Always OUA

Things that should never happen: Lakehead's Caria suspended for racial slur

2012-01-24T23:23:00.000-08:00

I'd really prefer to not bring up a story like this - ideally because it would never happen - but it definitely caught my attention.

Long story short: Matt Caria of the Lakehead Thunderwolves has been suspended two games for a racial slur directed at Yashar Farmanara. This, from tbnewswatch.com:

Caria, who leads the Lakehead Thunderwolves with 24 points in 17 games, was kicked out of Saturday’s 1-0 loss to the Mustangs after skating past the Western bench and having words with Farmanara, who is of Middle Eastern descent. The two were teammates on last year's University Games team.

Lakehead athletic director Tom Warden on Tuesday said the suspension was agreed to upon by the school, Ontario University Athletics and officials at Western.

“Incidents like this we obviously take very seriously,” Warden said, reached by phone. “It is our goal to deal with them swiftly and expediently. Matthew has been suspended for two games … and he has been asked to apologize to the player in question.

“He’s been asked to apologize to the administration at the University of Western Ontario. He’s been asked to apologize to the officials who were doing the game on the night of the incident, and he’s been asked to apologize to the program and his teammates.”

What else can you say? The fact this happened is ridiculous and he should absolutely be suspended. The fact they have been teammates before makes the situation curious to say the least, but doesn't take away from the seriousness of the issue. I can only hope that people would have come forward with this had it not happened right in front of the referee.

We've all been there in a sporting event where things get heated. Caria was pissed off that things weren't going well and lost his temper and reached for the worst thing he could think of. There's no "he's not that kind of guy" crap. It happened. I have no doubt Matt Caria is a good dude who lost his temper and said something he would gladly take back. The fact is, it happened and now he has to deal with what comes as a result. End of story.

What mystifies me, however, is when people make completely egregious remarks about any situation like this. For example, this comment from the article:

Swirly-Q says:
Why would anyone make light of this? This is horrible news for Thunder Bay and Lakehead.

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME "SWIRLY-Q"?

I get that Thunder Bay is a small town that wants to protect its reputation. I also get that Lakehead also wants to look as clean as possible. Regardless of what Caria said, that commenter's insight is what happens when you put pure idiocy in a pot of boiling water and see what you have left after the process. You want to not solve a problem? Turn your back to it. Considering the type of punishments being laid down by The FA (English soccer's governing body) for similar incidents, this is a slap on the wrist.

It happened. Enforce the suspension. Don't let it happen again. The End.

OUA Headline of the Day: "Thieving Gryphons drop Waterloo hoopsters"

2012-01-16T12:52:00.000-08:00

That's what it's called.

Sounds a little like some sort of 1930s throwdown, no?

The actual story refers to Saturday's 19 point win by the Gryphs over the Warriors in OUA Men's Basketball action.

GUELPH — Three acts of thievery by the Guelph Gryphons led to victory Saturday afternoon at the Mitchell Athletics Centre.

With the Waterloo Warriors a little too close for comfort, the Gryphs swiped the ball on three consecutive throw-ins by the visitors and turned the steals into points to pull away to an 82-63 OUA men’s basketball triumph.

“We came in wanting to pick them up full-court (man-to-man defence) as much as we could the whole game to try to wear them out, make them make decisions and take the ball out of their point guard (Cam MacIntyre),” Gryphon coach Chris O’Rourke said.

“Maybe it doesn’t pay off for you in the first 10 minutes, 20 minutes, but you’re banking that you’re going to grind it and make them make some turnovers and that was huge for us.”

At any rate, great, great headline. Slow clap goes out to the Guelph Mercury.

Full story: Thieving Gryphons drop Waterloo hoopsters

Sumarah will be the Ravens' Ole Ball Coach

2012-01-16T08:35:00.000-08:00

In unshocking news, the Carleton Ravens unveiled Steve Sumarah as their inaugural (does this count as inaugural if the had a team already?) head coach at 10:30 am today.

I'd have to think that the Carleton football brass somewhere are giggling like 12 year old girls that St. Mary's decided to can Sumarah for reasons unbeknownst to him. It always helps to get a program started with a bonafide (the Blogger spellcheck suggests I change this word to debonair - why?) elite CIS head coach.

Define elite, you say? Ok.

Sumarah was 42-18 at the helm of SMU, won three AUS coach of the year awards and the 2009 CIS coach of the year award.

Not bad.

More reaction as I gather my thoughts and hear Coach Sumarah's mission statements.

Long Overdue OUA Obits: Guelph Gryphons

2012-01-10T17:39:00.000-08:00

Season in a nutshell

The Gryphons entered the 2011 season as an unknown entity in the OUA as they had loads of talent but a fair number of new starters and inexperienced coaches. At the outset of the season I had named the Gryphons as a darkhorse Yates Cup contender here at Always OUA in an attempt to have some sort of foresight, when really I thoroughly proved how fallible I am. The Gryphons failed to build any sort of momentum this season and, after several close but no cigar games, found themselves on the outside of the OUA playoffs looking in. After several injuries, lineup moves, etc. it appears as though the Gryphons will be forced to wonder what could have been after a very difficult 2011.

The turning point

Depends which game you think set them off the rails more. The obvious answer would be the 21-12 loss against Toronto which was on University Rush in week three of the season. The next contender, however, would be their 37-13 loss to the McMaster Marauders on Homecoming after leading 10-3 going into the half. Both were indicative of a team that, for whatever reason, just couldn't find a way to win. Both of these losses made the Gryphons a long shot to make playoffs.

MVPs
Jedd Gardner, WR
39 Recs, 520 yards, 3 TDs

It cetainly wasn't his best statistical season but Jedd Gardner, as he has been for so many years, was the Gryphons' most dangerous weapon. His breakaway speed and sure hands made him a "must double" for any defensive secondary the Gryphons came across. His contributions to the special teams units also can't be denied as he factored in both the punt return and, to a lesser degree, the kick return. His big play potential can't be ignored as he had a season long passing play of 81 yards and a season long punt return of 57. As far as game breaking ability in the OUA this year, there weren't many guys who ranked ahead of Jedd Gardner. Coming to a CFL team near you.

Jake Reinhart, LB
48 solos, 29 assists, 1 sack

We speculated earlier this season that the linebacker corps could be a problem spot for the Gryphons with the departures of Adam Dunk and Matt Rossetti. Obviously Reinhart was at a disadvantage coming into the season for Guelph since a prerequisite for the team is clearly to have a brother who plays quarterback on the roster, but he performed admirably in his first year as a key player in the second level. A season of 62.5 total tackles is certainly nothing to scoff at, especially when you consider his previous season high for tackles was 16. In fact, he recorded double digits in tackles three times this season and never recorded less than six. A first team all-OUA candidate for 2012, should he return for his fifth season.

Bryan Dunjko, DB
33 solos, 6 assists, 4 INTs

The secondary was the primary bringer of fear for opponents when they prepared their game plan for Guelph and Dunjko was a big reason why. He was second on the team in solo tackles with 33 and led the team in picks with four. Dunjko will absolutey be in the pre-season discussion of "best defensive backs in the OUA" after recruiting season wraps up and I fully expect him to have a better season in 2012. When you consider that teams never had to play desperation football against the Gryphons very much (read: they weren't forced to pass) the secondary's chances to make plays was limited. Given that I expect this team as a whole to get better, I'd expect the playmakers in the secondary to see a jump in numbers as well.

Defining Quote
“This has definitely been one of the more disappointing seasons. But all in all, I have fond memories. It’s kind of a rebuilding year for the future, we had a lot of young guys.”

-Jedd Gardner to the Guelph Mercury after his final game

The optimist says
This was a rebuilding year for the Gryphons under a second year head coach and a first year OC who was late to the game in the first place. This is still a program with loads of talent, a young quarterback who has shown that he could very well be among the next batch of great ones and a brain trust that has displayed a strong commitment to recruiting high end talent both in and outside the province in order to compete with the big boys. With the development of new on campus facilities which will rank among the best in the country, the on-field product may have taken a step back but the program is moving forward to the upper echelon of the province which is the ultimate goal.

The pessimist says
This was a team that theoretically (our theory, at least) had enough talent to push into the top five playoff spots and give the elite teams a run for their money. They showed flashes of it against McMaster (who, granted, were without Quinlan) and Western yet couldn't put it together over the course of a season. Many of their struggles offensively could be chalked up to the loss of Nick Fitzgibbon, what is going to happen when Jedd Gardner leaves this year? The Gryphons are the disappointment of 2011 and with Western, McMaster and Queen's looking as strong as ever, Ottawa retooling, and Windsor coming on the top six will be hard enough to crack. Let's not forget what a well funded, independently run Carleton team could do for the talent distribution of the province. This team needed the 2011 season to go well for the long haul and it didn't.

Next year?
I find myself in cahoots - cahoots dammit! - with the optimist point of view here as I think the Gryphons have a lot of the intangibles needed for a successful program. With a big group of recruiters behind them and the allure of new stuff - training facilities, field, MATTE BLACK HELMETS!!! - they appear more than ready to start taking a chunk of the talent in the province for themselves. The Gryphons have some great high ceiling players in the system and, with the right coaching, could be ready to make some noise sooner rather than later.

OUA to stage outdoor game

2012-01-09T19:28:00.000-08:00

The OUA has announced it will stage an outdoor men's hockey game between the Brock Badgers and the Waterloo Warriors at Ivor Wynne Stadium on January 22nd. The game will be part of weekend festivities that feature tilts between former Leafs and Habs, as well as the AHL's Toronto Marlies and Hamilton Bulldogs.

Source

Matt O'Donnell a Bengal for 2 more years? Scoop to tide you over to our next real post

2011-12-23T00:03:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posts here lately, real life has been a real pain. Expect some more football wrap and basketball/hockey projections going forward. Also working on getting some interviews with OUA athletes/alum for your consumption as well so stay tuned.

Meanwhile to the actual news thing, we have it on good authority that former Queen's OL Matt O'Donnell has signed a two-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals. Hardly surprising given that a ton of teams would love to have someone that enormous on their roster. He's worth any time putting in as a project from a sheer physicality perspective.

There's no formal announcement or blurb from the team just yet, but I'd have to think it's forthcoming.

Hope you're all enjoying your holidays.

Ravens vs. Golden Hawks: The Swirsk checks in

2011-12-03T11:44:00.000-08:00

For those of you who aren't compulsively on twitter, you may have missed a Chuck Swirsky sighting in the world of OUA ball.

HE RETWEETED IT! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT! OMGOMGOMGOMG! THE CHUCK SWIRSKY!

Seriously though, that made me smile.

Shoutout to Laurier's Kyle Enright (#3 in your programs, #1 in your twitter feed) who tweeted at the Swirsk and brightened our day as a result.

Also of Raptors interest, one of Swirsky's replacements on the airwaves, Paul Jones, is doing a column for oua.ca on Ontario basketball so be sure to check out this week's piece on this HUGE game.

Who do you have taking this game? My gut and brain say Carleton but you never want to count out Kale Harrison and Laurier.

Comment. Tweet. E-mail. Onions, baby, onions.

Always OUA Shoutout: Nick Fitzgibbon

2011-11-28T08:40:00.001-08:00

It may have been all for naught, but I wanted to give some blog love to former Guelph Gryphon and current Winnipeg Blue Bomber Nick Fitzgibbon for throwing the biggest block of the night during yesterday's 99th Grey Cup.

Start rolling at the 11:45 mark and brace yourself.

Give the man his due: Neate Sager

2011-11-26T10:47:00.000-08:00

For those of you unfamiliar with the prophetic insights of Neate Sager - one time editor of The CIS Blog, currently of Yahoo! Sports - where have you been, exactly?

I'll stop the public shaming (seriously, though) for now, but here's the occasion for the praise:

Mac's four straight Yates Cups (2000-03) was the last throes of what worked for the OUA's power programs in the '80s and '90s. The better teams, such as Western and Laurier, typically kept offensive and defensive schemes relatively simple and trusted in having superior athletes. The rise of Laval and Quebec football, the scrapping of the OAC (Grade 13) year in Ontario high schools and Western Canada teams' use of more experienced junior players has put an end to that approach working on a national level.

Laurier had a breakthrough, winning the Vanier Cup in 2005, because it thought more seriously about how to trick its talent into being better. Ptaszek, who was part of that shift in thinking, will probably try to do this over time at McMaster. Considering the school's size, support of sports, its facilities, and the talent and fan support, it should lead to the Marauders delivering a long-sought Vanier Cup appearance inside of five years.

(Via Out of Left Field)
Hmmph. Well then, looks like someone saw this coming all along.

I guess now we can stop with the senseless and baseless Ptaszek bashing, hmm?

Everyone ought to hop on twitter and give Neate a high five. (@neatebuzzthenet)

More Vanier reaction

2011-11-26T07:22:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of theScore - Glen Schiiler and Donnovan Bennett get McMaster reactions from BC Place.

With Kyle Quinlan:

With Stefan Ptaszek:

With Joey Nemet and Ryan Chmielewski:

Your 2011 Vanier Cup Champions

2011-11-26T07:09:00.000-08:00

Congrats to the McMaster Marauders for winning the 47th Vanier Cup.

Are we ready to put to bed the idea that the OUA is a powder puff conference yet?

Dennis McPhee out in Waterloo

2011-11-22T09:37:00.000-08:00

The following was just released by the University of Waterloo:

WATERLOO, Ont. - After five years of coaching the Warrior Football program at the University of Waterloo, Head Coach Dennis McPhee has resigned from his coaching position and will be leaving the University.

“We wish Coach McPhee the best with his future endeavours and thank him for his contributions to the Warrior Football program,” said Bob Copeland, University of Waterloo Athletics Director.

Copeland said the change in leadership comes at a time when the Department of Athletics program is evolving according to a strategic direction built around core values and goals that best position the school for success in interuniversity sports.

Continuity for the football team will be provided by a strong line-up of assistant coaches including Assistant Head Coach Joe Paopao, longstanding Assistant Coach Marshall Bingeman, and Assistant Coach Kani Kauahi, all of whom will be on the sidelines guiding the Warriors through the 2012 season.

“The ongoing commitment of the coaching team of Paopao, Bingeman and Kauahi will provide consistency for the program during this transition period and excellent leadership for our student-athletes,” said Copeland.

The Department of Athletics expects to confirm their leadership plan for the football program within the next two weeks.

Have to say that this is an odd development given the work McPhee did during the team's hiatus to set it up for the long term. I'd have to think that there is more going on here, but the details are pretty fuzzy early on.

We'll have more on this as things become public.

Initial thoughts, comments, or reactions can be commented, tweeted or e-mailed. Interested to hear your collective thoughts here.

"Go Mac Go"

2011-11-20T19:02:00.001-08:00

I gotta say, it's great to see a community rally around their team.

On a personal note, during my undergrad, the highlight of my time at Queen's was seeing people rally around this football team in 2009 which, during most of my time there, I could count the majority of its diehard supporters on one hand.

This is an awesome time to be a McMaster fan. You have arguably the best team in your school's history marching its way to Vancouver to bring a Vanier Cup back to Hamilton. Get behind your boys because it doesn't go unnoticed. A Vanier Cup is a once in a generation feat for every school not called "Calgary" or "Laval" so soak up every minute of it. You could be telling a lot of people about your 2011 Vanier Cup memories.

Thanks to McMaster University's Matt Terry for passing along the video. Anytime we get a nod in the right direction from folks is much appreciated.

Here's to hoping that we have the second Vanier in three years coming back to Ontario on Friday.

Aside: This new Blogger layout is really confusing. Thanks for nothing, Google.

THE DEBUT ALWAYSOUA PODCAST - YATES CUP EDITION

2011-11-10T16:42:00.000-08:00

Hey gang,

We said we were working on content for you ahead of the Yates Cup and it's finally ready to be rolled out. We bring you the AlwaysOUA podcast, your one stop to our 2011 OUA football season recap, award picks and Yates Cup predictions.

Look for this to be a regular thing around here going forward. We've thrown it up on Youtube for the time being, but look for a more regular audio segment to come in the near future as we look to iron out hosting issues/get listed in the iTunes directory.

Have thoughts? Drop a comment here on the site, tweet us, or leave a note under the videos. Similarly, if there's something you'd like us to talk about, a player you'd like us to interview, etc. let us know.

Enjoy!

Your OUA Soccer Championships rundown

2011-11-07T14:56:00.001-08:00

Our friends at Support Local Football have outdone themselves once again and posted a fantastic recap of this past week’s OUA soccer championships.

The men's Final Four was played in Ottawa at Carleton University's Keith Harris Stadium, and featured the host and OUA East champion Carleton Ravens, OUA West champion York Lions, University of Toronto Varsity Blues, and McMaster Marauders. The women's Final Four was played in Waterloo at Laurier University. It featured the OUA West champions Laurier Golden Hawks, OUA East champions Queen's Gaels, McMaster Marauders, and Ottawa Gee Gees.

You'll have to click through here to find out how it wrapped up...

We're doing some work on our Yates Cup specials tonight so stay tuned for what we have in store for you gang... It's going to be sweeeet.

The best Women’s Soccer preview

2011-11-02T20:01:00.001-07:00

Check out this women’s soccer preview which we had tweeted at us. I took a look and it’s really top notch stuff.

For those of you who don’t recall what happened last season:

The host team, Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, are the defending OUA Champions after having downed the Queen's Gaels last year by a 1-0 scoreline in Kingston. Queen's returned the favour at the CIS Championships in PEI by winning 1-0 in extra time in the championship game on a goal by Riley Filion.

The link is here.

The Quiet Dynasty and other sporting notes

2011-10-31T19:24:00.000-07:00

When people think of the sports scene in Canada, they think of hockey.

What a shame!

While its a great sport to play and watch, there are many other options for Canadian boys and girls to participate in while growing up. Here is a run down of those 'other' OUA sports.

Cross Country
Coach Dave Scott-Thomas has built both of his Guelph teams into arguably the best programs of any sport in the OUA. No school is as dominant in any sport as his Gryphons are in XC. The men's and women's team both captured gold over the weekend at the championship meet in Ottawa. It was the men's seventh consecutive title and the women's eighth in a row. With a perfect balance of youth and upper years, the Quiet Dynasty is showing no signs of slowing down. Coach Scott-Thomas has won 22 OUA Coach of the year awards 19 CIS ones. Recently, he got some ink in the Globe
Men's Results
Women's Results

Image courtesy of gryphons.ca

Baseball
For all of our die hard readers, you'll remember one of our first rants was about lack of participation in a sport invented by Canadians. The Toronto Varsity Blues beat Western 8-4 in the championship game. This parity filled league featured a double elimination playoff format, which only seems to work for Mighty Ducks movies.

