Photos from the 2009 OUA Semi-final playoff game between the McMaster Marauders and the Queen's Golden Gaels on November 7, 2009 at Richardson Stadium, Kingston, ON.

All photos are Copyright (c) Jeff Chan 2000-2009, but may be used for personal non-commercial use, and by Queen's University, the CIS and its member conferences, and by the Vanier Cup, so long as photo credits are shown or the photos are otherwise attributed to Jeff Chan. All other rights are reserved.

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Queen's 32, McMaster 6
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Football topples Mac in semifinal; Win over rival McMaster Marauders sets Gaels a Yates Cup date with the Western Mustangs
By Jake Edmiston , Queen's Journal

Gaels’ running back Jimmy Therrien gets pulled down during Queen’s 36-6 OUA semifinal win over the McMaster Marauders on Saturday at Richardson Stadium. Therrien picked up 89 total rushing yards and a touchdown in the game. (Tyler Ball)

Gaels’ linebacker T.J. Leeper drops Marauder wide reciever Michael DiCroce to the ground. (Christine Blais)

Gaels’ running back Marty Gordon goes on a 50-yard run for what would have been the Gaels’ fourth touchdown of the game, but it was called back for holding. (Christine Blais)

Football head coach Pat Sheahan said there was an unusual vibe amongst the Gaels before Saturday’s OUA semifinal.

“There was a different feel to our team today,” he said. “What I sensed was that good kind of anxiety that no coach’s talk can produce.”

It was justified. The 32-6 win over the McMaster Marauders at Richardson Stadium means the Gaels’ will compete in their first Yates Cup since 2002, hosting it for the first time since 1979.

Defensive end Shomari Williams said the he was overwhelmed by the magnitude of Saturday’s game.

“Even yesterday I was so nervous I didn’t sleep,” he said. “It wasn’t because I was afraid of the opponent, it was because of what I knew this game meant to the school and to the University and to the community.”

Williams’s sleepless nights may continue. The Gaels’ Yates Cup opponent is the rival Western Mustangs, who the Gaels beat by a mere point on Oct. 17.

The blustery November weather brought some unconventional occurrences to Saturday’s game. Two passes were called dead balls after bouncing off the uprights, one of which caused a Gaels touchdown to be called back in the second quarter. Later in the same quarter, a tipped ball from Marauders quarterback Kyle Quinlan fell into the hands of Gaels defensive lineman John Miniaci.

Strong wind posed a problem for the Gaels. Quarterback Danny Brannagan only posted 161 yards. He averaged 367 yards per game during the regular season.

McMaster felt the wind’s conceded three safeties in the first quarter instead of punting into the wind from their defensive zone.

Sheahan said the game was decided by how well the teams handled their time against the wind.

“There were a few overthrows on both sides because the ball carries,” he said. “How well you manage yourself into the wind is going to have a significant bearing on the outcome of the game.”

The semifinal game was the second time this year running backs Jimmy Therrien and Marty Gordon were both healthy enough to play together. The two combined for 146 yards and each scored a touchdown.

Therrien, who suffered cramps in fourth quarters earlier in the season, said having an extra running back available made the running game a bigger threat.

“I’m still fresh—could play another game right now,” he said. “Obviously it’s amazing to have both of us healthy and good enough to run the ball and stay fresh. It’s a curveball for the other team too, because me and Marty see different things out there so we hit different holes with different timing.”

The Gaels kept the Marauders from scoring a touchdown for the second time in two games this year. The Gaels won their previous meeting 8-7 on Sept. 12.

Marauders head coach Stefan Ptaszek said the age difference between the two teams was apparent.

“[McMaster] is a team that had 12 first year guys out there,” he said. “It’s not laden with fourth and fifth-year kids like the team we played across the way. So the future is definitely bright and we wanted to take a shot at a team whose future is now.”

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Queen's 32, McMaster 6
Globe & Mail

At Kingston, Ont., The No. 4 Queen's Gaels defeated the No. 9 McMaster Marauders by 32-6 Saturday to earn a berth in the 102nd Yates Cup.

Next week Queen's will host the Western Mustangs, who defeated the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks 26-16 in the other OUA semifinal on Saturday. The win earns Queen's its first Yates Cup appearance since 2002 when McMaster stopped the Gaels 33-19. Next week's game also marks the first time the Kingston has hosted the Yates Cup since 1978 — that year the Gaels were a perfect 10-0 and marched to one of its three Vanier Cup titles.

