recorded six solo tackles in a losing effort.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut, this game was a Mustangs running clinic. RB \u003Cb\u003ETyler Varga\u003C\/b\u003E tore it up with 197 yards rushing—659 yards thus far this season—and RB \u003Cb\u003ENathan Riva\u003C\/b\u003E, who seems to be forgotten by most outside of Mustang nation, recorded 137 rushing yards. Producing in the running game should not be a problem for the squad, but they have other issues to address. A total 182 penalty yards and two lost fumbles could be the difference between Yates Cup champion and mediocrity.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWaterloo 20\u003Cbr \/\u003E#6 McMaster 46\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis was the script of this drama: the Marauders marched ahead 43–0 in the first three quarters, and let it hang out in the fourth. The tale of the tape also recorded over 700 net offensive yards, 24 first downs, and 160 return yards for the Marauders. If you thought the removal of QB \u003Cb\u003EKyle Quinlan\u003C\/b\u003E would have messed up the team’s winning equation, then you should take a second look at this squad. They’re good, simple as that.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs for Waterloo, results for their key players are showing positive growth. WR \u003Cb\u003EDustin Zender\u003C\/b\u003E caught 162 yards, and three players recorded five solo tackles each (\u003Cb\u003EBrendan Conway\u003C\/b\u003E, \u003Cb\u003EDjordje Gavrilovic\u003C\/b\u003E, and \u003Cb\u003EBrad Morton\u003C\/b\u003E). The quarterbacks also put up over 250 passing yards. They may be abysmal all-around (continuing the York Lions\/Lambs joke, how about the Waterloo Civilians?), but at least they’re not giving up on games.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGuelph 21\u003Cbr \/\u003EWindsor 41\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor a team that is second in the conference (4–1, though third on the tiebreaker with Mac), the Lancers are certainly continuing to deliver smart, methodical football to the OUA masses.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn their victory over the reeling Guelph Gryphons, they ran for over 200 yards, and kept the Gryphons from running for over 61. The running was done by committee, lead by RB \u003Cb\u003EShomari Grant\u003C\/b\u003E and \u003Cb\u003EAustin Kennedy\u003C\/b\u003E. Anyone facing the Lancers in the playoffs will have a problem with these two fellows, bar none.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOn defence, the Lancers may have to refocus on the pass, as two Gryphon touchdowns were through the air—QB \u003Cb\u003EJazz Lindsey\u003C\/b\u003E threw for 200 yards in the process. The Lancers have allowed 260 yards per game this season.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Lancers have Queen’s, Ottawa, and York for the remainder of this season. They should have plenty of time to work on their pass defence.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EPlease visit \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\"\u003Ecisblog.ca\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E.\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/feeds\/7228439853072065590\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2011\/10\/oua-football-four-blowouts-and-close.html#comment-form","title":"2 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7228439853072065590"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/8220121611828242531\/posts\/default\/7228439853072065590"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/www.cisblog.ca\/2011\/10\/oua-football-four-blowouts-and-close.html","title":"OUA Football: Four blowouts and a \"close call\""}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Perry King"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/09888613455383972574"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"31","height":"21","src":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-Ry955DxoWa8\/Tjx9SYC4TfI\/AAAAAAAABcM\/5cKxXRn7n1A\/s220\/DSC_0001.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"2"}}]}});