Four McGill teams in national Top 10 rankings
By Jim Hynes
After the relative quiet of the holiday season, the varsity sports schedule is once again in full swing. Four McGill teams find themselves in the Top 10 of the most recent Canadian Interuniversity Sports (CIS) national rankings as action resumes in a number of sports.
The two-time defending national champion hockey Martlets racked up five more victories since the final Top 10 of the fall semester to extend their overall win streak against CIS opponents to 72 games, dating back to Dec. 2007. The Martlets broke the previous all-time mark of 67 straight wins, set by the Alberta Pandas between 2003 and 2005, with a 4-1, Dec. 28 win over the University of Toronto at Concordia’s annual Theresa Humes Tournament. The team resumed QSSF conference play this past weekend, notching a 4-2 win over Ottawa and a 3-0 shutout of Concordia. The Martlets enjoy a break in the QSSF schedule this week and are set to resume regular season play at Ottawa on January 17.
The hockey Redmen have combined with the Martlets to establish McGill as a national college hockey powerhouse. The 14-2-0 Redmen check in once again at No. 5 on the men’s hockey Top 10, one spot ahead of conference OUA east rivals UQTR. The reigning University Cup champion and undefeated UBC Varsity Reds hold down the No.1 spot, ahead of No.2 Alberta. The Golden Bears narrowly defeated McGill in a pair of exhibition games on Dec. 28 and 29 during a Western Canada road trip the Redmen embarked on over the holidays. The Redmen notched a pair of wins over Ottawa (3-1) and RMC (3-2) last weekend. They play UQTR and Carleton in a pair of home games this Friday and Saturday.
The men’s Track and Field team, which will compete in the Sherbrooke Vert & Or meet and the Laval Open over the next two weekends before playing host at the McGill Team Challenge Meet Jan. 29, is ranked No. 5 in the nation (down from No. 3 in the previous poll). The volleyball Martlets, owners of an 11-3 Quebec conference record, rank 10th. Rivals UdeM (13-0) and Laval (10-3) rank third and seventh, respectively. The Martlets end their nearly three-week break when they travel to Laval Friday. They return home to take on Sherbrooke at Love Competition Hall on Sunday.
The McGill curling club is holding open try-outs for McGill students to participate at the next World University Winter Games. The deadline for all interested McGill students to sign up is Sunday, Jan. 17 and the location and schedule of the playdown will be announced as soon as they are finalized. For more information on the tryouts visit www.mcgill.ca/athletics or contact coach Patrick Cawley at patrick.cawley@mail.mcgill.ca.
– With files from Earl Zukerman, McGill Athletics and Recreation.