With the wind at their backs to start the game, the Gaels took full advantage, putting up 13 points on the Marauders. Six of those points came off of conceded safeties by McMaster after the Gaels defence pinned them deep in their end.

The defence also contributed to the Gaels first touchdown of the game as Matt Vickers picked off McMaster quarterback Kyle Quinlan at the McMaster 35-yard line midway through the opening quarter. Five plays later, Marty Gordon punched the ball in from one yard out.

The Gaels extended their lead to 20 when McMaster punter Michael DiCroce fumbled a snap and was forced to fall on the ball at his own 22-yard line. This time, the Gaels turned to running back Jimmy Therrien to get them across the goal-line.

Queen's defence would continue to come up big for the remainder of the half as they twice stopped McMaster from finding the end zone. Holding them to a single field goal at the end of the second quarter, Queen's took a 20-3 lead into the half.

Queen's put the game out of reach early in the third quarter when quarterback Danny Brannagan rolled out and ran the ball in for a one yard score, despite McMaster having 13 men on the field.

Offensively, the Gaels were led by the running back duo of Therrien and Gordon who combined for 146 yards and two touchdowns. Brannagan was 12-for-25 for 161 yards while Qulian was 12-of-36 for 185 yards.

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Queen's Golden Gaels off to Yates Cup game - Gaels earn date with Western Mustangs after win over McMaster
By Mike Koreen, Kingston Whig Standard

By playing textbook defence and capitalizing on turnovers, the Queen's Golden Gaels finally ended their playoff drought. The Gaels, ousted in the opening playoff game at home the past two years, reversed their fortunes Saturday with a 32-6 win over the McMaster Marauders in an Ontario University Athletics semifinal at Richardson Stadium.

"We're in a much different place than we were a year ago, I'll tell you that right now," said Gaels defensive end Osie Ukwuoma, recalling last year's stunning semifinal loss against the Ottawa Gee-Gees after an 8-0 season. "We feel we put in some hard work this year and learned from our mistakes last year."

Snapping a three-game playoff losing streak, the Gaels advance to the OUA Yates Cup final for the first time since 2002 Nov. 14 at Richardson Stadium. They'll face the Western Mustangs in a traditional Old Four contest. Western beat the host Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks 26-16 in the other semifinal late Saturday afternoon.

It's the first conference final in Kingston since the 1997 Dunsmore Cup when the Gaels played in the now-defunct Ontario-Quebec conference. The last Yates Cup game in Kingston was in 1978. Queen's hasn't won a conference title since 1992 when it also won the Vanier Cup.

The Gaels offence took advantage of short fields created by their defence, which forced eight Mac turnovers. All three Gaels touchdowns came on drives immediately after Mac giveaways.
The Marauders failed to score a touchdown in two games against Queen's this year. Mac star running backs Joseph Nemet and Jordan Kozina were held to a combined 80 yards Saturday. McMaster coach Stefan Ptaszek called the Queen's defence one of the best units in the country. "Other teams in our conference to shut down our run game blitz and take chances," he said. "Queen's is able to slow our run game down just sitting there and playing their base stuff. They're not getting out of position to do what they need to do."

Running backs Marty Gordon and Jimmy Therrien and quarterback Danny Brannagan all scored touchdowns on one-yard rushes. For the first time this year, Therrien and Gordon both were healthy at the end of the game and the depth paid off. The pair combined for 155 yards on the ground. "It's amazing (playing with Gordon)," Therrien said.

"I'm still fresh, I could play another game right now. It's probably the first time I could say that all year. It's amazing to have both of us good enough to run the ball. It's a curveball for the other team, too. Me and Marty see different things out there, hit different holes and have different timing."

Brannagan wasn't as sharp as usual, throwing for just 161 yards, but he didn't make big mistakes like McMaster counterpart Kyle Quinlan, who was picked off three times in blustery conditions. "That was playoff defence," Gaels coach Pat Sheahan said. "They were stingy."

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YATES BOUND! Queen's defeats McMaster 32-6
By Michael Grobe, Queen's Sports Information

Playing like they were on a mission, the No. 4 Queen’s Gaels defeated the No. 9 McMaster Marauders by the score of 32-6 to earn a berth in the 102nd Yates Cup.