Rugby
The Gryphons seem to dominate the niche sports. The nationally ranked team yawned their way to a championship, destroying teams by huge margins. They play for CIS gold this weekend. On the men's side of things, the usual suspects of Queens and Western lead the league after the regular season. Playoffs start Wednesday.

Golf
Walking around campus, I always see posters for private golf lessons at the University of Waterloo. I stare at the poster, consider my awful golf game, but then in true university student fashion, agree to procrastinate to next summer.
The Warriors men`s and women`s team swept gold at the OUA championships this year. Fifth year Garret Rank won the individual title for the second straight year. I should really sign up for those lessons.

Field Hockey
The Varsity Blues only lost once during the regular season, a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Guelph. They made up for it though, trouncing the Gryphons 6-0 in the OUA finals. The fly out to Alberta for the national championships this weekend. I hope the kids learned lots, as the team could lose up to five players next year.

If you are passionate about the above sports, shoot us an email. We`d love to hear from fellow OUA fans.

Gaels football is a family affair

2011-10-26T13:24:00.000-07:00

The Kingston Whig-Standard's Mike Koreen put together a feature last week on the Sheahan family tree's connection to Queen's and its football staff. Not sure how many teams anywhere in the CIS can say that they have three individuals from the same family running one squad.

Devan, whose playing career ended last season, never got the chance to play with Ryan, a quarterback and kicker at Queen's, from 2000 to 2004. Now, pops and his sons are all wearing the same coaching gear on gamedays.

"I don't know how many people in the world can say they love what they do and get to do it with their father and their kid brother," said Ryan Sheahan, a quarterbacks coach/video co-ordinator. Ryan became a full-time coach this year after the program did some fundraising.

"It's a positive environment, a great learning environment," Ryan Sheahan continued. "It's kind of like a dream come true. It's an ideal situation. We have great kids here and as soon as (a new) stadium lands, it will be bliss."

I'm sure the family ties elicit eye rolls in some pockets of the OUA, but in a sense it adds to the tightness of a very close knit Gaels program which has been very successful since Pat took over in 2000.

For those of you who missed it last week, theScore's DJ Bennett did a feature on the Queen's Gaels Vanier Cup tattoo which started popping up in 2009 - though Rob Bagg did have a similar tat prior to then.

A Lakehead hockey interlude

2011-10-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

Photo Courtesy: Lakehead Athletics

We take a break from our usual OUA football stretch drive programming to bring you this feature from the Lakehead student paper - The Argus. In this piece, Mike St. Jean tracks down some of Lakehead's hockey alumni and finds that these three are still pursuing pro hockey careers.

Which three players you ask?

Goaltender Chris Whitley

Since leaving Lakehead in 2009, Whitley has remained active in pursuing his dream of a career as a professional hockey player.

Following a strong showing as an invite to the Detroit Red Wings 2009 training camp, Whitley spent the2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons playing in Allen, Texas for the Central Hockey League’s Allen Americans, leading the team to the Ray Miron President Cup finals in his rookie season.

Forward Mike Soares

Since leaving Lakehead in 2010, Soares has spent the past two seasons playing for Kaufbeuren ESV in Germany’s Oberliga, where he finished fifth in team scoring during the 2010-11 season (17 goals, 17 assists in 48 games), while playing with former Thunderwolves Mike Wehrstedt and Scott Dobben.

and Forward Tobias Whelan

Lakehead’s former assistant captain currently plays for the Rødovre Mighty Bulls, a top Danish team that has produced a few notable NHLers, including current players Jannik Hansen, Mikkel Bødker, and Lars Eller.

Unfortunate we couldn't get any quotes from these guys about their OUA playing days, but alas, I'd imagine that setting up interviews with people in Denmark is a bit difficult from Lakehead's campus.

As far as the players go, who knows what's in store - particularly for the guys in Europe. A few good seasons leads to a Spengler Cup which leads to an NHL shot. Either way, it's great for OUA Hockey and the Lakehead program.

A nice Mustangs tribute from MDC

2011-10-26T09:21:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to give a tip of the cap to the London Free Press' Morris Dalla Costa for a great piece on former Mustang Bob Allen who passed away this week.

Allen played along the lines for the Mustangs and is a member of Western's football hall of fame.

From 1941-3, Allen was the anchor on Western’s offensive and defensive lines, winning all-star recognition in the football conference then known as the Big 4 (along with the Toronto, Queen’s and McGill), as well as playing centre on the Mustangs men’s basketball team and competing as a high jumper in track and field.

He was inducted into Western’s W Club Hall of Fame, the school’s highest athletic honour for men, in 1987.

Allen, who had been in failing health for a while and recently suffered a stroke, died Sunday in Kingsville, near Windsor. He was 89, two weeks short of his 90th birthday.

It's always a nice touch to see former greats at these schools be honoured, even if it is under unfortunate circumstances. So many of them have great stories that ought to be remembered by fans of today.

Best wishes to Mr. Allen's family.

Good Morning OUA: Awwwwww

2011-10-26T07:48:00.000-07:00

Good Morning OUA,

Is this not the cutest thing you've ever seen?

Stay tuned for football stuff as it comes in.

You're Welcome,

Chris and Matt

It’s hard to cheer against Windsor

2011-10-25T20:02:00.001-07:00

(Original photo here – from Fernandes’ first season, 2007)

The Windsor Lancers are this season’s feel good story in the OUA. Obviously they’re not particularly warm and fuzzy - though I'm sure some are warmer and fuzzier than others - they’re the little engines that always could and were held back by ~~a coaching staff without a clue~~ serious ineptitude. Bob Duff of the Windsor Star put together a nice piece on fifth year players Paul Lefaive and Cory Fernandes.

This year, fate smiled on Fernandes and Lefaive.

The only fifth-year players on the Windsor roster, both will get their first taste of OUA playoff football Saturday, when the 5-3 Lancers travel to Ottawa to tangle with the 5-3 Gee-Gees in quarter-final action.

“It means the world to us,” Fernandes said.

“Finally getting to be where we thought we’d be our first year coming here, it shows how far along we’ve come as a program.”

In their first season under interim coach Joe D’Amore, the Lancers were ranked in the CIS top 10, beat a top-10 ranked opponent (Laurier) and found an identity.

“It’s everyone’s willingness to buy into the new coaching staff, the enthusiasm, the excitement,” running back Lefaive said.

With the Lancers gearing up for their first playoff run in what seems like an eternity, you can't help but cheer for these guys as they go into their game against Ottawa.

FWIW Austin Kennedy should get some serious consideration for the OUA's first-team quarterback spot, though I can't legitimately see him beating out Kyle Quinaln. The kid has been phenomenal nonetheless. It's a shame his success has come at the expense of what's more or less Sam Malian's career, but he looks like he's going to be a good one for years to come.

Between Kennedy, the pure talent Billy McPhee clearly has, Marshall Ferguson's spot starts and Jazz Lindsey in Guelph, etc. I'm pretty pumped to see what type of show the next generation of quarterbacks has in store for us.

Week 8 Season Finales: Who We Like

2011-10-21T20:10:00.001-07:00

Game Winners:

Queen’s – natural surface, home crowd and Western injuries all point to a Gaels win.

Windsor – Lancers get a good matchup against York to enter the playoffs on a high note.

Laurier – Really torn on this one because I think this is a trap game for the Golden Hawks and my intuition say Guelph. That being said the Laurier defence > Gryphons offence so I’ll appeal to reason but don’t hold it against me.

McMaster – Home game, great defence and a good day for Quinlan. Marauders lock up the first round bye.

Toronto – The Varsity Blues cap off a “we’re back” type season with a win over Waterloo. If their offence could have been more opportunistic this is a playoff team.

Players to Watch:
I’m trying to be as un-obvious as possible here.

Chris Patrician (Queen’s) – often gets overlooked on the Gaels offensive depth chart but is a very nice player to have out wide. Will likely see a lot of single coverage.

Andrew Thibaudeau (Western) – The Gaels defence is phenomenal but with a stacked box to stop Western’s run, look for Thibaudeau to stretch the field and make a few plays.

Dylan Whitfield (Windsor) – Slot receiver should get a lot of looks as Windsor spreads it around against York.

Michael Livingston (York) – A solid first year player that will give the Windsor offensive line trouble coming off the edge.

Felix Odum (Laurier) – Has the ability to impact all three phases of the game returning, catching and defending. He is an X-Factor type weapon.

Cam Thorn (Guelph) – With a depleted roster around him, he needs to step up and make things difficult for Anton Bennett and Shane Kelly.

Joey Cupido (McMaster) – Aaron Colbon of Ottawa has struggled to be truly efficient throwing the ball. Cupido can make him pay for miscues with good coverage and turnovers.

Matt Falvo (Ottawa) – Field position will be key in a crucial game between to closely matched opponents so Falvo will need to have a good day kicking and punting.

Stephan Boroniec (Toronto) – A versatile H-Back type of player who can run the ball and take passes out of the backfield; should get a lot of touches against Waterloo.

Reid Nicholson (Waterloo) – Looked very comfortable stepping up to make tackles in the slop against Queen’s last week and should take that forward on a much better Toronto playing surface.

Who voted for Laurier?

2011-10-18T21:07:00.001-07:00

Seriously, I want to know. The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks received a single vote for the CIS football top-10. Who was it? Did this person mistakenly think they were voting on the women’s soccer top-10? If so, I get it – they’re pretty good at that. But football? No freaking way. Explain to me how a team that is…

- 3-4
- In sixth place
- In danger of missing the playoffs

…worthy of a top-10 spot in the country. I just don’t understand it. The top-10 is a discussion starter and not a playoff decider, I get this. But nevertheless, Laurier has no business being in the discussion.

End of story.

An Aside

2011-10-16T05:05:00.000-07:00

Having finally seen the Waterloo Warriors play a game in person yesterday, it's pretty clear that this team was going to be a bottom two squad in the OUA. There's no way around it. The talent, size and physicality you need to compete in this league just aren't there - yet.

That being said, I'd like to initiate a league wide cap-tip to the coaching staff and players who have represented the Warriors each week this season.

It's not easy fielding a young team, but when you field a team of 48 new recruits in addition to second year players who have never seen game action before, things can get a little hairy. In spite of this, the Warriors have come out each week and played with great amounts of intensity, heart and brought a lot of dignity to the program this season after a very unfortunate series of events.

You can't look past the efforts of Dennis McPhee and his staff either as it would have been easy for them to pack it in last season and move on. They have some of the best football minds in the province on that staff and it wouldn't have been hard for them to find more competitive work out there. That being said they have stuck it out and really done a lot for Waterloo Warriors football moving forward. I can't help but think that when karma comes back around it'll be this staff of individuals leading the program's charge back to a Yates Cup.

Their record may be 0-7 on the field, but they should have earned everyone's respect for the way they have played those games through seven weeks of the season. They have fought long and hard every step of the way.

Waterloo Warriors, feel free to stand and take a bow.

OUA Football Playoff Picture

2011-10-10T19:56:00.000-07:00

With two week left before the quarter finals, we break down what the playoff landscape will look like

Western 6-0
Remaining Games: @TOR @ QUE
Story so far: Running (literally) roughshod over the OUA. Tyler Varga and Nathan Riva are averaging 6 and 6.5 yards/carry respectively and causing many sleepless nights for opposing defensive coordinators. Highly touted recruit Ben Rossong (Sackville, NS) has taken over at QB, as starter Donnie Marshall has undergone surgery to repair a high ankle sprain. At 6-2/205, Rossong gives Western a more ‘pro-style- quarterback.’ The Mustangs have a few starters listed with minor injuries, including 5th year WR Zach Bull.
Outlook: #1 seed with home field advantage throughout the playoffs

McMaster 5-1
Remaining Games: @WLU vs OTT
Story so far: After the AD suspended Hec Creighton hopeful Kyle Quinlan for three games, things seemed up in the air for the Marauders. However, backup Marshall Ferguson stepped in and didn’t miss a beat with the offense. Third year RB Christopher Pezzetta and his eye opening 8.4 yards/carry gives the Marauders the most balanced offense in the league. DB Michael Daly leads the nation with 4 INTs. Fun Fact: The Marauders are the most penalized team in Canada!
Outlook: A win against WLU and a loss to OTT may put their first round bye in jeopardy. Two losses here will have them slip out of the 2 spot

Ottawa 4-2
Remaining Games: vs WIN, @MAC
Tough schedule down the stretch; we’ll get to see what the Gee-Gees are made of. I saw them last week at Laurier, and their offense was 1 dimensional. If their O-Line cant open things up for Brendan Gillanders, quarterback Aaron Colbon cannot carry the weight of the team on his arm.; he needs more time to develop. I did like how coach JP Asselin chooses to go for the first down on many 3rd and 1 situations (they’re 56% on 3rd down conversions)
Outlook: They’ll slide down to the 5th or 6th spot, playing all playoff games on the road

Queen’s 4-2
Remaining Games: WAT, UWO
Story so far: After a shaky first two games, the Gaels have righted their ship and are near top form. They have talent at every position on the field, including a stellar offensive line. A sure win over Waterloo, their match up with Western will be an interesting one in terms of resting starters from each team.
Outlook: A home game in the first round looks imminent

Windsor 4-2
Remaining Games: @OTT @ YU
OUA’s surprise team of the year has secured 4 wins for the first time since 2006. Quarterback Austin Kennedy is putting up amazing totals to the tune of 64.1% completion rate, 14 TDs and 5 INTs. Mental mistakes are hurting them though, as they seem to not play the full 60 minutes. In a close loss to Mac, they failed to convert on 4 redzone tries early in the game.
Outlook: A big game in our nation’s capital this week; a win puts them in the driver’s seat to host a home playoff game.

Laurier 3-3
Remaining Games: vs MAC, @GUE
Having Canada’s top passer sounds nice and all, but QB Shane Kelly is averaging more than 2 INTs per game. After being caught off guard by Windsor and demolished by Queens, the Golden Hawks turned in a strong effort against Western.
Outlook: The road to a Yates Cup will have to come on the road

Toronto 2-4
Remaining Games: vs UWO, vs WAT
For the Varsity Blues to make the playoffs, they have to win out AND the Golden Hawks have to lose out. Anyone think this will happen? Anyone? Bueller? Beating Guelph on national TV was a nice feather in their cap.
Outlook: Will miss the postseason

Guelph 1-5 vs YU, vs WLU
A rough season for second year coach Stu Lang; a solid effort against the Mustangs will give the Gryphons something to build on for 2012. For Guelph to make the playoffs, they must win out AND have the Blues and Golden Hawks lose out. LB Jake Reinhart leads the league with 49.5 tackles
Outlook: Will miss the postseason

York 1-5
Remaining Games: @GUE, WIN
The Lions are mathematically eliminated from the postseason. A comeback win against Waterloo was their first victory in 29 games.
Outlook: Will miss postseason

Waterloo 0-6
Remaining Games: vs QUE, @TOR
The Warriors are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Got to feel bad for McPhee’s squad, as they have been crushed game in and game out. The Black and Gold were basically a high school team competing in college games.
Outlook: Will miss post season

Tie Breakers for OUA football:
1. Most league wins (if the teams have played the same number of games).
2. Record in head-to-head competition (if all teams involved in the tie have played each other at least once).
3. Point difference in head-to-head competition (if all teams involved in the tie have played each other at least once).
4. Record in games within the division.
5. Record in games against common opponents.
6. Record in games against each of the other teams in the division, starting at the top of the standing and continuing in descending order.
7. Point difference in games within the division.
8. Point difference in games against common opponents.
9. Point difference in games against the highest divisional opponent not involved in the tie.
10. Point difference in games against the second-highest divisional opponent not involved in the tie.
11. If the tie persists, repeat Step 10 using the other teams in the division in descending order until the tie is broken.
12. Total point difference.
13. Coin toss (if two teams are tied) or drawing of lots (if more than two teams are tied).

OUA-CIS-CFL Transition

2011-10-04T10:15:00.000-07:00

In doing some research I've realized that there isn't a lot of CIS content in the CFL. Sure, there's a ton compared to the NFL, but for all of the Canadian talent playing in the pros here there isn't a whole lot coming out of the CIS ranks. It's deceptive at times because we hear about all of these impact players and their alma maters which leads us to think "Hey, things are going great" when really they could be much better.

So, I pose this question to our devoted followship of OUA fans and forecasters alike - What needs to be done to ensure that more CIS talent makes the jump to the CFL?

Comment, tweet, e-mail.

OUA Mic'd Up

2011-10-02T07:39:00.001-07:00

For those of you who haven't been in theScore's video section lately, they've started doing a great behind the scenes video feature called 'OUA Uncut'.

Here's the most recent edition with Guelph's Sebastian Howard:

AlwaysOUA live on the air

2011-09-30T09:26:00.000-07:00

As we mentioned in a blurb below, we'll be handling the play-by-play and colour duties tonight for CFRC radio in Kingston for tonight's Queen's-Toronto showdown at Varsity Stadium.

Feel free to tune in at 7:00 for the call on tonight's OUA football action.

Listen Live at 7:00

Some YouTube nuggets & weekend notes

2011-09-28T20:11:00.000-07:00

A view of the game from the coach's perspective:

I like how Waterloo chose to focus on the less covered women's side of the OUA. Both coaches seem to balance intensity and light heartedness

We're sorry about the lack of content around here of late. Both Chris and I are settling into full time jobs and this thing called a 40 hour work week. Never the less, we have a big weekend lined up. On Friday, we'll be calling Queens at Toronto on CFRC at 7. Then on Saturday, I'll be tweeting Ottawa at Laurier. Enjoy :)

Great minds think alike?

2011-09-23T16:58:00.000-07:00

For those of you who haven't been by lately, our good friends at The CIS Blog have been having an expert 'CIS Pick'em' series since the start of the year. Five of the six pundits are tied at 18 wins apiece through three weeks of the season.

The head-to-head matchup can be found here

I'm closely watching who will win the epic head-to-head battle between former Queen's student Neate Sager and former Queen's employee Mike Grobe. Grobe is at a disadvantage now that he can't pick the Gaels each week during their powderpuff portion of the schedule, while Neate can ride the tricolour to victory. It'll be interesting to see things play out...

Stay tuned, nation.

