2008 Woodie Awards
This failing grade is not quite as harsh as the one the Redmen got last year, since at least this year's squad had a kicker on the roster in Austin Anderson. But, having the son of a future NFL Hall of Famer on the roster won't come close to taking the sting off of a second-straight 0-8 season.
The Redmen soccer team came into the season looking to build on last year's successful campaign, which ended with a loss in the Quebec conference final. Despite a disappointing early exit from postseason play, they certainly accomplished their goal. Head Coach Philippe Eullaffroy-Quebec Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season-did an excellent job blending fresh talent with proven veterans, creating a close-knit group with impressive on-field chemistry.
It seemed at the beginning of the year that the youth-laden Redbirds wouldn't be able to do much with an automatic bid to the National Championship tournament. But McGill surprised many by earning an 11-5 regular season record, and finishing tied atop the Northern division with Lafleche College.
Expectations were high for the McGill men's lacrosse team coming into this season. Head Coach Tim Murdoch declared before the squad's first game that "Anything less than a National Championship would be a disappointment this season." And although the Redmen fell just short of their stated goal this year-losing 14-9 to the Guelph Gryphons in the gold medal game at Nationals-the 2008 season can't be considered anything other than a success.
It can be easy to lose focus when you're part of a juggernaut like the McGill men's rugby program. The Redmen may have been guilty of complacency at one point this year, as a 25-17 loss to Sherbrooke was the lone dark spot during an otherwise spotless conference season.
Head Coach Marc Mounicot's Martlets never played up to their potential this season, which ended with a 1-0 loss to the top-ranked University of Montreal Carabins in a Quebec conference semifinal. The Martlets were plagued by a slow start to the season, and at one point were in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in the program's history.