Queen’s will host the winner of the other semifinal game between the No. 5 Western Mustangs and the No. 7 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (Live on theScore @ 4:30pm EST). Tickets for the Yates Cup are on sale now by calling 613-533-2500.

The win earns the Queen’s its first Yates Cup appearance since 2002 when McMaster topped Queen’s 33-19. Next week’s game also marks the first time the Kingston has hosted the Yates Cup since 1978 – that year the Gaels were 10-0 and marched to one of its three Vanier Cup titles.

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A BRAND NEW SEASON
By Mike Koreen, Kingston Whig Standard

The McMaster Marauders vanquished their ghosts of playoffs past last week. Today, the Queen's Golden Gaels will attempt to do the same thing.

The Marauders, who won their first playoff game in four tries under fourth-year coach Stefan Ptaszek last week in Ottawa against the Gee-Gees, will try to keep rolling on the road against the Gaels in an Ontario University Athletics semifinal at Richardson Stadium.

The Gaels have lost their past three playoff games and are coming off a loss in their season finale against the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks, snapping a 17-game regular season winning streak.
What's happened in recent weeks and years, however, will not be front and centre for the participants after the opening kickoff today. The game tape of the Gaels' 8-7 win over the visiting Marauders in the second week of the regular season might as well be tossed in the garbage. Mac was using Ryan Fantham at quarterback that day. Since then, they have switched to the faster Kyle Quinlan, who has led the Marauders to the semifinals for the first time since 2005. Queen's had to employ backup quarterbacks Justin Chapdelaine and Tom Howes against Mac after Danny Brannagan suffered a concussion in the first half.

"I sort of think what happened last time may not really have anything to do with what happens (today)," Gaels coach Pat Sheahan said. "I'm not really sure what you can take from it in terms of carryover. It was a very unique situation, certainly from our perspective. "They're not starting the same quarterback who played in that game, either. It's probably a whole new ball-game, pardon the pun."

While the one week off for the top two regular season finishers in the OUA seems like it is an advantage, it hasn't helped first-place outfits in the past two years. The Gaels, in 2008, and the Gee-Gees, in 2007, both lost their playoff openers after going undefeated in the regular season.
Still, the Gaels view the break as a good thing. "We got some good work done," Sheahan said. "Some guys needed some recuperation and the rest of our energy was spent on making us better. It gave us time to reflect and trey a few new ideas. "We're a better team because of the layoff."

They also should be a better team with running backs Marty Gordon and Jimmy Therrien expected in the lineup. The two have missed a combined eight games this year, with both out two weeks ago for the Laurier game. They have played just one half of football together this season after the Gaels made it known that they wanted to feature both backs this season. "It'll be good," Gordon said. "That was the plan all year. We finally get to do it (today)." The men in front of the two rushers are excited about a double- trouble scenario. "It's going to be great," guard Vince DeCivita said. "They are two different styles of running backs. We'll be able to use them for different kinds of plays. I'm looking forward to blocking for them."

The Gaels also will have their hands full against the Mac rushing attack, another two-back system with Joseph Nemet and Jordan Kozina. Mac rushed for more than 200 yards against Ottawa last week. Run defence, however, is a strength of the Gaels, who were tops in that category in the OUA this year.

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History lesson: The Gaels, with a win, would play host to the Yates Cup game for the first time since 1978. Queen's did not play for the Yates Cup from 1980 through 2000 when it was part of the Ontario- Quebec conference.

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YATES CUP BERTH ON THE LINE ON UNIVERSITY RUSH
OUA Communications

Ontario University Athletics (OUA) football returns to The Score Television Network this Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. ET as the No. 9 nationally-ranked McMaster Marauders (7-2) travel east to take on the No. 4-ranked Queen’s Gaels (7-1) at Richardson Stadium in Kingston, Ont.

In the first of two University Rush semifinal match-ups this weekend, the Marauders will look to overturn the Gaels for a spot in the 2009 Yates Cup presented by Pioneer Petroleums on Saturday, Nov. 14. To get to that goal, McMaster will have to play Lumsden-era football, leaving much of the pressure on the shoulders of running backs Jordan Kozina (Brantford, Ont.) and Joseph Nemet (Burlington, Ont.), not to mention quarterback Kyle Quinlan (South Woodslee, Ont.).