QB Kyle Quinlan Suspended Indefinitely

2011-09-15T12:08:00.000-07:00

***We received the following email at 11 pm Wednesday night from an anonymous source.***

I am a student at mac. Last weekend after the loss to western, Quinlan was obliterated at the campus bar and got arrested for punching an undercover cop. No one has said anything about it and apparently the team had to sign papers saying they wouldn't talk about it. Quinlan was not at practice today so it can be assumed he will not be playing this weekend against Windsor. Can you please look into this b/c the university has not said anything.

Make of it what you will. They way this story only came out today makes you wonder about the school/team keeping it hush hush

McMaster Marauder QB Kyle Quinlan has been suspended indefinitely from the team. This news comes a day after Quinlan was charged with 1 account of assault and two accounts of assaulting a police officer. This incident occurred late last Saturday night at the McMaster pub TwelveEighty (scoop by Jeff Green of the Hamilton Spectator)

When I heard the news, I was instantly reminded of last year's steroid scandal at the University of Waterloo. While the magnitude of the suspensions are different, both of these schools made decisions before any public word from the league.

The decision by McMaster AD Jeff Giles to suspend Quinlan took massive onions. Mac is a strong contender for the Yates Cup, and his decision hurts their chances. Giles showed he holds his student-athletes to a high standard, of which no one is above. It is refreshing to see swift action from an AD after a summer full of NCAA football corruption and violations

Likely taking Quinlan's place is Marshall Ferguson. He threw 41 passes last season, most of them coming in a blowout win against York

McMaster plays the Lancers in Windsor on Saturday

More details to come

Beyond the Boxscore: Laurier at York notes

2011-09-05T18:58:00.000-07:00

One look at the score and it is easy to assume Laurier handed York a beat down as one would expect. Beyond the Boxscore looks at blowouts from different perspectives:

Pregame Atmosphere
For a team who hasn’t won a game in three seasons, I did not expect much in terms of pregame activity from York. Boy, was I wrong. They had a live band, clubs booths, and a packed press box. 4300 people came out to watch the game: mostly consisting of frosh and an equal number of Laurier and York parents. I was surprised about the number of York students that came out on a Monday afternoon to watch their school. Early on, the frosh were cheering as if their Lions were on the verge of a Yates Cup berth.

Game Plans
From the get go, Laurier’s game plan appeared to be that they were going to air it out and try to score as quickly as possible when they got possession. Any why not, right? Their receivers are very quick and talent is spread out amongst them. York couldn’t afford to double cover one, because that would leave them vulnerable against this deep unit. This did not go as well for the Hawks as they would have hoped. In the first half, they only managed one touchdown. They scored on their first possession when Kelly spotted an open Dillon Heap, who spilt the York secondary for the score. Afterwards, QB Shane Kelly both over and underthrew receivers. As they game went on, the number of deep passes seemed to decrease.
York’s offense was very conservative early on. They tried many short passes, only to have their receivers drop what were great passes from QB Nick Coutu. Conversely to Laurier, they tried more deep throws as the game went on.

Running Game
Both teams struggled with this facet of the offence. I would attribute this more too great plays by respective defensive lines rather than breakdowns of blockers. Laurier needs to address this issue quickly if they do not want a repeat of last year’s ineffective ground game.

Defenses
For the first three quarters, York was very aggressive and frustrated the Laurier offense. When Laurier faced 2nd downs, they would show blitz with 8 guys ready to get at Kelly. They held Laurier to one offensive score in the first 3 quarters, a positive note for this struggling team. Laurier was their dominant self not allowing any big plays or red zone trips from the Lions. In the fourth quarter, Mitchell Bosch got at Nick Coutu, forced a fumble and ran it in for 6.

Penalties
York struggled with discipline early on, taking 3 penalties on their first 4 defensive plays. After that, they settled down. Laurier took a few unnecessary roughness penalties, one which negated a 30 yard run.

Random Notes
The fourth quarter seemed to be what I expected in terms of a typical Laurier/York match up: the Golden Hawks having their way with the Lions on both sides of the ball.
A lot of the frosh left in the 3rd quarter, when the game was still in reach.
Laurier’s schedule only gets tougher from here, they need a better showing from their offense in all four quarters.
York’s 52 man roster features 27 first years

FINAL Laurier 46 York 7

Laurier (1-0) hosts Windsor this Saturday as York (0-1) welcomes Toronto.

Special thanks to Alyson Fisher and her staff for hosting this gracious blogger in the press box :)

2011 Storylines: Toronto Varsity Blues

2011-09-03T21:37:00.000-07:00

Offense
The Varsity Blues’ offense retains many players from last years’ 3-5* team. Returning for his fifth year of eligibility is quarterback Andrew Gillis. In 2010, he lost his starting job one week into the season before regaining it shortly thereafter. He would go on to lead his team in an upset win over Ottawa in Week 6. Gillis needs to cut down on his interceptions if Toronto is to build on their offensive output from last season. This goal seems to be attainable as Gillis’ top 4 targets from 2010 all return to the squad. RB Aaron Milton averaged 5.9 yards per carry as a freshman. Look for him to get the majority of the touches for the Blues

Defense
This side of the ball will have many new starters. They lose defensive backs in Hugo Lopez (Edmonton Eskimos) and Derek Batchelor (OUA second team All Star in 2010) and their very good defensive line has been split up due to graduations. The Blues gave up the most yards per game with these players in their line-up; one can only imagine what offenses will do to them with this talent now gone. They retain their line backing core, led by Wilkerson DeSouza; OUA’s top tackler in 2010

Coaching
After resurrecting this program during the last three years, Head Coach Greg DeLaval has moved on from the team, citing personal reasons for doing so. Taking his place is Greg Gary, who spent time with Toronto back in 2008 as their linebackers coach. While his collegiate coaching resume is thin, he is no stranger to high level football; he played one seasons with the LA Rams before catching on with the CFL’s Ti-cats. Toronto brings back both coordinators from last year.

Special Teams
Andrew Lomasney returns to the kicking role for the Blues. Last year he was 7 for 9 with a long of 30 yards. Trips to the red zone are crucial to the Blues, and Lomasney needs to put up points when called upon. If he can’t, Coach Gary will be left with some difficult 3rd down decisions when inside opponent territory. Defensive Back Will Sharpe handled punting duties last season and will likely return to this role again. With the departure of Jonathan Wright, Michael Prempeh will get many chances to return the ball

Burning Questions
Can they continue to reduce the number of blowouts they suffer?

Will the program progress under its new head coach?

How quickly (if at all) will the new defensive starters adjust to the game?

*one win was result of a Laurier forfeit

2011 Storylines: McMaster Marauders

2011-09-02T13:17:00.001-07:00

Offence
Kyle Quinlan returns for his fourth season at McMaster and gets the Always OUA vote for best quarterback in Canada. The Marauders pivot was actually the most efficient passer in the OUA last season – yes, better than Brad Sinopoli – and will be the catalyst for a strong McMaster team. Joey Nemet will handle the brunt of the carries this season and should finish among the top of the league in rushing. Michael DiCroce will be the top receiving target for Quinlan and should benefit statistically by having a very talented player throwing him the ball. The giant question mark for the Marauders is on the line as they will have three new starters this season. We’ve argued ad nauseam on this blog that quality lines yield wins in this league and all others and it would be a shame to see a talented team like this implode due to poor line play. That being said, it could happen.

Defence
Ryan Chmielewski is the key cog in this defensive machine. We thought he should have been more in the discussion for top defensive player in the OUA last season, but alas, we don’t get to vote on that. Losing Byron Metcalfe will definitely hurt the defence, but this is a fairly experience core that has been battle tested over the course of two seasons now. They’ve performed a bit better each season and this year should be their best yet. They’ll have a little leeway with an explosive offensive on their side, but they probably won’t need it.

Special Teams
Tyler Crapigna had a great freshman season kicking the ball. He was injured under sketchy circumstances in a game against Guelph last season and we can only hope that he’ll return to form without any problems this season. DiCroce has handled return duties in the past with a fair amount of success and I would expect the same this season.

Coaching
Stefan Ptaszek is in his sixth season at the helm of the Marauders and has yet to track down that elusive Yates Cup championship since arriving. It seems like it’s only a matter of time before the team wins under him and this season is as good a chance as he’ll ever have. Some have called his coaching into question in the past and he will be under more of a microscope this season. You can’t help but wonder whether or not he’ll have his contract renewed if he can’t win with this core of players. It may not be fair, but that’s the nature of the beast.

Burning Questions
Can three new starters on the offensive line manage their learning curve well enough to keep Quinlan safe and get Nemet running?

With the departure of John Surla from Western to the CFL, will Ryan Chmielewski finally be granted the title of top linebacker in the OUA?

Will Tyler Crapigna overcome the injury that ended his 2010 campaign?

Can Stefan Ptaszek silence his critics and finally win a Yates Cup?

Is Kyle Quinlan 2011’s Hec Crighton winner?

2011 Storylines: Queen’s Gaels

2011-09-02T12:47:00.001-07:00

Offence
It was another offseason of flux in Gaels land as productive quarterback Justin Chapdelaine shifted to wide receiver which paved the way for Billy McPhee to take over the starting gig. McPhee is cut out of the Brannagan/Faulds quarterback mold and will be a productive QB in this league soon. Giovanni Aprile will take over as the top big target in the passing game after a breakout 2010 season, replacing Chris Ioannides. Ryan Granberg was their most productive running back last season and will return as the top guy on the depth chart, but he will need a platoon mate as he doesn’t project as the workhorse type of runner a la Mike Giffin in 2008. The most glaring holes are on the O-Line as Dan Bederman has graduated and Matt O’Donnell has left to play in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals. Bederman’s departure will be a tough pill to swallow given the way he held the line together at centre – Mike Sullivan has been tabbed as his replacement. O’Donnell will be replaced by 6-foot-7, 300 pound Josh Prinsen who appears to be next in the line of enormous Kingston area linemen. Derek Morris will be the elder statesmen of the line at right guard.

Defence
The defence should be a bright spot for the Gaels as they retain most of last year’s squad and gain a legendary name. Osie Ukwuoma returns from a year of recovery and law school at Queen’s. The former Metras winner is in his final year of eligibility for the Gaels and he will see it through while taking on his second year of law school. He joins (arguably) the best defensive line in the OUA with Frank Pankewich, John Miniaci, and Derek Wiggan. Ted Festeryga has shifted from DT to LB and will join fifth year vet Stephen Laporte and 2010 OUA rookie of the year Sam Sabourin to round out an airtight front seven. The secondary will be the question mark again but should rise to the occasion with more experience under its belt. Josh Sultana and Ben D’Andrea will be the leaders of the passing D.

Special Teams
Dan Village returns for his final season and will look to further entrench himself in the OUA/CIS all-time rankings for kicking. He is automatic kicking field goals and is a fine punter as well. The Gaels have yet to replace the return threat that was Jimmy Allin in 2009. TJ Chase-Dunawa held the brunt of the return duties until an injury limited him last season, we’ll see if he keeps the role.

Coaching
Whether you love him or don’t Pat Sheahan is (arguably – him or Marshall) the top coach in the OUA. He demands a lot from his players and generally gets it as he has turned the Gaels into a perpetual contender since taking over. Pat Tracey is one of the most unheralded coaches in the CIS as a phenomenal defensive coordinator and recruiter. As long as these two are at the helm, the Gaels will be just fine.

Burning Questions

Will the growing pains on offence prevent this team from competing with the elite teams in the OUA?

Will the very talented defence overcome the deficiencies of the offence and turn this team into a Yates Cup contender? (It could happen, the defensive front is that good)

Can a defensive secondary that got burnt in 2010 limit their mistakes?

Can they find a kick returner to give them field position they can capitalize on?

2011 Storylines: Ottawa Gee-Gees

2011-09-02T12:16:00.001-07:00

Offence
A year after possessing one of the most high powered offences in recent OUA memory, the Gee-Gees will no longer have their Hec Crighton winning quarterback, Brad Sinopoli, and that may be the least of their problems. Also departing from the squad are three offensive linemen – Patrick D’Amico, Philippe David, and Nick Randall – and four receivers – Cyril Adjeity, Matthew Bolduc, Alex Fortier-Labonte, and Ezra Millington. Brendan Gillanders and Steven Hughes will be the key weapons on offence, it’s just a matter of who will get them the ball and throw the blocks.

Defence
The four pillars of Ottawa’s 2010 defence are on the way out as well. Sebastien Tetrault, James McNaughton, Chayce Elliot and Lee Shaver have all moved on from the Gee-Gees. While there are some fantastic pieces in place to help the defence transition from last season, the Gee-Gees are looking for some gaping holes to be filled. Among them are who will become the team’s top pass rusher with Tetrault’s departure, and who will be the top playmaker in the secondary with Elliot and Shaver’s departures. Soonbum Cha could be leaned upon for the latter but given the way he was exposed during the Yates Cup final he may have a rough season without such a solid core around him.

Special Teams
Matthew Falvo will handle the kicking duties for the Gee-Gees this season. He emerged as one of the top kicking legs in the OUA in 2010 and, assuming he stays healthy, should be a nice, stable contributor to Ottawa both in terms of scoring and field position. The return duties will be vacant without Chayce Elliot fielding punts and kicks so it will likely be a multi-person gig until a clear choice emerges.

Coaches
J.P. Asselin was retained after his season as interim head coach. His first season was distinctly average in a sense given the amount of talent on Ottawa’s roster only emerging with a Yates Cup finals appearance. Given that I think the 2010 Gee-Gees could have legitimately topped Laval and won the Vanier Cup you have to wonder whether the team would have fared better with a more experienced coach. The penalty problems and loss to Toronto are also cause for concern when evaluating Asselin’s time as head coach.

Burning Questions

Who will step up to replace Brad Sinopoli under centre? Aaron Colborn is projected to start the season as the guy but it doesn’t mean he’ll be there come playoff time.

How will Chris Daly and Soonbum Cha fare without experienced, talented players filling in around them?

Will the Gee-Gees find a way to replace the big play return threat Chayce Elliot was?

Will J.P. Asselin establish himself as the true coach of an OUA power program or will he be exposed without a bevvy of talent playing for him?

Will they ever solve the on-field discipline problems?

2011 Storylines: Laurier Golden Hawks

2011-08-29T11:06:00.000-07:00

Offense
Taking snaps for the Hawks this year is QB Shane Kelly. Originally a backup at Columbia, Kelly enrolled in the MBA program at Laurier im 2010. Originally billed as their starter last season, he was sidelined with a minor injury at the beginning of the season. Upon his return, he regained his job throwing 6 TDs and 9 INTs. In the playoffs, Kelly suffered a concussion during a loss to Ottawa. If knocked out again, recruit Greg Nyhof will be asked to step in. Whoever is throwing the ball for this team has a very talented group of receivers to throw too: Dillon Heap, Shamawd Chambers and Alex Anthony line up at WR for the Hawks once again this season. Running the ball was a bit of an issue for the Laurier last year as they averaged 3.83 yards per carry; more than a yard shy of league average. This task becomes no easier as OL Michael Knill departs to looks for work in the CFL

Defense
Despite losing arguably their 3 best players, this unit is very deep and still features prominent players at each position. Linebacker Mitch Bosch (35 solo tackles, 3 INTs in 2010) and DL George Kourtesiotis (2 sacks) will lead this unit to be among tops in the OUA.

Special Teams
Nathan Hawkes will take on the role of punting and kicking again this year. Last year, his punts went an average of 36.2 yards and his longest field goal was from 38 yards back.

Coaching
Head Coach Gary Jeffries has a championship resume; Laurier continues to be a destination for highly ranked recruits.

Burning Questions

Can they scratch a five year itch and finally beat Western this year? (last win against UWO 11/4/06)

Without an experienced back up, how will they treat the playing time of Shane Kelly?

Can they resurrect their running game?

As a homage to legendary coach Tuffy Knight, the Golden Hawks are always introduced to this song:

2011 Storylines: Waterloo Warriors

2011-08-26T06:40:00.000-07:00

This is the second instalment of our ‘Storylines’ series in anticipation of the all-important season preview.

Offense
Waterloo will be rebuilding their program with a familiar face behind centre. QB Evan Martin has been the Waterloo starter for the majority of their previous three seasons. His experience in the OUA will alleviate some of the inevitable growing pains of this young team. In the past, Martin has been on a short leash, as back up QB Luke Balch> has proved himself to be a capable replacement. Balch returns to the squad along with talented WR Dustin Zender. East-West Bowl participants Aaron Partridge and Matt Vonk will break in the Warriors’ young offensive line before graduating, and even perhaps being drafted to the CFL. Expect running back by committee from this team, as there is no player worthy of consistent carries.

Defense
Leading the D will be returning linemen Djordje Gavrilovic and Aaron King. Like their teammates, these two also participated in last May’s draft showcase. The Warriors are very thin at LB and DB and hope to find some footing at these positions moving forward; opposing QBs will be happy to see Waterloo on their schedules.

Special Teams
Before their season was cancelled, freshman Alex Colwe was promised the kicking and punting duties. The Warriors also recruited two players for the same role.

Coaching
Athletic Director Bob Copeland decided to stick by head coach Dennis McPhee and company after news broke of players using and selling steroids in 2010. McPhee and his squad practised weekly and played exhibition games against OUA teams during their self-inflicted lockout. McPhee recruited a whopping 45 players who will see significant playing time during their gracious schedule.

Burning Questions
How will this program bounce back after a yearlong hiatus?

Which freshman, if any, steps up for the Warriors to provide any sort of optimism for the team?

Can the secondary contain any of the league’s speedy receivers?

2011 Storylines: Guelph Gryphons

2011-08-24T18:05:00.001-07:00

This is the first instalment of our ‘Storylines’ series in anticipation of the all-important season preview.

Offence:
Nick Fitzgibbon is gone, yes, but that may be as great an opportunity as it is a hindrance. While Fitzgibbon was a great safety net for the young offence, it is now time to open up the playbook and allow Chris Rossetti, Jedd Gardner, and Saxon Lindsey to develop some chemistry through the air. With a committee approach in the backfield and a mobile quarterback, the Gryphons will be moving beyond their former workhorse to a new, multi-faceted run game.

Will the passing game’s elite weapons rank among the OUA’s best statistically?

Who will be most effective running the ball?

Defence:
Adam Dunk, Matt Rossetti, and Grant MacDonald ranked among the league’s best at their positions for the past two seasons. Even with this talent anchoring the heart of the defence, the Gryphons have still struggled to keep opposition scoring down. Curtis Rukavina showed flashes of brilliance one year ago, so at least one linebacker spot should be semi-reliable. The loss of MacDonald is eased by the fact that Guelph is fairly deep at D-Line.

