2008 Woodie Awards
McGill done in by late goaltending call, fall to Laval in overtime
Though point guard Moustafa El-Zanaty scored a game-high 29 points, and small forward Pawel Herra sparked a huge fourth-quarter comeback, McGill fell apart in overtime as the visiting Laval Rouge et Or defeated the Redmen, 100-90, on Saturday night at Love Competition Hall.
Whenever a professional sports team relocates, two cities' sports landscapes change drastically. While the NFL's Buffalo Bills aren't relocating to Toronto just yet, they're flirting with relocation over a five-year, five-game experiment, and are making $78 million in the process.
Two-time All-Canadian receiver Galas becomes a two-sport athlete
You don't often get a second chance with your first love. So when Erik Galas realized that he might have an elusive second opportunity, he jumped at the chance to revisit the past-by joining the Redmen basketball team. Galas, a two-time All-Canadian wide receiver with the McGill football team, became just the fifth McGill athlete since the Second World War to suit up for both the football and basketball teams in the same season this past week.
Naismith enforced the rules on the court, but he broke barriers off it
Part two of the Tribune's profile of James Naismith. Part one was featured n last week's issue. Naismith moved to Springfield, Massachusetts to teach at Springfield College after graduating from McGill's Presbyterian College in 1890. There, he invented basketball, but he also had a hand in the invention of another sport .
Cheerleading, Martlets Volleyball, Martlets Basketball, Sporty Santas
Cheerleading The McGill cheerleading team placed second in the all-girl division at the Power Cheerleading Association's University and Open National Cheerleading Championships in Brampton, Ontario, last weekend, equalling its best showing at the annual event.
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.