“With our young quarterback, the run game takes a lot of pressure off him and allows him to ease into playoff football,” said McMaster head coach Stefan Ptaszek. “If we can establish some run and work play action and keep Quinlan’s reads very simple and straight forward, we’re going to be okay. The run game is critical.” Coming into this post-season game, the Marauders are riding a five-game win streak, including a 42-35 victory over the No. 5 Western Mustangs in Week 5.

In their quarter-final win over the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Oct. 31, Nemet scored two touchdowns, rushing for 123 yards on 19 attempts. In that same game, Kozina tallied 114 receiving yards and sealed the win for the Marauders with a 65-yard touchdown reception with five minutes to go in the game. Quinlan was dependant on his running game in his first ever playoff start, as he threw for just 180 yards at Ottawa, but passed for two touchdowns with no interceptions.

“Zero picks and no fumbles from him are big. He was about as efficient as you can be,” praised Ptaszek. “You can’t get much more production out of him. We need him to take another step forward this week. He has a very unique and tough challenge ahead of him because this is a championship-level defence we’re talking about.”

One of those passing touchdowns against Ottawa came courtesy of third-year receiver Matthew Peressini (Hannon, Ont.), who led the team in receiving yards with 411 on 31 catches and four touchdowns during the regular season, making him a favourite target for Quinlan. Another likely recipient of Quinlan’s passes is Kevin D’Hollander (London, Ont.). While making only 22 catches in the regular season, the fourth-year wide receiver trailed Peressini by just 14 yards but led the team in receiving touchdowns with five, proving that he’s capable of making big catches.

But without a good defence, all those offensive strengths mean nothing. Luckily, McMaster has some strong men on their D-line, starting with Ryan Chmielewski (St. Catharines, Ont.). The linebacker made a team-high 44 solo tackles and three sacks in the regular season and picked off one pass in the quarter-final game against Ottawa for 17 yards. Pair Chmielewski with Cody Lynch (Stoney Creek, Ont.) and you’ve got a couple of solid defenders. In the regular season, Lynch made 18 solo tackles and led the Marauders in interceptions with three. Against Ottawa, the rookie defensive back made six solo tackles and broke up four passes.

“On the defensive side, we were a very, very young secondary,” Ptaszek said of the Marauders regular season match against Queen’s, “and now they have nine OUA weeks under their belt.” “They’re going to need them because Danny Brannagan and that pass game are special.”

In their regular season meeting back on Sept. 12, the Gaels edged the Marauders 8-7 in a defensive struggle. “Offensively, we struggled tremendously,” said Ptaszek. “It was a great game plan for Queen’s and they shut us down for four full quarters. The big difference offensively is Quinlan has emerged as our starter. It’s going to be a tough battle; [Queen’s has] a great defence.”

“In an 8-7 game, I think both teams have to just accept the fact that their defence was good enough to win,” added Queen’s coach Pat Sheahan. “We stepped in a landmine where we lost a starting quarterback. It was a game that was dominated by defence; ours was one point better on the day.” Danny Brannagan (Burlington, Ont.) left the game half-way into the second quarter, leaving the passing duties to rookies Justin Chapdelaine (Abbotsford, B.C.) and Thomas Howes (Parham, Ont.), who failed to fill the void left by the Gaels star quarterback.

This time around, says Sheahan, it’s going to be a very different game, especially having Brannagan in the line-up. “We’re very cognisant of the fact that that game could have gone either way, so we’ve become much more consistent on offence,” explained Sheahan. “We’re a little bit more balance and obviously our passing game is still highly productive. The quarterback, when he’s in the groove, is very efficient.”

So, technically, the Marauders haven’t seen Brannagan at full capacity and they could be in for a rude awakening when he steps onto the field, despite dropping their final regular season game to the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks on Oct. 24.

“In some ways, losing a football game at the end of the season can be a bit of a wake-up call,” said Sheahan. “It’s not your reputation that wins football games, it’s your effort and your skill and your level of preparation, both mentally and physically. [Losing to Laurier] was a good thing to happen to us at that time of the season.”