Who will make the tackles Dunk and Rossetti have been counted upon to make for the past two to five seasons?

Will Kalvin Seilis emerge as the top pass rusher in western Ontario?

Special Teams:

The return games will be fine, just search for Jedd Gardner on youtube and you’ll be at ease. The kicking game however….

Will someone fill the void left by Rob Maver in 2009?

Coaching Staff:

The choice to hire a new offensive coordinator after one season was an interesting one. The defence will need to be pieced together quickly if they are to contend down the stretch. Stu Lang had some clear growing pains as a head coach and will need to move past those.

Will a yo-yo still decide which quarterback plays for the Gryphons on each series?

How will the younger players mature from a season ago on both sides of the ball?

For a more thorough Guelph preview, check out The CIS Blog’s CIS Countdown 2011 written by Always OUA’s very own Chris Lund.

An Always OUA Football Preview Update

2011-08-22T10:38:00.001-07:00

Some of you may be wondering where our famed yearly football previews are. Training camps are underway, why aren’t those Always OUA visionaries telling us exactly what’s going to happen this year?

Here’s what’s up:

We’ve decided to take a different route with our football preview this year. This approach will be unique to this site and much more stimulating to your senses. However, to tide you over, we’ll be putting up storylines for each team over the course of the next couple weeks.

Your precious preview is in the works and will hit the interwebs shortly.

Patience, young padewans.

Ravens will fly again in 2013

2011-07-15T21:00:00.001-07:00

Time really does make all the difference. The late ‘90s were a difficult time to be a Canadian sports fan at the professional and amateur levels. The Quebec Nordiques won a Stanley Cup masquerading in burgundy and steel blue under the moniker ‘Avalanche’ in Colorado. The Winnipeg Jets finally imploded and were moved to the middle of a desert – literally. The Ottawa Rough Riders packed it due to some fine work by the ~~Voldemort~~ Glieberman family. The North Bay Centennials were on track to move to Saginaw. The Carleton Ravens football program called it quits after 43 years. Fans were simply left to watch, wonder why, and hope for better days.

Fast forward to the present – for the sake of argument we’ll say 15 years later – the Jets and Ravens have returned, and the Nordiques look to be on the right track. Life is good.

Carleton’s intentions to reinstate their football program have been a poorly kept secret for some time now. Not only have meetings with various executives and coaches around the CIS been well documented, but there has been extensive fundraising done across the board to ensure that the new Ravens have a solid foundation to develop into a power program.

Using a Laval-style model to finance the team, Old Crows Football Inc. will be the primary backer of the program, working in conjunction with Carleton Athletics and Recreation. OCF will be spearheading the hiring of a coaching staff, budgeting, marketing, and game-day operations in addition to other issues as they arise. What is interesting about this arrangement are the potential implications it has for OUA football.

OUA football programs, though conventionally run through A&R departments, have their success dictated by alumni dollars. It is no coincidence that the programs who reside at the top of the standings have the strongest financial backing – Western, Ottawa, Laurier, Queen’s, and McMaster all come to mind as well supported programs. Windsor is technically a part of this group, but their failures are largely due to comical ineptitude. York and Toronto have their respective records to speak for themselves. Waterloo was certainly improving pre-suspension, though, you would have to think that the program’s hiatus would have been averted had there been a stronger influx of cash from alum. Like any league, money means wins in OUA football which is why Carleton could be a game changer.

Laval’s results speak for themselves on a provincial and national level. They Rouge-et-Or have dominated since their inception in large part because they have the organization behind them to fork over the money and make the hard decisions a university institution is too handcuffed to make. OCF has put in the hours to make sure this fundraising effort meets the long term goals for their program, and in the CIS $5 million goes a long way towards a Vanier Cup regardless of how old a team is. Carleton already has many state-of-the-art facilities and with a good playing surface, competent management and a little bit of luck there is no reason why they couldn’t be contending for a Vanier by 2018. It took Laval three seasons to win their first and, assuming the Ravens have taken those lessons to heart, a five year learning curve isn’t out of the question for a program that plays in a more top heavy division of the CIS. Carleton has developed a reputation for excellence in many sports – basketball, water polo, and soccer being the prime examples – and there is no reason to assume this trend won’t continue.

In 2013 the Carleton Ravens will hit the gridiron once again as the OUA’s 10th football team. They have been presented with a golden opportunity to throw down the gauntlet to the rest of the province and we, the fans, are going to enjoy the ride.

Andrew Bucholtz has a post on The CIS Blog about the Ravens here. I hadn’t read the post prior to composing this which explains any overlap. I hate redundancy as much as the next person.

Expect much more discussion on Always OUA about the Carleton football developments as they arise.

The Curious Case of Matt O’Donnell

2011-07-13T18:56:00.001-07:00

At 6-foot-10, 310 pounds you tend to stick out on a crowd. You stick out more and more as that crowd gets smaller and smaller. On a football field which has a 24 player carrying capacity, you are the proverbial spike in the graph which is a huddle.

When you are the one holdout for one of the CFL’s premiere teams, people tend to gawk.

Matt O’Donnell left Queen’s University as one of the most dominant offensive linemen in recent OUA history. After a 2009 season which was punctuated by a Vanier Cup win – a season where he only surrendered one sack – the sky appeared to be the limit for Kingston’s answer to Walter Jones. After an appearance at the East-West Shrine Game in Florida before he was drafted by the Saskatchewan Roughriders 15th overall in the CFL Canadian Draft, it all appeared to be coming together.

Or so we thought.

The common answer to “What’s Matt O’Donnell up to lately?” is a shrug of the shoulders. Nobody is very sure. He has quite simply gone under the radar. After extensive homework (read: Googling) we can only piece together the tidbits:

- O’Donnell was drafted and appeared ready to start his career with the Riders
- O’Donnell did not report to rookie camp and Saskatchewan had not heard from him
- Rumours surfaced that he was doing workouts for the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors despite not playing basketball since high school outside of an intramurals at Queen’s
- O’Donnell does an interview with the Queen’s Journal, stating, among other things:
“I don’t know what to expect, or where I will be going. That’s all up to my agent.”

- O’Donnell’s agent is Johnathon Hardaway, a Washington, D.C. lawyer and the same man who represents other CIS alum such as Cory Greenwood and Henoc Muamba.
- Hardaway doesn’t do interviews

Don’t worry, we’re all confused.

There is no refuting that O’Donnell is one of the top physical specimens to play in the CIS in a long time in any sport. Some research we’ve done indicates he is one of the two biggest collegiate football players on the continent – the other is a walk on for Kansas University and checks in at 7-feet and over 400 pounds – so why on earth is he idling like this?

Well for one thing he doesn’t appear to be sold on being a CFL player. It’s no secret that when you have the physical tools he brings the NFL will take notice. Joel Reinders from the University of Waterloo signed a contract with the Cleveland Browns on the strength of two losing seasons and one youtube video. The consequences for someone who has a four year resume to go with their championships and all-star games could be profound. It is fair to say that if the NFL was not locked out O’Donnell would surely have a tryout contract at the very least.

The presence of NBA interest certainly doesn’t make the CFL any more appealing. Hardaway, supposedly, has many NBA contacts through his law firm and thus has the clout to score O’Donnell these workouts. These just mean more obstacles for any future of his in the CFL. Once again, without the presence of a lockout O’Donnell could very well have a contract.

That covers the sporting obstacles.

From an off the field perspective, the reliance on Hardaway does seem a bit concerning. If O’Donnell is truly disconnecting himself from the process and leaving everything up to his agent then the issue of who is following whose dreams comes about. Is O’Donnell putting his future in the hands of a trusted mentor or someone who is interested in padding their resume with underdog stories?

O’Donnell told the Journal, “The Riders have made some public comments that I was not happy with, but I have to follow to my dreams.” That comment was presumably in response to Saskatchewan GM Brendan Taman who said, “

I'm only interested in guys who want to be a Roughrider, not guys who want to do whatever they have been doing.”

Another O’Donnell-CFL impasse.

From the perspective of a fan, the desire is there to see O’Donnell the athlete get on the field of play – be it the girdiron or hardwood – and show the world what he can do. From the perspective of a human being, the hope is that we aren’t witnessing a series of opportunities being wasted by a young man getting some bad advice.

While the allure of following your dreams is compelling for athletes, it is often tempting to chase too many at the same time. Not everyone can be a Deion Sanders or a Bo Jackson. Michael Jordan, arguably the most dominant athlete of all-time, was not capable of doing it which underscores how hard it truly is. Chasing dreams is a lifelong experience, you just have make sure you don’t burn the bridges connecting them.

What’s the worst that could happen?

2011-06-27T21:02:00.001-07:00

We had an interesting conversation not too long ago about job vacancies in the OUA. For those who aren’t aware, Waterloo recently hired a new women’s hockey coach while the Toronto Varsity Blues are still searching for one. When one of us made a flippant remark about applying for one of these jobs it gave us pause to think.

What is the worst that could happen?

We will readily admit that neither one of us has the mandated coaching certificates typically required for a university gig. Similarly, beyond helping out here or there with certain teams our coaching experience itself isn’t particularly extensive.

What’s the difference really? As long as you can bring in the funding the program requires your AD could be made happy, and who is to say that a little outside of the box thinking couldn’t help a struggling program on the field and in recruiting.

Had one of us been a recently retired legend of the league it wouldn’t be particularly difficult to get hired, yet as we stand, we likely would not due to a “lack of experience”. There really is no tangible distinction in our knowledge of a game versus that of a recently retired rookie coach. Just because you played the game doesn’t mean you know how to coach it – Wayne Gretzky is a prime example of this.

This idea isn’t meant to poke fun at the league or suggest “it’s amateurs, how hard could it be.” We just want to throw it out there that, maybe sending in a resume wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world.

Are any OUA fans intrigued by this thought? Let us know.

It’s hard being the first

2011-06-25T19:55:00.001-07:00

CIS enthusiasts got very excited a little over a year ago when Queen’s football legend Danny Brannagan was signed by the Toronto Argonauts. With head coach Jim Barker stating vehemently that this was NOT a publicity stunt, we thought the Burlington native would have his shot. Perhaps he would be the CFL’s first meaningful Canadian quarterback in recent memory.

The odds were stacked against him. Toronto had brought in NFL washouts Cleo Lemon, Ken Dorsey, and (since retired) Gibran Hamdan, as well as CFL veteran Dalton Bell, leaving the rest of us wondering where Brannagan fit in their master plan. He certainly wouldn’t have been the first Canadian to fail. One of his Queen’s predecessors Tom Denison – who made the Hec Crighton his personal paperweight during his time in the CIS – was cut from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers despite a good showing in camp. Jesse Palmer who had a solid career with the Florida Gators couldn’t do it. What made Brannagan so special?

Nothing really – Danny Brannagan is a very good quarterback who happens to be from Canada. He didn’t blow anybody away in his first time around in camp, but did he more than enough to warrant a practice squad spot. He earned every bit of it. As the resurgent Argos pushed any remaining repressed memories of Bart Andrus into the back of their minds, Brannagan was biding his time on the taxi squad making his $500 a week while the job he passed up back home went to someone who didn’t have the itch to play pro football.

Last November we got a glimpse into what we were hoping for all along. Brannagan went into the huddle for the Argos against the Montreal Alouettes. The first Canadian QB to take a snap for the Argos in 41 years, the first Canadian QB to take a snap at all in 13 years. Seems fitting that he pulled it off against the team who boasted the last Canadian quarterback.

That game ended, and so did the high we all felt when he took those snaps.

Fast forward one season.

The odds of whether or not Danny would stick around got even thicker this past off-season as the Argos added Stephen Jyles and B.J. Hall to their repertoire of quarterbacks. He came back stronger, smarter, and more ready to play but sometimes the quantity of opposition outweighs the quality of the player. Danny was cut this week, leaving us with the sense of inevitability we tried to ignore in 2010. Brannagan could theoretically get picked up by another CFL team, but realistically it’s not worth his time or money to play for another practice squad.

Across the country, 2010 Hec Crighton winner Brad Sinopoli is making his presence felt. Sinopoli has impressed the Calgary Stampeders in pre-season workouts and has survived another round of cuts. With Iowa Hawkeye alum Drew Tate slated to start the 2011 season on the injured list, it appears as though Sinopoli will be Henry Burris’ backup come opening day.

With Burris aging, and football being unpredictable as it is, perhaps Sinopoli will be the one to establish himself as THE Canadian in the CFL. Perhaps he will break the slump.

A favourite thought I once heard was that leaders of a movement aren’t the people who accomplish anything – it’s the second person on board. The first person is the lunatic nobody wants any part of. The second person is the one who buys in and gets everyone else excited, the one who validates that movement.

I think we may have found our second person.

Jim Barker said today that “The Danny Brannagan experiment is over.” While that may be true, the Brad Sinopoli experiment is just beginning.

This is still a blog!

2011-06-23T19:37:00.001-07:00

Believe it or not our absenteeism hasn’t actually been the bell tolling the death of this blog. It’s all part of a clever traffic generating scheme I’m creating – a post every three months should bring demand to a fever pitch.

At any rate, I just wanted to let our loyal fans (all six of you – love you guys!) know that we will be back soon with loads of OUA content to satisfying your appetites. We’re starving for the OUA season to start, we know you are too.

Things to look for:

-Previews?
-Interviews?
-A Superawesomerevolutionary project?
-All of the above?

Perhaps.

In the meantime, we’ll spot you this update.

See you in three months! Blogger won’t know what to do with all the traffic.

Survey Results: Overall Factors

2011-04-10T18:35:00.000-07:00

A while back, we sent out a survey in hopes of going deep within the minds of readers and their views on the OUA. I know you've been anxiously waiting for the results, so I present the first installment our OUA Town Hall meeting:

The first tables gives one an idea of the students that responded. Here is a breakdown of gender vs self proclaimed sports interest

	Female	Male	Total
I only watch big events (Super Bowl, Olympics etc)	3	1	4
I look at the standings and stats once in a while	0	2	2
I follow my favourite teams and players	3	21	24
I follow the entire league and read up on other teams daily	1	34	35
Total	7	58	65

The following table lists factors for attending an OUA game and the level of influence they had on a student's decision to attend one

	Strong Influence	Some Influence	No Influence	No Answer
I have friends on the team	17	13	24	11
It was against our rival school	20	17	14	14
It was an important game	33	18	5	9
I'm a fan of the sport	43	9	6	7
I wanted to support my school	28	15	10	12
Price of admission	8	12	34	11
The game featured a promotion	2	4	47	12
Social outing with friends	14	25	14	12
Frosh Week/Homecoming	10	10	32	13
Other	12	2	20	31

Analysis:
--We should note that the sample size is 65, and way too small to gain any serious perspective of the OUA landscape
--The 'Price of Admission' had no influence on many people's decision whether or not to attend games. It seems as if serious sports fans wouldn't mind coughing up a few bucks to watch these guys and gals play. This is good news for the OUA, saying their product is worth something. However, free admission definitely appeals to the fair weather fan, something the OUA is seriously lacking
--It is good to see 'Supporting Your School' has a strong influence on people to attend OUA events. Hopefully this school spirit rubs off on others
--'Having Friends on the Team' got a mixed review from our readers. Should the schools promote individual stars? In a perfect OUA world, 99% of the campus should know the school's starring QB and hockey team captain

In our survey, we asked people what can be done to make more students aware of the OUA. Here is one response:
McMaster is my home school. They have improved tremendously in the marketing of the basketball program this year. Events, contests, draws during the games are incentive to attend as it creates excitement. Rewarding school spirit to the students for wearing team colours to get in to the games free of charge is a big hit. Just continue to do things like that to increase the fan base and build on an attachment to the game and school that will keep them coming past graduation. In past years, it was disheartening to see only parents or alumni and few students in the seats. I believe more OUA schools should use their marketing departments to promote their sports programs.
--Male student, McMaster

Feel free to leave a comment/tweet/e-mail to let us know what you think of the above results. There will be more graphs in the near future.

It's the Offseason...

2011-04-07T13:23:00.000-07:00

As I'm sure you have noticed it's a little quiet around here.

This brings us to the question of the hour...

What do you want to see on Always OUA this summer?

We're open to anything you guys, our readers, would like to see so leave a comment, tweet @AlwaysOUA or send us an email (alwaysoua@gmail.com) and we'll get to work to bring that content to you.

'Til next time, keep it classy team.

Raven Nation: Tyson Hinz

2011-03-14T19:24:00.000-07:00

Raven Nation is the semi-regular segment on Always OUA wherein we discuss how hard the Carleton Ravens pwn the Men's Basketball scene at-large in this country.

Another year, another championship in Ottawa. 2011 saw the Ravens fall in the OUA Championship - a stunning collapse at that - to Lakehead, before their trip to Halifax where the resurgent Ravens took the CIS Final 8 Championship in the usual dominating fashion.

In the midst of pundit's chatter - going from calling their OUA Championship game "the worst Carleton has ever looked" under Dave Smart, to reiterating their dominance after the final - one constant, and unheralded one at that, has been leading the Ravens' charge.

Tyson Hinz, Carleton's sophomore sensation, is quietly becoming the newest foundation of the latest Ravens dynasty.

Your Response: But he was named player of the year! How could he be under the radar?

Our response: Did you expect him to be named player of the year? If yes, wow. Good job. If no, thank you for validating me.

Hinz stepped in as a second year player to take control of the gaping void left by departed Ravens' forward Kevin McCleery. He was an all-rookie last year, but you would be hard pressed to find someone who expected him to be the dominant post presence he has been all season long. Hinz's 17 ppg average, and field goal percentage that is disgustingly close to 60 made Carleton the difficult matchup they were.

Was the squad deep? Sure. Do they operate at the same efficiency without Hinz? No freaking way.

Tyson Hinz absolutely dominated all season long as a 19 year old forward. With three years of eligibility remaining, look for the sophomore star join the ranks of Osvaldo Jeanty and Aaron Doornekamp sooner rather than later. If you and your buddies are placing bets now, I wouldn't wager that Carleton will lose many games for the next three years.

I suspect this CIS POY will be hoisting another championship very soon.

Updates

2011-03-13T12:37:00.000-07:00

-McGill topped Western 6-2 in the Queen's Cup.

-Laurier and Queen's will face-off for the CIS Bronze Medal in Women's Hockey

-Carleton will be playing in the gold medal game tonight in the CIS Final 8. History dictates that they don't lose much so place your bets accordingly

More to follow...

