Go Red Go!

Ok, imagine this: You're standing at center ice in front of a packed house. The score is tied after three periods and overtime. Now you're in a shootout. It's just you and the goalie. Your teammates before you failed to get the puck past the goalkeeper and now all the pressure is on you. You feel the sweat dripping down your back. Taking a deep breath, you skate toward the net. You fake a slap shot and the goalie goes down. With an open net you sink the puck and the crowd goes wild!

What might sound like a scene from a ‘90s hockey movie was real life for McGill defenceman Keven Dupont on Friday night.

At 7pm the Redmen faced off against the University of Toronto at the McConnell Arena.I’m ashamed to say that this was the first Redmen game I’ve attended. The atmosphere was amazing, there were hundreds of people there and everyone was completely immersed in the game. It was as if every time Toronto scored, McGill fans took it personally. The jeers for the Toronto goals were strongly contrasted by the "Ole ole" cheers following the home goals. Despite the emotion in the crowd, it was clear that everyone was there to just enjoy some good hockey.

 

He shoots, he scores!!
Photo by Derek Drummond

Barely two minutes into the first period #8 Ryan McKiernan scores for McGill, revving up the crowd. The first period ended in a tie 1-1 and fans didn’t see another goal until the third. Despite the lack of scoring, the crowd was going crazy over the fast-paced game and the heated fights, which were quickly broken up by the refs. By the end of the third, the score was tied 2-2 so play went into overtime. Five minutes later and still no goal, we were on the edge of our seats as the refs called a shootout. The first three shooters from each team were unable to score. Fourth one up for McGill was #20 Keven Dupont. His intimidating speed and quick reflexes were too much for the Toronto keeper. It felt like one of those classic "He shoots, he scores!!" moments. When Toronto's fourth shooter failed to score, McGill fans were on their feet cheering and hugging each other. I felt swept up in a wave of excitement, emotion and school pride. After a rocky start to their season, the defending national champs seem to be back on track, especially after another win against Nipissing on Saturday!

 

Go Red Go!

 

- Martlet Girl

Aussies in Awe

The McGill Martlets are the best women’s university hockey team in Canada. They’re excellent skaters, have great positioning and have amazing team chemistry. They’re fast, aggressive and very agile. To people who know hockey, they’re a fantastic team. To people who don’t know hockey, it all seems like magic.

Provincial champions
2011-2012 season

On Saturday, I took a couple friends visiting from Australia to the Martlets game as they faced off against les Carabins of Université de Montréal. Neither of them had seen a hockey game before and they were completely in awe. As the Martlets whizzed around the ice, the Aussies admired the girls’ skating speed and stickhandling prowess. By the end of the first period, McGill was up 2-1. While the visiting Carabins scored only one goal in the second, our girls soared ahead to finish the period 7-2. In the end, les Carabins were no match for the quick and powerful Martlets who dominated play to win 8-3.

To the anthems played by Fight Band, we cheered on our team and reveled in McGill’s greatness. One Aussie said, while she donned my school hoodie, that it felt like she went to McGill as she stood and roared with the crowd. “We never see ice hockey! If anyone back home saw this game, they would have been very impressed.”

Congratulations on another win girls!

-Martlet Girl

#McGillPride

McGill is a university to be proud of and its students certainly prove its high caliber year after year. Since its early days, McGill students have pioneered new sports and have risen to become world-ranked athletes. To be a part of this legacy is daunting and inspiring. With the McGill name printed on our jerseys comes a reputation for excellence, good sportsmanship and hard work. To join the #McGillPride bandwagon, here are some points to be proud of:

-       May 13 and 14, 1874: McGill played Harvard in the first ever football game in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

-       The McGill Hockey Club, the world’s first official hockey team, was formed in 1877.

-       In 1891, James Naismith (BA 1887 in Physical Education) invented the sport of basketball.

-       Percy Nobbs was the first McGillian to represent Canada at the Olympics. He competed at the 1908 London Olympics in fencing.

Some more contemporary people and teams to be proud of:

-       The McGill Martlets hockey team is ranked first in the country.

-       The McGill Redmen are the defending national champions in hockey.

-       The McGill Rowing Club has produced a heap of world-ranked athletes and Olympians: Alison Korn, already an accomplished rower on the world stage, won a bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympic games. Mara Jones and Sarah Pape, two former McGill rowers, placed eighth and seventh respectively at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. The following year, Mara won gold at the World Rowing Championships in Japan.

-       This fall, the McGill men’s badminton team won their first tournament in school history.

-       The cross-country running Martlets captured the provincial title this fall for the third year in a row. What’s even more impressive is their consecutive winning streak from 1988 to 2007.

-       Brianna Miller, who plays rugby for the Martlets, was named player of the year for 2012 in the RSEQ women’s rugby league. Since 2010, she has scored 270 points in 19 league games.

-       A notable McGillian is Mike Babcock. Graduated in 1986, he currently coaches the Detroit Red Wings.

-       Also hockey royalty, Montreal Canadiens goalie and six-time Stanley Cup winner Ken Dryden graduated from McGill with a Bachelor of Laws in 1973.

-       In 2002, Kim St-Pierre (B. Ed. ’05) became McGill’s first female Olympic gold medalist. She played on the Canadian women’s hockey team in the 2002 and 2006 Olympics.

-       Jennifer Heil, a well-decorated freestyle skier, currently studies management and political science at McGill.

Are you proud of our fellow McGillians’ accomplishments? I definitely am!

#McGillPride

- Marlet Girl

An Urge to Erg

Over the last couple of months, one of my roommates has been gradually encouraging me to join the McGill Rowing Club. At first, I thought, “Man! This sounds like so much fun!” My enthusiasm quickly turned to doubt as I realized how much I enjoy a good night’s sleep. However, she is persistent and keeps feeding me reasons why I should give it a try. “The people are really great and totally keep you motivated!” she says, but then reading into my expression continues, “and the mornings really aren’t that bad. You get used to it pretty quick.”

More and more, I’m tempted to give it a shot. I recall back in my CEGEP days I went erging with a few friends who were on the rowing team. They were also up at the crack of dawn and exuded an enthusiasm about the sport the way a kid talks about their favourite candy. I tried the indoor rowing machine (aka “erg”) at our school gym and had an awesome time! It was unlike any exercise I’d done before. I surprisingly found myself getting a full-body workout! I had grown up figure skating, playing soccer and running track—sports that keep you on your feet, so I was excited to find something with a completely new dynamic that gave me an excellent workout.

As for my fear of early mornings, I thought back to the days in high school when I ran for the McGill Olympic Club (a track club open to the public). Those years were full of early morning runs and practices. For a while, I was habituated to waking up early to get in a run before school and then heading to an evening practice after my classes. My roommate says the McGill team spirit and determined coaches definitely make the early hours worth it.

Besides, who wouldn’t be proud to be part of a team that produces Canadian University Rowing champions and world-class athletes?

See ya next rowing season!

- Martlet Girl