Brannagan held the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) and OUA career passing yards record this year, if only for a brief moment before Western’s Michael Faulds out-did him. At any rate, his 174 completions, 2,580 yards and 15 touchdowns make him the dominant quarterback in the OUA.

One of Brannagan’s favourite places to fire the ball is right into the hands of Scott Valberg (Kingston, Ont.). The fifth-year receiver connected with Brannagan on 55 passes in the regular season for 913 yards and four touchdowns, and will likely be a scoring threat against McMaster on Saturday.

The Gaels run game is led by Queen’s running back Jimmy Therrien (Montreal), who carried the ball 99 times during the regular season for 508 yards and one touchdown. “Teams that win can run the ball. That’s the bottom line,” said Sheahan. “Where we came up short at this time of year [last year] was their inability to run the football. We’re better on the offensive line now, we’ve got some quality backs.”

Queen’s has some players that have a knack for taking away the ball. David Rooney (Kingston, Ont.) made three interceptions in the regular season, while Jimmy Allin (Belleville, Ont.) came away with a team-high of five.

But sometimes, it’s special teams that can make or break a game, and this game should be no different. On returns, it’s Allin who makes the grade, returning 42 regular season punts for 592 yards, the longest being 78 yards. It’s the same story on kick returns, where Allin’s longest return was 105 yards for a TD, one of 20 returns the fifth-year DB made for 490 yards.

This year, the Gaels are a Yates Cup favourite, having only lost one regular season game and none at home. With Brannagan ready to show the Marauders what it’s like to face the post-season version of himself, it could be the biggest playoff challenge the underdog Marauders have faced in a long time. “We have to assume [McMaster] is going to adjust and play their game and we’ve got to go play ours,” said Sheahan.

Play-by-play announcer Tim Micallef along with former McMaster Marauder and CFL star Mike Morreale will bring you all the action on The Score beginning at 1 p.m. The game will also be webcast via SSNCanada.ca, and heard on CHML AM 900 and CFMU 93.3 FM in Hamilton, Ont. and CFRC 101.9 FM in Kingston, Ont.

MCMASTER LEADERS (regular season)

Passing
Kyle Quinlan (South Woodslee, Ont.)
89 completions, 153 attempts, 1,405 yards, 9 touchdowns, 7 interceptions

Rushing
Jordan Kozina (Brantford, Ont.)
116 attempts, 720 yards, 2 touchdowns

Joseph Nemet (Burlington, Ont.)
98 attempts, 612 yards, 1 touchdown

Receiving
Matthew Peressini (Hannon, Ont.)
31 receptions, 411 yards, 4 touchdowns

Defence
Ryan Chmielewski (St. Catharines, Ont.)
44 solo tackles, 3 sacks, 1 interception

Steven Cecchini (Thorold, Ont.)
28 solo tackles, 1 sack

Daniel Baronas (St. Catharines, Ont.)
21 solo tackles, 2 interceptions

QUEEN’S LEADERS (regular season)

Passing
Danny Brannagan (Burlington, Ont.)
174 completions, 280 attempts, 2,580 yards, 15 touchdowns, 7 interceptions

Rushing
Jimmy Therrien (Montreal)
99 attempts, 508 yards, 1 touchdown

Receiving
Scott Valberg (Kingston, Ont.)
55 receptions, 913 yards, 4 touchdowns

Defence
Matt Vickers (Stittsville, Ont.)
35 solo tackles, 1 interception

T.J. Leeper (London, Ont.)
32 solo tackles, 1 sack

David Rooney (Kingston, Ont.)
30 solo tackles, 3 interceptions

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Gaels up next for Mac
By Larry Moko, Hamilton Spectator

The proverbial monkey has been lifted from the back of McMaster Marauders football coach Stefan Ptaszek. During all three of Ptaszek's previous three seasons at McMaster, his favoured Marauders bowed out in the first-round of the Ontario University Athletics playoffs. Gut-wrenching setbacks for a school not far removed from four straight Yates Cup victories and one that was moving into a new multimillion-dollar campus stadium.

But that frustrating streak ended Saturday when Mac defeated the Ottawa Gee-Gees 27-15 before a sparse crowd at Frank Clair Stadium. Both teams entered the contest with 6-2 records. With the result, the Marauders advance to play the first-place Queen's Gaels on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Kingston. The league's other semifinal matches the Western Ontario Mustangs - 37-18 winners over the Guelph Gryphons - against the second-place Laurier Golden Hawks in Waterloo.