Pass or Fail: Wickenheiser Wins CIS MVP

2011-03-09T19:35:00.000-08:00

Like it or not, Hayley Wickenheiser was granted CIS eligibility this year, continuing her degree at the University of Calgary while suiting up for the Dinos. At 32 years old, Hayley is a former Olympic Gold Medalist and professional hockey player in North America and Europe in both women's and men's hockey. On Wednesday, she was named the CIS MVP.

Whoop-dee-frickin-do

In all senses of the award, she probably was most valuable to her team this season. She amassed 40 points in 15 games; doubling the production her next leading Dino teammate. Although, you'd think the national MVP could have gotten her team to nationals...anyways, Wickenheiser has some thoughts on her first season in the CIS.

(We've taken the liberty of stealing some quotes from an Allan Maki article on the topic from the Globe)

“You always expect the boos and the other team’s fans to cheer for their team. But it was very disappointing and disheartening to have to deal with the personal and verbal, almost physical attacks directed towards myself, Danielle, our coaching staff and the team”

Well Hayley, perhaps it has something to do with a distinct lack of credibility you two have brought to the league. Most people are going to these games to watch their room mates, friends, or kids play - not the self-entitled 30-something who thinks she can do whatever she wants because she's better than the other girls.

(For the record: Verbal "attacks" insofar as jeering, heckling, whatever are fine although clever is preferred. Anything that crosses the line of offensiveness or physical attacks are totally unacceptable in the OUA, CIS, or any league. Stay classy, Canada)

“I’ve learned to deal with it. But when it comes from parents, people who are supposed to know better, it’s an embarrassment for the CIS. It’s a poor reflection on the program.”

Just a thought, but maybe the rule of pick on someone your own size applies to age as well? Perhaps parents would be less venomous towards you if you weren't lining up against their 18 year-old daughters.

“What was kind of funny is that when I played with the men I was told I didn’t belong and when I play in our game [women’s university hockey] I was told I didn’t belong there,”

Put the self-righteousness on hold for a moment Hayley. You seriously think that you are being singled out in the CIS for the same machismo-centric reasons as you were in Finland? Let's get this straight. You were a PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY PLAYER less than two years ago. Now you're playing CIS Hockey? I'm not sure who to be more upset with - you for acting like there is some mythical vendetta to keep you out of hockey or the CIS for totally discrediting themselves by allowing former pro athletes to play in their league.

How tasteless in this? How can she accept this award without being embarrassed? Winning this award over a bunch of kids she is CLEARLY more talented and physically mature than?

For those who want to play the "it's her right to get an education" angle. Sure, and all the power to her. However, there is no equivalent rule that states "it's her right as a former professional hockey player to play hockey at the CIS level".

Leave us a comment letting us know what you think. Maybe Paul Anka would be interested in doing Canadian Idol? Maybe Ben Mulroney would heckle him? Totally worth it.

Championships Abound

2011-03-09T13:56:00.000-08:00

-Windsor and Guelph will look to defend their respective Women's and Men's CIS Track Championships this Thursday

-Windsor is also in the midst of preparation for the CIS Women's Basketball Championship next weekend

-Queen's will represent the OUA in the CIS Women's Hockey Championship; Laurier will also be present as the host team. Will we see a reverse of Women's Soccer (Laurier claiming the OUA title before losing to Queen's in the CIS Championship)?

-McGill and Western will play this Saturday for the Queen's Cup - we will live tweet/have some sort of coverage if possible

-Lakehead and Carleton will both play in the CIS Men's Basketball Championship. Stay tuned for additional coverage...

Beyond the Boxscore: OUA Women's Hockey Championship (Game 2)

2011-03-05T15:44:00.000-08:00

Photo Credit: Ian McAlpine (taken from OUA.ca)

As far as women's hockey championships go, this will certainly be one of the more storied ones. Game one saw a six OT thriller - the longest collegiate hockey game of all time - that the Gaels took on the road. Surely game two was poised for a letdown.

Not so fast.

Game two had an intense championship atmosphere from the start. With over 600 fans in Kingston's cozy Memorial Centre - roughly 30 or so making the trek from Guelph, and the rest a good mixture of Queen's fans and parents - the rink was buzzing, that distinct buzzing reserved for playoff hockey, and enhanced by the anticipation given that every fan knew what happened less than 48 hours earlier.

The first period was fast-paced with sustained action at both ends. Game two jitters were evident as both teams made unforced errors to put the opposition on an odd man rush or with an open shot in the slot. Guelph broke the deadlock early with a Kaitlyn Mora goal after frantic play around the Gaels crease. The Gaels responded with a strong performance to round out the period, but Guelph - and Danielle Skoufranis specifically - held strong in the back end. Guelph's counterattack kept the Gaels on their toes and limited the chances they could take. As a result, the Gryphons took a lead and a power play into the second.

Less than a minute into the second, Guelph's Jenna Lanzarotta took a loose puck off the draw and snapped a shot right under the crossbar to take a 2-0 lead and silence the raucous crowd. The Gaels struggled to find a rhythm in the second as they were hemmed in their own end and could not get a consistent breakout. Queen's would get a break though as Kelsey Thomson took a great pass from Liz Kench to cut across the Gryphons zone and put a shot above Skoufranis' shoulder to bring the Gryphon lead within one just before the period expired.

With a one-goal game and the third period beginning the Gaels came out with a sense of urgency. Queen's got the puck down low and maintained an aggressive forecheck to generate chances. Second year sensations Brittany and Morgan McHaffie were once again catalysts for the Gaels like they have been so often on their playoff run. On a pass from the point and a deflection in the slot Morgan took a diving swipe at the puck in front of the Guelph crease and lifted the puck over the glove hand of Skoufranis. The goal is best explained by this Rick Nash gem here. The period would wrap up with back and forth chances at both ends as Guelph desperately tried to put the Gaels away before overtime, and had it not been for exceptional goaltending from Mel Dodd-Moher this recap would be in anticipation of game three. Unfortunately for the Gryphs the game would not cease prior to OT and the Cardiac Kids of Queen's would be back in their element.

The Gaels definitely appeared to be the more comfortable of the two teams in OT, it was their fifth consecutive game in the extra frame after all, and they generated the better chances. Guelph's best scoring opportunities would come on a power play after Gaels' captain Michelle Hunt was called for tripping in the Queen's end. At the other end, the Gaels would have their best chance of the extra frame on a scramble in front of the Gryphons goal on a bouncing puck that went through the legs of Skoufranis. For the life of me, I still have no idea how THAT didn't go in.

Then the dump in heard 'round the province happened. On a clearance to centre ice, Kelly Eustace of the Gaels took the puck off the sideboards and shoveled it into the Gryphons zone. As quickly as it was backhanded into the Gryphons zone Skoufranis was caught out of position, the puck went in, and a rapid glance at the clock showed less than one second remained as the clock ran out. I give you the newest cautionary tale of why you ought to play to the whistle.

Despite protests from Guelph players, coaches, and fans the Gaels had done it, capping off their unlikely playoff run with an even more unlikely winning goal by an even more unlikely hero. In their fifth consecutive overtime playoff game, the Gaels won their first OUA championship in 32 years in overtime thanks to a goal by a 19 year old defenceman who scored her first ever OUA goal from centre ice. I can't make this stuff up.

Now that we have all the cards on the table...

Which of the games was more impressive - Game One's 6 OT marathon or Game Two's single OT shovel play? Comment, @AlwaysOUA on twitter, E-mail.

Hockey Updates!

2011-03-04T15:16:00.000-08:00

Women
For those of you who missed it where do you live? Sorry, I'm off track. Queen's just topped Guelph in the longest collegiate hockey game of all time to take a 1-0 lead in the Women's Hockey OUA Championship. The game has gotten attention everywhere from local Ontario newspapers, msnbc, deadspin, and so forth. If this blog is where you have heard about it for the first time, I am truly flattered and confused as to how you found us first.

Game two goes tonight in Kingston at the Memorial Centre. Those of you in town, check it out. Those of you out of town, catch the game on SSN Canada.

Men
McGill and Western have taken one game leads over UQTR and Guelph respectively. McGill and UQTR play game two tonight (Friday the 4th), while Western and Guelph go again tomorrow. Check both games out to see who will be facing off in the OUA Hockey Championship.

Other Quick Hits...

2011-02-27T12:12:00.000-08:00

Queen's and Guelph will go head to head in the OUA Women's Hockey final. Queen's upset the seven time defending champs Laurier, while Guelph swept Brock.

Western has been crowned OUA Women's Volleyball champions. They beat Guelph in four sets.

McMaster took home the OUA Men's Volleyball championship. They beat Western in four sets.

Carleton, Ottawa, Lakehead, and Laurier will all play in the OUA Men's Basketball Final Four.

Laurier and Windsor will play each other in the OUA West Women's Basketball Final. Carleton and Toronto will play to represent the East in the OUA Final.

Quick Update: Men's Hockey

2011-02-27T12:01:00.000-08:00

McGill has swept Nipissing, outscoring the Lakers 10-5 in the process

Carleton and UQTR will play game three in their series tonight. It has been a tight series with UQTR winning game one 4-2, and Carleton replying with a 4-1 win of their own.

Waterloo forced game three against UWO winning game two by a 2-1 score. Western took the opener 4-2.

Guelph and Laurier will play game three tonight. The two teams have traded 3-0 victories in the first two games.

OUA Men's Hockey: Round 2 Western Predictions

2011-02-23T17:51:00.000-08:00

(1)Western vs (6) Waterloo
Season: UWO 4-3, UWO 8-1, UWO 5-3
I attended the first meeting between these teams; Western controlled the flow of the game after scoring two in the dying seconds of the first. Their remaining games were very physical, as they combined for 17 ten minute misconducts. Both teams feature speedy forwards, with Western having the advantage in talent and experience. Waterloo rides hot goaltender Keaton Hartigan, who turned away all 62 shots he faced against Lakehead. Momentum is a funny thing in sports; Hartigan’s play and the Warriors’ confidence could spell trouble for the Mustangs in this short series.
The Pick: Western in 3

(2)Laurier vs (4) Guelph
Season: WLU 4-1, GUE 3-2, GUE 4-2
The Gryphons’ trigger happy offense will likely meet their end when they face off against the Golden Hawks. Many of Guelph’s goals in their series against Brock came within seconds of each other; they won’t score with the same frequency against Laurier goalie Ryan Daniels. The Hawks got a quite a scare in their first round matchup, almost losing to UOIT; Laurier recovers from this and shuts down the Gryphons.
The Pick: Laurier in 2

OUA Men's Hockey: Round 2 Playoff Predictions

2011-02-23T13:57:00.000-08:00

McGill v. Nipssing
Season: McG 9-4; McG 5-3

Well, we were more or less publicly shamed for picking Nipissing to fall to Queen's in round 1, but I think this round is a bit more clear cut.
McGill toppled Ottawa in round 1, sweeping the Gee-Gees and outscoring them 10-6. While it certainly wasn't their prettiest playoff win, it was ultimately effective.
Nipissing swept a depleted Queen's roster - outscoring them 13-3 in two games. The Lakers were very impressive and got great performances from their key players.
McGill will win this series, but I think Nipissing will give them a run. They have some agitators who could swing how tight the series will be, but ultimately I can only foresee the Redmen winning this one. I'll spot the Lakers their home game on the basis that I feel stupid after round one.

The Pick: McGill in 3

UQTR v. Carleton
Season: CAR 5-3; UQTR 3-2; CAR 6-3; UQTR 4-1

This will be the series everyone should watch. Two solid teams who have been back and forth all season doing battle. Both teams overcame adversity in round one - Carleton started their series with a loss; UQTR dropped the second game to Concordia. Both teams can bring the offence, and both teams can lock it down on the back end. While UQTR seems to have the better talent, I ultimately think that Carleton is the more complete squad with their depth spread through the lineup. I like the Ravens to pull off the pseudo-upset in this series.

The Pick: Carleton in 3

For Nipissing Fans

2011-02-19T14:52:00.000-08:00

Check out this note we received last night in our comments section:

As the President of Nipissing University, I am particularly pleased to say that the "upset" you predicted did not happen. The Lakers, in their second season of existence, have outscored the Queens Gaels in two games and are ready for the next round. The Lakers are outstanding scholar-athletes; we are very proud of all that they do in our community, and their regular crowds of over 3,000 fans are behind them all the way. GO LAKERS!
Lesley Lovett-Doust, President Nipissing University

Congrats to Nipissing on a dominant series win. We were wrong on our upset prediction but truth be told I don't think anyone saw this coming.

Laker fans, keep getting out there to support your team and we'll see you in the next round.

OUA Men's Hockey Playoff Update

2011-02-19T14:48:00.000-08:00

How have we done thus far?

West:

- Western swept Windsor on Friday. (We said Western in 3)

- Laurier forced game 3 against UOIT (We said Laurier in 2)

- Waterloo swept Lakehead (We said Lakehead in 3)

- Brock forced game 3 against Guelph (We said Guelph in 3)

East:

- McGill swept Ottawa (We said McGill in 2)

- Carleton forced game 3 against Toronto (We said Carleton in 3)

- Nipissing swept Queen's (We said Queen's in 3)

- UQTR could sweep Concordia tonight (We said UQTR in 3)

Men's Hockey Playoffs: After Day 1

2011-02-17T14:04:00.000-08:00

Waterloo upsets Lakehead on the first day of playoff action
Credit: Lakehead Athletics

Waterloo 5 - Lakehead 0

The Warriors just flat out beat Lakehead last night in a penalty ridden, special teams showdown.

Waterloo got two goals from Kyle Schwende, and one each from Tyler Moir, Kurt Thorner, and Blake Chartier. Waterloo went 3/11 on the powerplay.

Lakehead went 0/6 with the man advantage and pulled Alex Dupuis after one period.

Game two goes Friday at the Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay

Toronto 2 - Carleton 1

Garrett Sheehan was the story of the game as the Varsity Blues won a defensive struggle over Carleton.

Sheehan was named played of the game for his efforts in net as he stopped 31/32 shots. Anthony Bergin and Byron Elliott scored for Toronto.

Matt Dopud also played well in goal, stopping 25/27 shots. Ryan Beard scored Carleton's only goal with a minute left.

Game two will be back in Carleton on Friday.

Nipissing 7 - Queen's 0

The Lakers pounded the Gaels in a chippy affair which saw two ejections - one from each team.

Jason Gray and Ryan Maunu led Nipissing in scoring on a night that saw 11 Lakers register points. Grant McGee scored two Sean Avery hat-tricks, picking up three minors and three misconducts on one shift. He proceeded to throw a tantrum which was entertaining for all.

The Gaels pulled Steele De Fazio in the second period despite a decent game from the goaltender. De Fazio was a victim of his own defence and backup David Aime didn't fare much better. Patrick McEachen was ejected from the game for his superman impression which involved flying across the ice and slashing at the same time.

These two renew hostilities on Friday at the Memorial Gardens in Nipissing.

McGill 2 - Ottawa 1

McGill came from behind to top Ottawa by a 2-1 score at home.

Francis Verreault-Paul and Christophe Longpre-Poirier did the scoring for McGill who made sure Hubert Morin's 25 save effort wasn't in vain.

Harrison May stood on his head for Ottawa all night and stopped 34 of 35 shots. Dominic Jalbert scored the lone Gee-Gee goal.

Game two will be in Ottawa.

UQTR 5 - Concordia 2

UQTR came through in the clutch with four third period goals to take this contest.

Michael Blundon opened the scoring for Concordia 53 seconds into the game. Francois Lanctot-Marcotte scored the second Stingers goal in the second. Rafaelle D'Orso was bombarded in net for Concordia and managed to stop 31 of 36 shots.

Etienne Bellavance-Martin scored two for UQTR. Felix Petit, Olivier Donovan, and Pierre-Alexandre Joncas added the remaining goals for UQTR. Jean-Christophe Blanchard wasn't particularly busy in net - he stopped 18 of 20 shots.

Game two goes Saturday at Concordia.

OUA Men's Hockey Eastern Playoff Predictions

2011-02-16T12:08:00.000-08:00

Can anyone stop McGill? Early indications are: No.
(Credit: McGill.ca)

(1)McGill vs (8) Ottawa
Season: MCG 8-2, MCG 7-4, MCG 3-2 (OT), MCG 7-0
Ottawa is back in the playoffs after a one year hiatus from the dance. Last time they were in they played - guess who - McGill. The Gee-Gees actually stole a game from McGill in 2008 but I can't foresee that happening again. Ottawa has had trouble all season long scoring goals after their top line, and with Morin and Tardif playing airtight goaltending for the Redmen I think this is nothing more than a tune-up series for McGill.
The Pick: McGill in 2

(2) UQTR vs (7) Concordia
Season: UQTR 6-5, CON 4-3 (OT), UQTR 3-2
Trois-Rivieres and Concordia may be the most interesting match up in the 2011 East playoffs. Here we have two historically strong teams who play each other tight every time AND both can turn on the offence on a whim. I like UQTR's top end talent, but it's difficult to deny the depth of Concordia's forward core. I'm going to appeal to the almighty power of defence and say that UQTR takes this series with a stronger back end. Having said that, I expect Concordia to steal a game and bring UQTR to the brink each time out.
The Pick: UQTR in 3

(3) Carleton vs (6) Toronto
Season: TOR 4-3 (OT), CAR 4-2
I like Carleton in this series for a number of reasons. 1) If the OT loss system was not in place Toronto would be in big trouble. They're good at getting the one point, but not so much at sealing the deal. 2) The home team won both matches between these two teams this season and Carleton gets two at home. 3) Matthew Dopud and Ryan Dube have been dominant in goal for the Ravens and that tip the scale.
The Pick: Carleton in 3

(4) Nipissing vs (5) Queen's
Season: QUE 3-2, NIP 5-2, NIP 3-2 (OT)
I have no doubts that this will be the most closely contested series of the first round. These two teams have played each other identically all season long. Even Nipissing's 5-2 victory was played much tighter than the score indicates and could have easily gone the other way. This series pits two of the OUA's hottest teams since Christmas against one another as the Lakers come in at 8-2-0 in their last ten while the Gaels are a solid 7-2-1 (0-1-1 of that came against Nipissing). That being said I like the Gaels to upset the Lakers here. I think stronger goaltending down the stretch from De Fazio and Aime, as well as some injured players returning lend themselves well to an 'upset' by the Gaels.
The Pick: Queen's in 3

In case you missed it check out our Men's Hockey stats breakdown here

OUA Men's Hockey Western Playoff Predictions

2011-02-16T10:41:00.000-08:00

Western is poised to continue their solid 2010-2011 run
(Credit: Western Gazette)

(1) Western vs (8) Windsor
Season: WIN 5-4 (SO), UWO 3-1, UWO 4-3
This will be the second straight year the Lancers face a 20 win team in the first round; they upset Waterloo back in 2010. It’s no secret Western is the better team, as they best the Lancers in every category. Windsor seems to rise to the occasion against tough opponents; I like them to steal a game
The Pick: Western in 3

(2) Laurier vs (7) UOIT
Season: WLU 8-0, WLU 6-4, UOIT 2-1 (S0), WLU 3-2
Goaltending means a whole lot in a short series, and Laurier has one of the league’s best in Ryan Daniels. UOIT’s offense rests solely on the shoulders of Nathan Spaling and Josh Vatri. If Laurier can shut these two down, they should put away an easy two wins. UOIT has only won 4 games on the road this season.
The Pick: Laurier in 2

(3) Lakehead vs (6) Waterloo
Season: UW 5-4, LU 7-3, UW 4-3, LU 4-2
This is the most intriguing first round match up in the West as these teams will play each other for the third in time in 6 days. According to hockeydb.com, Thunderwolves’ players have a combined 3713 games of CHL experience to Waterloo’s 1907. This has not stopped the Warriors in the past, as they have found ways to beat Lakehead. Waterloo gets a boost from captain Chris Ray and Kyle Sonnenburg, who returned from an overseas tournament last week. They both played in last weekend’s games against Lakehead
The Pick: Lakehead in 3

(4)Guelph vs (5)Brock
Season: GUE 3-2, GUE 2-1, BU 1-0
The only consistent thing these two teams have done this year is be inconsistent. In their season match up, Guelph shutdown Brock’s offence, allowing only 55 shots in 3 games. While both team’s goalies have played well throughout the season, they have not been immune to the occasional clunker. I like Loverock to shine for the Gryphons in net
The Pick: Guelph in 3

In case you missed it check out our Men's Hockey stats breakdown here

Separating the Men from the Noise

2011-02-14T18:21:00.000-08:00

Using the Men's Hockey schedule and results, I did a little analysis regarding expected wins.

