By Earl Zukerman
McGill will be hosting three home playoff games on the same night for the first time in school history, tonight with a basketball doubleheader sandwiched around a hockey game.
Things get underway at 6 p.m. when the division-leading basketball Martlets (13-3) host fourth-place Laval (8-8) in an RSEQ sudden-death semifinal. That will be followed by the men’s hoops at 8 p.m. when the first-place Redmen (11-5) host fourth-place UQAM (6-10) in another do-or-die game. Both events will take place at Love Competition Hall, inside the Sir Arthur Currie gymnasium, located at 475 Pine Avenue West. The winning teams will advance to the Quebec conference final on Saturday evening.
Meanwhile, up the hill on the slopes of Mt. Royal at 7 p.m., the pennant-winning hockey Martlets (20-0-0) will try to extend their win streak to 29 games against CIS teams when they host the second-place Montreal Carabins (13-7-0) in the RSEQ best-of three league championship series for the Dr. Ed Enos Cup. The McGill women are 26-1 lifetime against the Carabins, including a 7-0 mark in post-season play. Game 2 of that series is set for CEPSUM Arena on Friday at 7 p.m. If a third game is needed, it will be played on Sunday (3 p.m.) at McConnell Arena, located at 3882 University Street, behind the north stands at Molson Stadium.
Tickets are available at the door and cost $10 for adults, $5 for students and seniors. Children 12-and-under are admitted free. For those who can’t make all or part of the tripleheader, all three events are slated to be webcast on SSN Canada.