"It doesn't vindicate anything," Ptaszek said. "The three previous teams were good enough to take further steps. We didn't get there for a variety of reasons. But I'm ecstatic about this one."
Jordan Kozina, who helped snap Ottawa's five-game winning streak, said the victory was satisfying for many of the team's veteran players who had never experienced a playoff W. He and eight of his teammates played for the last Mac squad to survive a playoff round -- 2005, a quarter-final against the visiting Windsor Lancers.

Kozina capped the scoring with four minutes left, when he showed speed and balance to take a Kyle Quinlan pass 65 yards into the end zone. The former Canadian national rugby team member caught three passes coming out of the backfield for 114 yards. He also rushed four times for 43 yards. Said Ptaszek: "(Kozina's) versatility is unique. He can carry the ball, block and catch the ball."
The Marauders, who trailed 15-14 with 11 minutes to go, were sparked offensively by Burlington tailback Joey Nemet's 123 yards on 19 carries (two TDs). It was the impressive work of the Mac offensive line and the ball carriers that helped move the yardsticks in the first and third quarters, when the Hamilton squad was going against a blustery wind.

Ottawa moved the ball effectively, too. Under the guidance of quarterback Brad Sinopoli, the Gee-Gees finished with more total yards than Mac (555-443) and had more first downs (31-20). But the only TD they could put on the board was a 10-yard reception by Matthew Bolduc. Ottawa's other points resulted from field goals of 37, 22 and 22 yards by Matt Falvo. "We're a bend-but-don't-break defence," said Marauders defensive co-ordinator Greg Knox. "The idea is to make teams earn it."

Mac punter/kicker Andy Waugh said the wind was a big factor all afternoon. Although he boomed several punts with it at his back, others just barely cleared the line of scrimmage. Waugh stood out on one particular play when, on a long Ottawa punt return, he made an open-field hit that jarred the ball loose for a turnover. "It's the playoffs now ... everybody's got to step up," he said.

Mac successfully pulled a trick play out of its hat. On a fake punt from the Ottawa 40-yard line, Matt Peressini took a direct snap before pitching out to Mike DiCroce, who ran 32 yards to set up Nemet's first-quarter major.

Ottawa also tried some trickery, but it failed. On third down - trailing 20-15 with five minutes left - the Gee-Gees faked a field goal from the Mac 32. The holder, Sinopoli, threw a pass to Mike Cornell who was open for what would have been a first down. But the fifth-year middle linebacker from Hamilton Cathedral dropped the ball.

"Cornell makes his living playing defence, not catching passes," Ptaszek said. "He's on their field-goal cover team because he's one of their best tacklers. He's a great player. He was all over the field."Cornell, in fact, led all players with 7.5 tackles.

Ottawa coach Denis Piche said McMaster deserved the victory. "When we watch the film I know the guys are going to go into the off-season very bitter. They'll see we had chances and just didn't capitalize. It was a tough way for us to finish."

Peressini had Mac's other touchdown. He gathered in an 11-yard scoring strike from Quinlan, who ended up with 10 completions in 22 attempts for 173 yards.

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Riders name Bagg nominee for top Canadian
Kingston Whig Standard

Kingston-born receiver Rob Bagg is the Saskatchewan Roughriders' nominee for outstanding Canadian in the Canadian Football League.

The second-year pro, a graduate of Frontenac Secondary School and Queen's University, has 787 receiving yards and four touchdowns this season.

Bagg is up against B. C. Lions defensive lineman Ricky Foley, Calgary Stampeders offensive lineman Dimitri Tsoumpas and Edmonton Eskimos offensive lineman Patrick Kabongo for the CFL West's nomination.

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Looking to beat McMaster again: Football gears up for first playoff game against Marauders since shock 25-19 win four years ago
By Jake Edmiston , Queen's Journal

After securing first-place in the OUA and the esteem that accompanies it, a Gaels loss tomorrow would be the glass slipper on the McMaster Marauders’ Cinderella story. After a 27-15 overtime victory against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees last weekend, the Marauders travel to Richardson Stadium for the OUA semifinal game to play the Gaels team that beat them two months ago.