Click here to view

*Check the tabs at the bottom of the page*

This is not the be all and end all of stats regarding Men's Hockey. Questions, comments, and concerns are welcome. Perhaps in the future, we can use this data to predict a team's wins

Look for playoff previews in the coming days

Carleton at Toronto Game Notes

2011-02-11T21:31:00.000-08:00

What's that you say?

Top two teams in the East Division? $5 for non UofT students? I still have time to party on a Friday night, even if I stay for the whole thing? Here's a break down of the game

1st quarter: Both teams came out running, moving the ball down the court with speed. The crowd of parents, girlfriends, and *gasp* students, backed the Blues in the opening minutes as they jumped to an early lead. After Carleton had tied the game up at 8, Toronto went on a 9-0 run. It was scary how quickly the Ravens reacted to this. They had two defenders on the Blues guard taking the ball up the court, forced turnovers, hit a couple threes and took control of the game. All this seemed to happen within seconds. The Ravens were up by two at quarter's end

2nd quarter: This quarter could have gone horribly for Toronto. They missed multiple open looks and couldn't rebound at either end of the court. They did not make a basket until five minutes had passed in the frame. Luckily for them, Carleton had slowed down its pace and were not able to bury the Blues early on. As the half wound down, Toronto woke up and scored 16 to take a 4 point lead into the half.

3rd and 4th quarter: It was all Ravens from here on in. They were simply too fast and too good. Toronto's D was slow to set up their man to man, and the Ravens made them pay big time. This half demonstrated the talent gap between the two teams, but more seemingly, the gap between Carleton and the rest of the league. On occasion, the Raven's shooter collected their own rebound as they were able to drive straight to the hoop. Carleton sometimes had 3 or 4 shots per possession as they out-rebounded Toronto. If blinked, you likely missed a Ravens basket; they went up and down the court with ease

FINAL: Carleton 102 - Toronto 75

Carleton stays undefeated and will take on Ryerson tomorrow.
Toronto (14-6) welcomes Ottawa on Saturday night

Raven Nation: Dave Smart - The Brain

2011-02-08T17:38:00.000-08:00

"I certainly agree with that call, Jim. Well done." -Dave Smart (above)

From birth, it was clear that Dave Smart was born with a purpose: to destroy the OUA in every way humanly (and non humanly) possible.

That purpose was first realized in 1991 when he began his rookie season with the Queen's Golden Gaels. Smart quickly asserted himself and dominated the OUA with Queen's while going down in history as (arguably) the greatest Gaels basketball player of all-time. He averaged 26.6 points per game over the course of his career, averaged 29.4 points per game in the 1992-93 season, and has the highest single game point total for the Gaels with 43.

After his three all-star seasons at Queen's, Smart dove head first into coaching - working with high schools and clubs before looking to return to the OUA. After being rejected for the Queen's head coaching job in 1994 (I realize hindsight is 20/20 but...) Smart eventually caught on as an assistant with the Carleton Ravens in '97. After two seasons of patiently waiting, Smart was rewarded with a promotion to head coach when incumbent Paul Armstrong was bumped into administration.

From there, the rise was meteoric. In Smart's second season (in his first they wetnt 11-9) the Ravens went 21-1 and finished first in the OUA East. For those keeping track, they haven't finished below first since. In fact, in those 11 years they have only lost 13 regular season league games.

In case you haven't noticed at this point these events are not unrelated. Four years after Smart was hired as the bench boss (roughly the amount of time necessary for a coach to put their full stamp on a team - every recruit on the team is generally theirs) the Ravens - basketball and the school - took home their first ever CIS Championship. It would be the first of six up to now, and a run of five in a row from 2003-2007. Here we are once again in 2011 and the Ravens are the clear cut favourite to take home yet another CIS Championship.

What do we take away from this? Well, here's what we need to realize. Not only does Smart have a great affinity for the game - as evidenced by his time as a player - he is, above all, an ideal leader. Next time Carleton is in your neighbourhood, watch Smart on the bench. We see a guy who demands a lot of his players, his coaches, and everyone present on the floor.

Some people are put off when Smart tears into his players when they're winning by a fair margin but that is simply missing the point. Quite simply, Carleton has the best players coming out of high school. If they don't imrpove as drastically during their time at Carleton, their stint has been a failure. Coach Smart demands the best of his players at all times: winning, losing, practicing. He installed the system, he got the pieces together, and he'll be damned if it doesn't work.

That's the mark of a winner.

That's the mark of a coach who has a .970 winning percentage.

That's the foundation of this dynasty.

Raven Nation: Today is a nice segway

2011-01-31T20:41:00.000-08:00

I hopped on over to oua.ca today and lo and behold the January teams of the month popped up.

To no one's shock the Carleton Ravens were selected as the Male Team of the Month as they went 9-0 and scored over 100 points in 33.33333 (repeating of course)% of their games. I figured since we will soon be gracing you with our analysis of their domination of the country as a whole, this would be a nifty little thing to pass along to you.

Expect our piece on Dave "The Brain" Smart very shortly.

If you haven't done our survey....

2011-01-28T23:01:00.000-08:00

Hey folks,

As you likely remember we have established a little Town Hall meeting of sorts to get a handle on what makes OUA/CIS fans tick. That being said, all meetings need to end sometime and this one is no different.

We will be compiling this survey into a report for consumption on this site, as well as sending it to every Marketing, Events, Janitorial, etc. person who is willing to see it and take what they will from what YOU (the people who care) have to tell them. This is truly your chance to be heard so please oblige us and get your thoughts out there.

The survey can be found here.

Guelph Football lands Creighton - so what?

2011-01-18T13:31:00.000-08:00

Former St. Mary's Huskies starting quarterback Jack Creighton has officially transferred to the Guelph Gryphons with the intention of playing football after having a fall-out with Huskies coach Steve Sumarah.

The move was orchestrated by a combination of Creighton, Gryphon coach Stu Lang, and Guelph lineman Mike Millar who played high school ball with Creighton at Lakeshore Catholic.

The move is good for the Gryphons from a depth perspective but given that it seems as though the Gryphons have brought Creighton in to be a starter, the move is a little confusing.

Bear in mind the Gryphons have Chris Rossetti who was a recruit brought in by former coach Kyle Walters, but had a successful season in his first year as a starter for Guelph. The last couple years we have seen new starters struggle immensely and while the Gryphons failed to generate much aerial offence early in the season Rossetti ultimately had one of the better seasons in the OUA as far as quarterbacks go. This was underscored by his 10 TD - 2 Int ratio passing, and his place among the top rushers in the OUA.

When you consider some of the dismal performances turned in by the Guelph offensive line (which included a loss to Western which saw Rossetti sacked 9 times) and the way the defence crumbled down the stretch it would be ridiculous to hang the Gryphons struggles down the stretch on Rossetti's arm.

For a team with a rookie starter and rookie coaching staff, the Gryphons' season could have been much much worse.

Now over to Creighton, we may simply have a case of bad luck. Less than a year after being declared the Loney Bowl MVP, he was benched and later quit the Huskies due to problems with Coach Sumarah.

Does Creighton have talent?

Absolutely.

Could this happen again?

Definitely.

It's no secret that there is a massive talent disparity between the OUA and the AUS. Creighton is coming from the powerhouse of a weak division to play for a middle-of-the-pack squad in a stronger division.

(Assuming he is the starter) what will happen if Creighton comes out and struggles against a Western, McMaster or Queen's and gets replaced by Rossetti?

I'm not going to answer that because it is a pure hypothetical, and I can't really speak to the character of Mr. Creighton beyond news blurbs.

That being said, this isn't a definite slam dunk for the Gryphons. While there is some thought that they went out and got the most talented player on their QB depth chart, Creighton in the OUA is ultimately an unknown entity.

Bear in mind the waffle-fest at Laurier with Shane Kelly (transfer) and Ewan Pawliuk (incumbent) that may have rung the death knell on their season.

Before Gryphons fans convince themselves that this is the piece they need to finally be one of the big boys in the league, some serious perspective needs to be put in place.

Raven Nation: An Introduction

2011-01-17T08:54:00.000-08:00

We at Always OUA are proud to announce a new series which will be making an appearance in segments over the next little while on the site. Raven Nation will profile the dominance of the Carleton's men's basketball program over the last decade or so. We'll be taking a look at the coaching staff, past players, current players, the school, etc. to figure out what makes this program so special, and to contextualize how on earth they could be going for their seventh national title since 2003.

We hope you enjoy the story of a great OUA powerhouse as it is revealed.

OUA 24/7

2011-01-14T08:49:00.000-08:00

I found this little nugget while browsing the internet at work. Seems like the folks at Waterloo are taking a page from the recent HBO Series: Caps/Pens 24/7, and good on 'em! This video allows fans to get a closer look at the great product that is OUA hockey. Hopefully this will inspire other schools to do the same.

P.S. If you haven't already, fill out our survey below

Final: Guelph 2 Waterloo 1

Survey Says...

2011-01-12T19:06:00.000-08:00

In an effort to get to know our readers and other OUA fans, we have created a very brief survey that we would like you to fill out. We want to know why people attend OUA games and what can be done to improve its fan base. After about 3 weeks, we'll throw together a fancy report outlining our results.
Here is the link

In the meantime, check the site regularly for more OUA updates

2 OUA Athletes named to Team World

2011-01-12T10:19:00.000-08:00

The yearly USA U19 vs. the World football game is set to take place on February 2 in Austin, Texas. As expected, the OUA is being represented on and off the field.

Western Mustangs coach Greg Marshall is the head coach of the Team World squad and was given the task of assembling a team of players from all over the planet. How Marshall found time to scout players from Sweden or American Samoa while coaching Western, yelling at officials, and being disgruntled most of the time is beyond me.

At any rate, the OUA is sending two players to this game: Laurier receiver Alex Anthony and Ottawa defensive back Soonbum Cha.

Anthony is a definite no-brainer for this competition. A talented wide out who can play the possession game in addition to stretching the field is an asset for any football team. He was a Team World captain a year ago, so it makes sense that he return to the team.

Cha is a bit more of a confusing pick in my eyes. Sure, he was on the team a year ago, but he appeared to regress this season in Ottawa after a solid rookie campaign. All the more surprising is the fact Marshall put him on the squad despite his Mustang team beating Cha like he owed them money in the Yates Cup final as 94% of Western's big plays came with Cha as the primary cover man. In sum, I don't get it. However, he has played in this game once so perhaps the theory is that will work to his advantage.

Regarding the team as a whole, Canada dominates the Team World population as 22 of the current 40 players are from Canada, many of which play CIS ball.

The original release for the team can be found here and the roster can be downloaded by clicking 'Other' at the top of the article.

I would recommend doing this simply to check out some of the names of these teams players are coming from. I'd really like to know who would win if the Schwabisch Hall Unicorns played the Helsinki Roosters. Maybe one day we will find out...

Gryphon Football Fans Rejoice

2011-01-06T21:56:00.000-08:00

We have added a new endeavor to our blogroll (see slightly lower than here, to the right) which focuses on Guelph Gryphon football. You can find the new blog at:

http://gryphonfootball.wordpress.com/

Gotta say we love the grassroots stuff here at Always OUA. Once upon a time we got so frustrated with a lack of OUA coverage that we started this blog. If you feel the same, start up some coverage for your school or your favourite team.

We could use all the help we can get to spread the word about what a great product it is that we love.

Gee-Gees confirm no-brainer

2011-01-06T10:44:00.000-08:00

For those who missed it (a real theme on here lately), the Ottawa Gee-Gees have opted to retain interim coach J.P. Asselin who took over this season. Asselin now has the legitimate title of "head coach and program director".

It's pretty hard to argue against this given that there is a general lack of better candidates that would fit the Ottawa mould and the fact that we have a 28 year old rookie head coach who took his team to a first place finish and championship game in his first season as a coach. Sure, the Gee-Gees put forth some royal brain farts, perhaps due to some good ole fashioned hubris (read: vs. Toronto) and looked out of sorts at times (read: copious amounts of penalties).

That being said, this staff - whether or not it remains the same is still a mystery - is still learning the ropes, but when you consider what a young core there is in the program administration, surely Ottawa fans have reason to be optimistic about who is in charge. Similarly, we know they will keep their pipeline of talent flowing from either side of the Ontario-Quebec border and produce the substantial recruting classes we are now so familiar with.

All in all, a positive move in the right direction for the Gee-Gees football program says this qualified OUA expert (read: blogger).

O'Donnell in Shrine Game

2011-01-05T10:26:00.000-08:00

For those who missed it, Queen's Golden Gaels' behemoth Matt O'Donnell will be lining up during the NCAA's East-West Shrine game January 22nd in Orlando. We kind of expected this and wondered aloud on twitter if O'Donnell would get a look to play down south after Joel Reinders of Waterloo got a shot with the Cleveland Browns solely based on a youtube video. Given O'Donnell's body of work and general size, it makes sense. Our research has him as the biggest college football player (at 6'10" and 320 lbs) in Canada and the second biggest in North America - Kansas has a walk on who is in the vicinty of 7' and 430 lbs. O'Donnell is only the second player of Queen's to be chosen for this game, though the first lays him some good steps to walk in. Queen's alumn Mike Schad is still the only CIS player to ever be an NFL first round draft pick.

If you would like to watch the game, TSN typically airs it. That being said, TSN2 is a fairly recent idea and if there is an U14 hockey game with a camera in the building somewhere, look for that to be on the big channel with the Shrine Game on TSN2 /end jab at TSN.

Congrats to Mr. O'Donnell and best of luck to him in Orlando.

300 Posts! And more OUA at the Universiade

2010-12-22T14:20:00.000-08:00

First and foremost, we would like to thank our loyal readership for allowing us to come this far. Had it not been for you guys, who knows how this project would have gone. We thank you most gracious readers and hope that we have been informative and (at the very least) entertaining for you.

Second, there will be more OUA in Turkey this January as defending CIS champs, the Queen's Gaels, will be representing Canada in men's curling. Congrats to Jonathan Beuk (skip), Andrew Inouye (third), Chadd Verdermade (second), Scott Chadwick (lead), and William Francis (alternate). We, along with the entire country, will be cheering you guys on. Go get it.

You Can't Spell Team Canada without 1/3 of OUA

2010-12-21T14:29:00.000-08:00

Team Canada's cross country ski team will have an OUA flavour to it (delicious?) this year at the 24th World University Games. Carleton's Adele Lay and Laurentian's Mary Thompson will both be on the women's cross country squad while dominant Carleton skier Colin Abbott (Carleton) of Whitehorse will be on the men's team.

Good luck to all three athletes as Canada tries to snap its 25 year medal drought in the event.

PLAYING CATCH UP: Men's Hockey West Division

2010-12-20T10:02:00.000-08:00

This is the third installment (second of hockey) wherein we attempt to get ourselves/you guys back up to speed with the OUA action that has taken place in the time we've been totally out to lunch.

In the West, things seem to be a little different than in seasons past. Six points separates 2nd through 7th place, but will this make for some climbing/sliding in the standings as the season winds down?

The Western Mustangs have a solid hold on first with 29 points in 16 games. Unbeaten in regulation, they are strong at both ends of the ice. Up front, they are led by a trio of third years: Kevin Baker, Aaron Snow and Keaton Turkiewicz; all of whom have 20+ points. Goalies Anthony Grieco and Josh Unice are putting up a combined .918 SV%. Both tenders have taken very indirect paths before arriving at Western Ontario.

Following the ‘Stangs is perennial contender Lakehead U. The Thunderwolves have had a few hiccups in the first half of the season, as they were outscored 8-1 on a weekend trip to Windsor and got shutout by the lowly York Lions. If you have not seen the T-wolves play, I suggest you make it one your New Year’s resolutions. They have some big bodies who can skate very fast; Don Cherry would be in his glory.

The Waterloo Warriors brought back all three of last year's first team all-stars. Despite this fact, they got off to a rough start this season; playing the full 60 minutes seemed to escape them early on. After captain Chris Ray returned from a minor injury, the squad is 8-2 in their last 10. Their weekend match up with Lakehead in February could very well decide 2nd place in this division.

Much of the movement in the standings will occur between Laurier, Brock, Guelph and Windsor. Laurier seems to be in a transition year, bringing in 12 new players. The Golden Hawks have shown some muscle (beating Lakehead in Thunder Bay) and some flab (losses to Toronto and Ryerson). Though they are tied with the Warriors at 22 points, they have 2 less wins than their ~~cross town~~ three-blocks-away rivals

With 7 wins already, Brock will surely pass last year’s mark of 9. Beating Carleton and McGill are very, very nice feathers in the cap's of the Badgers. Like the Golden Hawks, the Badgers have a lot of points, but few wins to show for it. Closing out games in regulation has been a struggle for this squad. First year (of eligibility) Matt Abercrombie looks to lead this team to a strong second half

Guelph and Windsor have kept pace with the pack, but have tough schedules down the stretch. The Lancers have had problems scoring goals, netting a measly 22 in their last 10 games. OHL vet (aren’t they all) Andrew Loverock has been solid for the Gryphons between the pipes

Rounding out the division is UOIT and York with 6 and 5 victories respectively. Both these teams enjoyed David vs Goliath moments early on. The Ridgebacks beat Western in OT while the Lions beat Waterloo and Lakehead.

Sportmanship & OUA Football: A Split in 2010

2010-12-18T23:26:00.000-08:00

This is a disgressive interjection from our Playing Catch Up series which will resume very soon

If I hear the word "classy" being casually thrown around on internet forums one more time I will vomit.

That being said, the landscape of OUA football was lacking this season in the realm of sportsmanship. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to beat drums of peace and harmony (hippie pun?) but I believe football is a game of dignity - chaotic at that - and that wasn't lived up to this past season.

From cheap shots to coaching choices to (now infamous) attempts to play ineligible players we have been privvy to a bevy of bad blood, bad decisions, and general mediocrity. Let's start from the top and work our way down, shall we?

The most common form of poor sportsmanship we see on a daily basis - dirty play.

The OUA, for the most part, has been fairly devoid of flagrant cheap shots in recent years. Sure, some big name players have gone down - i.e. the tiresome OUA bloggerati twosome Brannagan-Faulds - though in all fairness #5's concussions were mostly incidental outside of helmet to helmet allegations, and #3's knee can be attributed to having the living hell beaten out of it.

This season, though, we saw a detour towards more flagrant hits and general misconduct that seems to stick out a little bit. Two cases come to mind for me.

Case 1 - and this hit the OUA twitterverse hard - was allegations of Guelph taking out McMaster's frosh wunderkicker Tyler Crapigna on a dirty play after a field goal. Most "witnesses" are confident that this was a no-doubt-about-it case and there was for sure malicious intent. I have no idea personally, but the fact we are in this position is problematic. We are now operating on the pretense that somebody went out of their way to get a lick in on a first year kicker. General football question: does it get more gutless than that in football? Not only are you taking a run at a kicker - the most exposed player on a field whenever they are on by virtue of the way we kick things - you are trying to intentionally get a shot on them, and that's certainly not to make a play. The fact Crapigna had his fantastic rookie season terminated at that moment makes the play in question all the more problematic and certainly doesn't lend itself well to the "running into the kicker - 5 yards" version of this tale. Absolutely disappointing.

Case 2 - this was much more under the radar. In talking to many players after the Laurier-Guelph tilt one thing became abundantly clear: perhaps it wasn't an accident that Gryphon starter Chris Rossetti left the game after all. Most viewers thought it was a simple scramble as he is known to do, tackle, something must have gone wrong and he's hurt. However, the consensus of many people on - and near - the field is that after he had been brought down Laurier's Steve Cormack dove on top of Rossetti and proceeded to twist his knee in the ensuing pile up. In fact, a couple players even heard a crack or a pop during this exchange, and the nature he walked off would suggest that it came from the Mississauga native's leg. If this is true, once again, poor taste in conduct on the football field. I understand wanting to get a shot in on another team's marquee guy but twisting joints in piles is pathetic.

Intentional attempts to hurt other players is borderline at best. There is zero defence for it, and whenever it happens we see the worst side of sports.

Off the field might have been worse though. Cheapshots are one thing, calculated decisions are another.

We have all read about Montoyagate at Laurier, and the Golden Hawks' miserable attempts to cover their rears in the wind by talking about ambiguity in the rules, mixed submission dates, etc. Quite frankly, nobody else did it so it couldn't have been too difficult. I would have been much more concerned about the validity of Laurier's case if Daryl Stephenson was donning the pads for Windsor because there wasn't a rule against it or Jesse Lumsden decided to give it a go with McMaster. The whole thing was poorly done by a Golden Hawks organization that most certainly knew better. The only part which may have been worse is the attempt to save face which was equally pathetic.

Even that being said I recently learned of an even more epic sportsmanship-fail that came out of Hamilton this past November. Alex Francella, 4th year wideout and Russ Jackson Nominee, was scratched in the McMaster's last home game this season. SCRATCHED. This is a fourth year player nominated for a national award playing in his last home game of his career, and you scratch him? For those not up to speed on football etiquette for graduating players, everybody is introducted in their last home game as a grad. Those who do not get put in the lineup - who to my knowledge are injured in EVERY OTHER case - come out street clothes and their jersey. When I personally learned that this had happened, I lost a lot of respect for Coach Ptaszek. Here you have a player who has put four years of heart and soul into this team - statistical considerations aside - who has been recognized for his efforts with a nomination for the Russ Jackson Award, and you scratch him? I can only speculate how angry Mr. Francella would have been (I have yet to attempt to contact/have a conversation with him about this) in his final home game to not be able to come out in a jersey and pads like every other player. For all the praise heaped on this player's shoulders by his coach in the press release (linked above), Coach Ptaszek is hardly paying it forward with this "thanks for nothing" send-off. Quite frankly this reeks of disrespect and a general lack of integrity on the coaching staff's part and does not reflect well on the program in Hamilton.

Here's a Christmas wish from myself to the football division of this league: Cut the crap out and shape up for next season. I don't doubt that this doesn't happen in other leagues, sports, parts of the world, whatever. Quite frankly, this league is so small its impossible not to be under a microscope so when stuff like this happens its hard not to miss - be it us or whoever else. I apologize to those who don't want to read this for the pseudo-whistleblowing but this has been brewing for some time now.

If you have qualms, concursions, or general discourse to add to this discussion feel free to comment here, tweet @AlwaysOUA or send us a good ole fashioned e-mail. We will return your call at our earliest convenience

PLAYING CATCH-UP: Men's Hockey (East Division)

2010-12-13T17:19:00.001-08:00

This is the second installment (first of hockey) of many wherein we attempt to get ourselves/you guys back up to speed with the OUA action that has taken place in the time we've been totally out to lunch.

OUA EAST

The term predictable comes to mind as I suspect the OUA hockey junkies out there may have made some money predicting the current standings.

McGill and UQTR lead the way to this point in the year in the East, certainly not a far cry from recent memory. The Redmen are once again led by Verreault-Paul up front and Dorion in the back end, and have thoroughly coasted to this point in the season. The only blemish(es) on their record are two shootout losses to Brock and UQTR respective. The most impressive part may be their 103 GF/44 GA split which only begins to highlight their dominance to this part.

UQTR has hung around the top half of the division, but not quite with the same dominance McGill has exhibited despite having beaten the Redmen. Their trio of Donovan-Charland-Lessard has more or less carried the team to this point in the season, and they will need to get some help going forward.

Carleton, Ottawa, Nipissing, and Concordia look locked into the 3-6 spots, though how they will be seeded at the end of the season is unclear. All four of these teams have had bouts with inconsistency and need to tighten up their play in their own end.

Toronto, Queen's, and Ryerson are bringing up the rear but aren't fully out of the picture. To an extent this may have been expected out of Toronto and Ryerson whose programs are in transition phases, but much more was expected of Queen's. They had a solid recruiting class this summer, but have had atrocious goaltending all season long. Look for one of these teams to make a late season push.

RMC's goose is cooked at 1-14-1. How they beat Western truly boggles my mind.

PLAYING CATCH-UP: Men's Basketball

2010-12-08T10:33:00.000-08:00

This is the first installment of many wherein we attempt to get ourselves/you guys back up to speed with the OUA action that has taken place in the time we've been totally out to lunch.

OUA EAST

Everything has more or less gone according to script in the East division. The Carleton machine is running smoothly, Toronto has retained much of its talent from a year ago and looks solid, while the rest of the teams battle it out for the title of 'best of the worst'. Laurentian seems to be the front-runner for that title as they have played well at home this season and upset some good teams in the process including the underachieving McMaster and West favourites Laurier.

York has had a season of ups and downs to this point and find themselves with a 3-6 record to show for it. Wins over Western, Waterloo, and Guelph as well as a close loss to Laurier have had them looking like a solid team. That being said, they haven't found the consistency needed to really pull away from the rest of the bottom feeders. David Tyndale and Dejan Kravic have been the foundation of any and all success York has had to this point.

Ottawa has been distinctly better at home as well this season as a quick glance at their home vs. away scoring and defence will tell you. 2 wins and 2 close losses to solid Brock and Lakehead squads clearly indicate that Ottawa's season will be determined by their ability to improve their game away from home.

Queen's and Ryerson are clearly missing their respective former stars Mitch Leger and Boris Bakovic. Dan Bannister and Jahmal Jones have emerged as heir-apparents to those all-time OUA greats, but their efforts have been all for not as they haven't been able to overcome a general talent shortage on their teams.

Burning Question of 2010-2011: Can RMC win a game? Putting your money on 'No' would be a safe bet.

OUA West

In the West, we've got wide open chase for the division title as nobody has established themselves as a Carleton-like Juggernaut in the division.

Windsor (7-1) sits atop the division at the moment but with the parity in the division it wouldn't be unreasonable to suggest that current fifth place Western (5-3) could enter the playoffs as the top seed. Western certainly stands to be the most unlikely candidate though as Lakehead and Laurier are closer to the Lancers at 6-2 while they are tied with Brock who also hold a 5-3 record.

Waterloo, Guelph, and McMaster shouldn't be written off just yet as their collective 4-4/3-5 records don't put them out of the hunt. With some better play away from home and the occasional spectacular individual performance they are right back in the hunt for a postseason berth.

It may ultimately be those individual performances that determine the final seeding in this airtight West division. Laurier's Kale Harrison and Windsor's Isaac Kuon have both put up All-Canadian type seasons by averaging over 20 points/game in under 30 minutes/game of playing time. Kuon has done that shooting 60% from the field. Waterloo's Cam MacIntyre isn't far behind as he has averaged 19.6 ppg to this point in the season. These are just three examples of outstanding play in a division that has been riddled by it.

This should get you up to speed for the second half of what is shaping up as a very tight OUA playoff race. You could make an argument for a crossover team or two in the Eastern playoff bracket as neither Queen's nor Ryerson really deserves to make the playoffs and it appears one will for sure - barring an RMC explosion. In the West though, you could definitely argue for an all-division round robin to see who's left standing. Guelph, and McMaster may be on the outside looking in right now but don't be shocked if they surge into contention late in the season.

OUA Sports + 'The Bars' = FUN!!!!

2010-11-29T10:42:00.001-08:00

For the past two weekends, I have done something that seems to escape many students at OUA schools.

No, I didn't find a cure for procrastination

I went to my school's OUA games, and then went to 'the bars' afterward!

The OUA obviously has trouble attracting the casual sports fan/student to attend games (hence this site). One of the reasons I believe this to be so, is that the majority of undergrad students want to party on Fri/Sat night (who can blame them?) However, I feel that these students are not aware that they can fit both of these things into their social calendars. Seriously, the late games end at 10, and I know no one is rushing to get to the front of the lines by 10:05

There are many more reasons why most OUA schools have poor attendance, but we just wanted to see what our fellow undergrads felt about OUA start/end times

Leave a comment about student attendance at your school and any ideas of what could improve these numbers

103rd Yates Stats Leaders Recap

2010-11-13T15:08:00.000-08:00

For any and all Fantasy Football concerns

PASSING
Ottawa: Brad Sinopoli - 24/39; 341 Yards; 1 TD/1 Int
Western: Donnie Marshall - 14/25; 228 Yards; 1 TD/ 1 Int

RUSHING
Ottawa: Brad Sinopoli 8-81 Yards
Western: Jeremy Hipperson 18-162 Yards; 1 TD

RECEIVING
Ottawa: Steven Hughes 6-118 Yards; 1 TD
Western: Nick Trevail 9-105 Yards; 1 TD

TACKLES
Ottawa: James McNaughton 10 Solos; 1 Assist
Western: Craig Butler 7 Solos

KICKING
Ottawa: Matthew Falvo 3/4 FGs; 2/2 XP; 11 Pts
Western: Lirim Hajrullahu 4/4 FGs; 2/2 XP; 14 Pts (includes game winner)

PUNTING
Ottawa: Matthew Falvo 8-291 Yards; 2 inside 20
Western: Darryl Wheeler 5-187; 1 inside 20

Final Score: Western 26 - Ottawa 25

Analysis will follow

WATCH THE YATES

2010-11-13T09:08:00.001-08:00

Hey Folks,

For those of you who don't have the cable package required to see the score on your television, there are alternatives.

-The Score has a live stream up and broadcasting on their website, as well as a live blog being hosted by Arden Zwelling.

Head to blogs.thescore.com/cis to check that out.

-The CIS Blog will be covering all four conference championship games in their live blog today.

Everyone knows where to find them at www.cisblog.ca/

-I am assuming that each respective campus radio station will be covering this in some regard.

Western radio is 94.9 CHRW and can be found here.
Ottawa radio is 89.1 CHUO and can be found here.

If they don't have game coverage, enjoy the music by people you or I have never heard of and know that I didn't mean for it to end this way.

Enjoy the kickoff countdown, loyal readers.

Tale of the Tape: Yates Cup 2010

2010-11-12T12:35:00.000-08:00

Ottawa		Western
1866	Founded	1878
32,630	Undergrads	20,822
Garnet and Grey	Colours	Purple and White
Expected	Yates Cup Trip	A little surprising
4*	Yates Cups	28
The leading stead at the start of a race	Horse	Naturalized beast found mainly in the western United States
Played on the team as a student; had a brief stint with the CFL's Ticats	Coach	Played on the team as a student; had a brief stint with the CFL's Ticats
943	QB's friends on Facebook	705
A hole in the city	Urban Dictionary Says	Slang for STD
Alex Trebek	Canadiana	Roberta Bondar
Hung Like...	Novelty T Shirt	Festern Wucks Your Mother

*Back in the day, Ottawa played in the QSSF and did not compete for the Yates Cup

OUR 2010 YATES CUP PREVIEW

2010-11-11T14:24:00.000-08:00

We were both at one of the greatest championship games ever last season, and while neither of us will make it out this year we are both drooling in anticipation. Here's our thoughts on how it may break down.

QUARTERBACKS

This is not the battle of all-timers like one season ago, but regardless the edge easily goes to the Gee-Gees in this one. We've been critical of the manner in which Sinopoli has turned the ball over this season, but the reality is he is probably (read: definitely) the best quarterback in Canada. Donnie Marshall has done a good job managing games, but he hasn't been called upon to run a true passing game to this point in the year. If it comes down to a passing duel, Ottawa will win this game. Decision: Ottawa

RUNNING BACKS

Western takes the edge here. Jeremy Hipperson has been their workhorse all season long, and Nathan Riva - last season's stud - is only starting to get his groove back after missing the first half of the season. Donnie Marshall is basically a running back that throws, and finished the season third in the OUA rushing category. Frank Nguandui has emerged as the feature back for Ottawa, and his 81 yards/game has been impressive. That being said, Brad Sinopoli is probably still their most explosive rusher. Decision: Western

RECEIVERS

This category is a tough one. Ottawa boasts three of the top five receivers (yardage wise) in the province, and some of the most explosive playmakers in the league. However, Western's receiving corps is no group of slouches either. Nick Trevail is the leader of the pack for Western in terms of possession number while Andrew Thibaudeau has emerged as probably the biggest gamebreaker. Zach Bull is also a safe set of hands for Marshall to throw to. Decision: I'll give Ottawa the very slight edge here, but it realistically could go either way.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Here's another split decision for you. I will propose that Ottawa gets better pass blocking from their O-Line while Western gets the better run blocking. While Marshall's sack numbers are slightly inflated because of how often he runs, he has to escape more often than his Ottawa counterpart who gets more time to throw on a regular basis. In regards to rushing, the numbers speak for themselves. Western has been opening lanes for their backs all season long. Decision: Western, but barely. 2 All-Stars - 1 All-Star breaks the tie.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Another split decision on the other side of the line. Both teams have been solid all season against the rush and getting after the passer, and both have a threat to pressure the quarterback. Sebastien Tetreault could easily have won any and all OUA awards if they existed for defensive linemen alone. Zander Robinson has emerged this season as a pass rush threat, while Mike Van Praet anchors the middle. Western likely gets the edgee in the talent department, while Ottawa has much more experience. Decision: Gee-Gees by a hair.

LINEBACKERS

Western boasts John Surla, Jason Kosec, Adrian Kaiser, etc. and I think that's enough for this category. Those guys are some of the best linebackers in the country, let alone in this game. James McNaughton and Tyler Sawyer are the leaders of Ottawa's linebacker contingent, but quite frankly they just don't have the impact on the game Western's second level does. Decision: Western.

DEFENSIVE SECONDARY

Western has the best player between these two groups, but I believe Ottawa has the best unit. Chris Daly, Chayce Elliott, Soonbum Cha, Francois Rodrigue, and Lee Shaver are all big impact players for Ottawa's defence and they're all in the secondary. Craig Butler is easily an all-Canadian, but I don't think his supporting cast is as strong as Ottawa's group is beyond Jamie Symianick. Decision: Ottawa

SPECIAL TEAMS

Another tough split. Matthew Falvo is the better placekicker. Darryl Wheeler is the better punter. Lirim Hajrullahu is a good placekicker. Craig Butler is a great kick returner. Chayce Elliott is a great kick returner. Decision: Western, but barely. Their depth at each special teams slot gives them the edge.

COACHING

Greg Marshall has done this once or twice. J.P. Asselin is one of three new coaches in the league this season. Marshall has managed a less talented team (by his standards) to his usual championship game. Asselin has had a very talented team get to that same championship game with many more hiccups including a loss to the suddenly relevant Toronto Varsity Blues and a by-the-skin-of-the-teeth victory over Queen's in overtime. If this game boils down to coaching decisions, I want to be getting my instructions from Marshall. He's the veteran, he's been here many times, he knows how to get it done. Decision: Western

OVERALL

Western: 5 matchup wins
Ottawa: 4 + homefield advantage = 5 matchup wins

I think Ottawa takes this game but every indication is that it may be an all-time great type of deal. While Western has shown that they can win this season, I don't think they have the experience at enough big positions to turn the tide. Ottawa already beat the Mustangs in a 20-19 nailbiter at home, despite their best efforts to hand Western a win. Also in the mix is a 6 hour bus ride for the Mustangs, which does play a role. They lost what was arguably the greatest OUA game of all time last year, and while I don't think that plays a role whatsoever this weekend, I don't think they come out on top. Ottawa has a strong contingent of 4th and 5th year players and I think their experience (which, I should add, hasn't come in any games this big) will pull through for them. That being said, if the score is not exactly what I predict it to be, don't be mad.

Western 29 - Ottawa 34

'Stache of the Day

2010-11-10T08:33:00.001-08:00

Today's beauty of a mustache comes from Matt Sinclair, a middle distance runner for the Windsor Lancers.

At the 2009 CIS Indoor Finals, Matt placed 5th in the 1000 m with a time of 2:27.07 He is in his final year of eligibility and is studying Arts and Sciences.

Props to OUA's Laura Bridgman for sending us the pic

Check back tomorrow for our Yates Cup preview!!!

'Stache of the Day

2010-11-08T18:51:00.001-08:00

Karl Wasslen, Goalkeeper, Carleton Ravens soccer
Finished the season with 11 shutouts and a .36 GAA
OUA East First team all-star

More Mo'

2010-11-07T19:43:00.001-08:00

Keaton Hartigan, Waterloo Warriors Goalie

Keaton was named an OUA West First Team All-Star last year going 18-6-1 with a .907 SV%. Like the Warriors, Keaton has struggled out of the gate this season. He is studying Sociology

Laurier at Ottawa Preview

2010-11-05T17:50:00.000-07:00

This semi-final sees a rematch of week 7 when the Golden Hawks lost to the Gee-Gees in Ottawa. The final score of that game was 44-21, yet many (Laurier) fans want you to believe it was closer as there were some suspect calls in favour of Ottawa. A valid point, yet Laurier did not do much to help their cause. Their offense could not find a rhythm as they switched QBs mid way through the game, and only managed 87 rush yards. Laurier comes off a win against a helpless Guelph team at home.

QBs
Everyone knows what Brad Sinopoli is capable of. He proved time and time again that he can beat you with his arm or his feet. His adversary this week is Shane Kelly. Kelly has one and half seasons of collegiate football under is belt and only 5 wins to his name. Last week against Guelph, he hung one short on his first pass of the post season. Not a great way to start one’s playoff resume, though he did eventually settle down. What worries me about Kelly is that he has not proven he can take his team down the length of the field drive in and drive out. This will be something to watch for tomorrow as Laurier will need to put up a lot of point to keep up with Ottawa. Both of these guys have struggled with INTS this season. Sinopoli threw 13 in 301 attempts (4.3%) while Kelly had 10 in 182 (5.5%)

RBs
These two teams have been on opposite sides of the spectrum in this category. Laurier’s running backs have really struggled to find any sort of success this year. This puts a lot of pressure on Kelly to lead the team, something I think he struggles with (see above). Ottawa is averaging 6.6 yards per rushing attempt with Franck Ngandui and Sinopol leading the charge

WRs
Both teams boast great wide outs that can do a lot with the ball after a catch. This group of guys will definitely be fun to watch on Saturday.

DEF
I give Ottawa the slight edge in both the DE & LB category; Laurier has the better secondary with the Bosch, Rapanaro, McGarry and Nicholson patrolling the backfield. Sebastien Tetreault and the Ottawa front four look to make it a long day for the Laurier offense. When these two teams met in week 7, Laurier had 29.5 minutes of possession while Ottawa had 30.5

Prediction:
Ottawa 37 Laurier 22

The Daily 'Stache

2010-11-04T12:07:00.000-07:00

Tom Gretes, Toronto Varsity Blues Defensive Coordinator.

Kudos to the moustache and a damn good job this season.

Always OUA CELEBRATES Movember

2010-11-03T17:47:00.000-07:00

Here at Always OUA we're big fans of moustaches. Big moustaches, little moustaches, curly ones, straight ones. So, when there's a charitable effort designed entirely around moustaches - we jump all over it. In fact, one of the founders of this website will be giving his best Movember effort - we refuse to say which one of us, but it will be awesome.

In honour of upper lip hair to fight cancer, we will be periodically posting our favourite OUA moustaches. If you have epic OUA Moustache pictures, please pass them along. First off the bat, one of our favourites is Queen's Golden Gaels slotback Tom Howes.

Queen's @ McMaster

2010-10-29T15:41:00.000-07:00

Week one saw McMaster narrowly escape what has been a disappointing Queen's squad. If it weren't for Chris Ioannides getting rocked in the end zone by multiple defenders and dropping a touchdown pass (in all fairness he was injured on the play) the Golden Gaels would have been 1-0 and who knows what we would be writing about now. Regardless, it didn't happen that way at all, McMaster walked away with the win and have looked better every week despite quite a MASH unit.

My Thoughts:

- The quarterback battle (big shock) will be huge in this game. Quinlan and Chapdelaine have both looked phenomenal and atrocious at varying points this season. Quinlan has had (arguably) the best quarterbacking season in the OUA this year (no offence Sinopoli fans) and will need that to continue. Chapdelaine, though, threw for 315 yards in his first start of the year against what we believed would be a solid defence off the bat. If he can duplicate that performance I wouldn't be shocked to see the defending champs move on.

- Chmielewski vs Sabourin. Two of the top linebackers in the province will be going at it this weekend. Sabourin has been a ball carrier's nightmare in his rookie season, amassing 50 solos, and a couple of sacks. Chmielewski has been a silent beast in his own right, 37 solos, 3.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 recovery, and 3 picks. At the very least these two will be a lot of fun to watch.

- While neither receiving core seems to have an advantage, both could make an impact. Peressini and Di Croce will be up against Sheahan and Aprile. It may be a matter of who could break a big play.

- Running backs are also pretty even but I'll give the edge to Mac just based on the pure number of weapons they have at that spot. Nemet, Kozina (will be back this week), Kotar, and Forsyth just narrowly edge out Therrien and Granberg in my books. Granberg has arguably been the best OUA back recently - he has run for 100 yards in three straight tilts and can run you over and then run away from everyone else.

- Defensive Line goes to the Gaels. Pankewich and Miniaci are the elder statesmen (as sophomores) and have dominated all season. Throw in Festeryga and Wiggan and you've got problems for the Mac O-Line.

- Defensive Backs edge goes to McMaster. They've been better at containing the pass all season, and Queen's just hasn't found any consistency in coverage at all.

- Kicking game edge goes to Queen's as Dan Village has been doing this forever, and I certainly trust him more than Andrew Waugh despite how well he has kicked this season. If Crapigna can find some way to play (which as far as I know he is not) I still give this to the Vanier Cup winning kicker in Village.

- Return game goes to McMaster; Queen's has had zero consistency returning the ball this season, while Di Croce has been dangerous all season for McMaster. If this game boils down to average field position Mac will have the edge.

- Coaching goes to Queen's. Pat Sheahan is one of the best and the Gaels always seem to have a good gameplan in store for McMaster. Play calling and gameplanning will be a huge factor in this one and the Gaels could come out on top because of it.

- Despite the record disparity this game stacks up closer than you might expect. If McMaster can duplicate some of the performances they had down the stretch they will take this one. However, the Gaels have seemed to have the Marauders' number lately and will certainly give them a run for their money. If Queen's can stay within themselves and operate the gameplan they could easily take this game. However, because they've been so bad on the road this season I can't justify picking them.

Predicted Score:

Queen's 22 - McMaster 28

Guelph at Laurier Preview

2010-10-29T08:59:00.000-07:00

Back in Week 6, Laurier shellacked Guelph to the tune of 36-2. This game was a complete disaster for the Gryphon’s on both sides of the ball. The offense had somewhat of an excuse as inexperienced QB Luke Nangle came in on the second play of the game. No such excuse for the D, Laurier used short passes to move down the field and scored 34 points before half time.

Quick thoughts on the upcoming game:
--I think Kelly will start at QB for the Hawks. He has a much stronger arm than Pawliuk and has been their starter the past two games. I expect lots of option plays from Laurier’s running back by ~~committee~~ corporation and this big bodied QB. That being said, is it nuts to think Pawliuk has any chance of starting? I mean, he has seen a virtually unchanged Gryphon’s defense in the last two years and proved he can move the ball against this team.

--It is the nature of OUA football that better athletes play on offense. Both squads have talented skill players, but I think Laurier slightly bests Guelph in this category

--The Gryphons D have been burned by high scoring teams in the final weeks of the season, showing they cannot keep up with speedy receivers or running backs. Their front 4 also had trouble getting through the Hawks O-Line in their last meeting; I expect the same story on Saturday

--I wrote last week that Guelph doesn’t travel well, only beating Toronto and York on the road in the last two years. The last time Guelph beat Laurier? 3 years ago, almost to the day

Prediction: Laurier 32 Guelph 23

Follow us on twitter (@AlwaysOUA) as we'll be tweeting the game!!!!1

HallOUAween

2010-10-28T17:47:00.000-07:00

Here are some last minute OUA themed costume ideas

Mike Morencie--Tell people you've been wearing the same thing for the last 13 years and have only gotten candy once.

Michael Faulds--Wear a giant right arm and no left knee

Innocent Waterloo Player--Dress up in pads, jersey and cleats. You can go through the motions of traveling door to door, but you can't take any candy.

OUA Rule Marshall--Borrow a suit from your dad and grab a clip board. Ensure all candy collected has edible eligibility

Dan Brannagan--For every step you take, stand there for 8 seconds. Injecting ice water into your veins encouraged, but not mandatory

Ottawa Gee-Gees Football Team--Show up at a party and start drinking like a champ. During the course of the night, you have to let some scrawny kid from Toronto skunk you in beer pong.

OUA Fringe Sport--Head to your local sporting goods store and pick up a lacrosse stick/oar/water polo thing you wear on your head. You then go out trick-or-treating, only to find half your neighbourhood does not participate in Halloween

Main Stream Media--You're in for a relaxing Halloween: Just make sure you don't pay attention to any of the people dressed in the aforementioned costumes...ZING!

Previews to be up Friday afternoon

CIS Women's Basketball Preview

2010-10-26T08:53:00.000-07:00

Kate Hole, former player at SFU, put together this nice little preview on the upcoming season. Not only does she rank the top 20 teams, but also the top 100 players as well.

Check back later in the week for our playoff pigskin preview

Week 9 Power Rankings: The Playoff Picture

2010-10-21T10:07:00.001-07:00

1)Western (6-1)
Win or lose this Saturday, Western will get a bye through to the semi-finals. The Mustangs have out scored opponents 142-30 at home this season

2)Ottawa (6-1)
The Gee-Gees control their own destiny this week as they host the Gryphons. A win means home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

3)McMaster (6-2)
With a bye this week, the Marauders can look to the post season knowing where they stand. They've locked up the 3 spot and can host any of the remaining teams, save York. This squad is playing their best football heading down the stretch, which could spell trouble for any teams that wander into Hamilton in two weeks time.

4)Guelph (4-3)
A win against Ottawa this Saturday gives them hold of fourth. A loss coupled with a Laurier or Toronto win will have this team finish 5th and play a road game next week. In the past two seasons, the only teams Guelph has beat on the road are Toronto and York.

5)Laurier (3-4)
If I were Hawks fan, I'd be little nervous for the upcoming weeks. While not making the playoffs is possible (though not likely) the offense has still not established who they will have starting under center. Both Kelly and Pawliuk have shown how good and how bad they can be. This uncertainty makes them vulnerable, especially come playoff time

6)Queen's (2-5)
Unfortunately for the Gaels, a playoff berth is not guaranteed, even if with their gimme game against York this weekend. Wins by Toronto and Laurier will have Queen's watching the post season from home this year.

7)Toronto (3-4)
Quick, name the last Toronto sports team to make the playoffs. With a win on Saturday in London, the answer will be the Varsity Blues; while a loss and some help will do the same. Cue the analysis of whether Western should play its starters for the whole game.

8)Windsor (2-5)
Apparently, the City of Windsor has seen an increase in church-goers over the past few days. The Lancers advance to the playoffs with a win over Laurier and some major (with a capital 'm') help from the rest of the league

9)York (0-7)
Lions hold the cellar position for the second year in a row. Depending on what Waterloo comes back with next year, this team may become entrenched in this spot for years to come

Week 8 Predictions

2010-10-15T11:33:00.001-07:00

After going 3-1 last week, lets see if I can sweep the board in week 8.

Windsor 13 - Guelph 38

Guelph finally got the air game going last week which means Windsor's top notch team of game planners will have two things to contend with: Chris Rossetti & co. as well as Nick Fitzgibbon. Guelph will shut down Windsor for the most part, though I do see them getting a touchdown and maybe a field goal or two. I think Guelph jumps out to an early lead before putting in the scrubs somewhere in the third.

Queen's 15 - Laurier 18

This pick gave me trouble and I'll tell you why. I think Queen's is the better of these two teams, position by position (with the exception of receivers perhaps). That being said, they haven't performed A) on the road and B) on University Rush. Both of those variables are in play this weekend. Now, I do have little to no faith in Laurier's quarterbacks and that could throw the game back to the Gaels, but Justin Chapdelaine will need to capitalize on his chances.

McMaster 52 - Toronto 9

Kyle Quinlan is second in the OUA in passing TDs to Brad Sinopoli and this will be a nice game to pad his stats. The Mac air show will have its way with Toronto and Joey Nemet will ice the rest. Those considerations being made, however, I'm not sure which Toronto team will show up. A demoralized one that just got blown out, or an angry one that just got blown out. If it's the latter it will be closer than what I've suggested but McMaster will win. I expect Toronto to get a few field goals or a touchdown and some singles. No more, no less.

Western 69 - York 1

From the irrelevant file... Western will dominate this game, just like we all think they will. The running game will trample York's D, and the occasional pass will probably expose their secondary. I have literally no expectations for York in this matchup. They will play hard, but will ultimately lose big. It's a shame that they finish the year against Western and Queen's on the road - you never want to go out on a low (in this case, the lowest possible) note.

Power Rankings Week 7: Return to Earth

2010-10-14T13:50:00.000-07:00

The power rankings of week 6 set an unprecedented buzz across the interwebs. Not since rumours of Justin Bieber's death have circulated twitter have people been so captivated, and not since Brian Mulroney ran this blog 19 years ago have approval ratings been so low. The President of the Internet was recently quoted as saying the reaction was "like nothing he's ever seen" and that (and I quote) "Toronto at #2 was straight up whack".

1 week later, we have argued with the OUA oracles and this is what we collectively settled on.

1) Western (5-1)
The Mustangs have had the best season to this point. They have minimized turnovers and mistakes, thanks largely to a jumbo offence that prides itself on ball control. Greg Marshall is in the midst of a coach of the year performance. They look like Yates Cup favourites once again. That being said...

2) Ottawa (6-1)
You can all relax now, as Ottawa is back in their rightful place in our power rankings. Brad Sinopoli came back and minimized mistakes against Laurier. Frank Ngandui had a fantastic game rushing. Despite the production from guys like Bolduc, Hughes, etc. I am concerned that Cyril Adjeitey only had 1 offensive touch - a rush for 1 yard. I am also worried that the coaching staff may lack the experience necessary to make a championship run. The team's discipline has been a problem for two years and you can't win if you take penalties all the time. Therefore...

3) McMaster (5-2)
I really like how this team has come around. Kyle Quinlan is throwing the ball much better than he was at the beginning of the year, and they seem to be finding running backs like I find pennies on the street. The Guelph game was a good test for them and they overcame it. I still think they need to work on staying in the positive in takeaways but they have performed better in recent weeks. I think this team is poised to make a run if the seeding goes favourably for them. Hopefully Tyler Crapigna is OK.

4) Guelph (3-3)
The passing game finally came alive last week as Chris Rossetti threw for 3 scores. The question now is what the hell happened to that defence? Guelph hasn't been able to put together a complete team game to this point in the season yet. Either the defence is stifling and the offence stinks, vice versa, the run blocking is great and the pass blocking stinks, etc. They need to focus on putting together a complete game. Hopefully Coach Lang is up to the task, because it won't get any easier next season.

5) Queen's (2-4)
The Gaels finally put in a solid performance last week against the Varsity Blues of Toronto. They come into a must-win game against Laurier and nobody is really sure who the favourite should be. The Gaels have struggled on the road to this point in the season and Justin Chapdelaine will need to be an impact player if they are to have a hope. The DBs cannot get burned like they did against Western. Coach Sheahan has showed remarkable patience with this team, and kudos to him for handling his young talent so well. Many less experience coaches would have been swapping players left and right, but Sheahan has stuck to his guns and many of them have rewarded him.

6) Laurier (3-3)
Which is it Laurier? Are you guys the team that beat Guelph or are you the team that has repeatedly let everyone who expected anything of you down? The quarterbacking was certainly a concern coming into the season and it hasn't changed much. Kelly and Pawliuk have both been liabilities at different times this season. The defence has been O.K. but they are still prone to having points put up in bunches. At what point do we start questioning Ryan Pyear's ability to be an OC in this league? Laurier hasn't been able to muster any good offence since he took the reigns, and perhaps their lack of a solid quarterback is due to a lack of a good teacher. Montoyagate is still unresolved and could be the thing that puts this team on the outside of the playoffs; especially if they lose on Saturday.

In honour of these two teams...

7) Windsor (2-4)
The Lancers have done themselves justice this year. Austin Kennedy has been good stepping in for Sam Malian who can't seem to stay healthy long enough to make an impact in this league. They put up more points than I ever thought they would against York. The defence has been spotty but has kept them in games nonetheless. It'll be interesting to see how this team fares next season when various "changes" take effect.

8) Toronto (2-4)
Canada's 7 day darlings are back in their beloved home on this blog. Not only did they go to Queen's and lose, they lost big. I think we can safely say that the Varsity Blues were just another prime example of an underdog team that played one amazing game. They do have reason to be optimistic with some of the weapons they have accumulated, but they won't be knocking anyone off this season.

9) York (0-6)
The offence can't score, the defence can't get a stop, and the special teams might as well not be there. This team is making strides under Craney and co. but with such an abbreviated period for them to recruit, how can you blame them? These boys go out and play hard every week and for that we salute them. Chin up, Lions. Good days are on the way. I think.

In honour of teams #7-9...