Gaels’ head coach Pat Sheahan said his team’s not considering anyone an underdog. “Planning for them to play poorly isn’t part of the plan,” he said. “There’s no soft spots on the schedule from here on. If McMaster comes in here and doesn’t play well it would be a surprise to everyone.” The 7-1 Gaels enter Saturday’s game having not seen the field since their 25-13 loss to the Laurier Golden Hawks in Waterloo on Oct. 24. Their first-place status garnered them a first-week bye through the OUA quarter-finals last weekend.

Sheahan said the loss to the Golden Hawks is a useful motivational tool. “Our one loss this year was a very sobering reminder of what the consequences are when you don’t play you’re best on a particular day,” he said. “Maybe in some respects the loss to Laurier was a good thing, in the sense that it helps shake the mental preparation as we go forward. It makes you more determined.”
With several core players in their fifth year of eligibility, including quarterback Danny Brannagan and defensive lineman Osie Ukwuoma, Sheahan said this is the year to win. “Sometimes when you go through these experiences you think, ‘Well ok, we’ve got a good group back next year, we’ll go get a title then,’” he said. “But now it’s time this group has come of age and they’re ready to carve out their piece of the Queen’s football egg.”

Although there’s three games between now and the Vanier Cup, Sheahan said they’re only thinking about tomorrow’s game. “If we don’t get by Saturday there is no looking forward, so that’s where our efforts are focused on.” Tomorrow promises to be much different that the last time the two teams met.

The two quarterbacks that faced off in the Sept. 12 meeting probably won’t play at all tomorrow. Two months ago, an injury to Brannagan in the first quarter saw rookie Justin Chapdelaine and Thomas Howes share a majority of the minutes. Marauders quarterback Ryan Fantham played in the September game. Since, Fantham has been sidelined with Kyle Quinlan assuming McMaster’s starting role.

Tomorrow’s game will also see Gaels running backs Marty Gordon and Jimmy Therrien playing together for the second time in the entire season, Sheahan said. Brannagan said the week off provided time for the necessary preparations. “Offensively, we’re going up against the number one defence in the country,” he said. “For a full week, we got to go out there and test ourselves, and improve on the things we haven’t been doing well.”

The Gaels averaged 34 points a game this season and the Marauders held them to eight in September. The McMaster defence allowed an average of 18.5 points a game, the sixth best in the country and one spot above the Queen’s defense.

Brannagan said he didn’t care who the team was destined to play in the semifinals. “I don’t think I was necessarily hoping for one team or another,” he said. “With the week off you just get a little antsy and you want to get out there and play, it doesn’t really matter who it is.”

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Gaels host Marauders for berth in the Yates Cup
Jamie Howieson - Queen's Sports Information

After earning a bye through the quarter-finals, the Queen’s Gaels open their quest for the Yates Cup this Saturday against the McMaster Marauders. The No. 4 ranked Gaels last played two weeks ago when they saw their team-record 17 game regular season winning streak come to an end against the Laurier Golden Hawks. As for the Marauders, they are coming off an upset victory over the Ottawa Gee Gees last week on the road in an OUA Quarter-final match.

These two teams previously met each other at Richardson Stadium back in Week 2. In that game, the Gaels prevailed in a closely-contested game 8-7. After QB Danny Brannagan of Burlington, Ont., gave the Gaels a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, both defences stepped up their play and held the offences in check. The Gaels defence, led by Matt Vickers of Stittsville, Ont., was particularly stingy as they held McMaster to 158 total offensive yards.

Despite the scoreline of their previous contest, Saturday’s game promises to be an exciting affair between the two teams. McMaster comes into the game riding a five game winning streak, including a 42-35 victory over the Western Mustangs back in Week 5. Kyle Quinlan has taken over the starter’s job from Ryan Fantham and has provided a spark to the Marauders offence.

As for the Gaels, although they lost last week to the Golden Hawks, they have proven all season long why they are ranked No. 4 in the country. Brannagan finished the season second in the CIS in passing yards per game with 368 and the running back combination of the Marty Gordon and Jimmy Therrien combined for over 800 rushing yards on the year. Defensively, the Gaels boast one of the most veteran cores in the league, highlighted by Vickers, Jimmy Allin of Belleville, Ont., TJ Leeper of London, Ont., and Osie Ukwuoma of Missisauga, Ont.

Making this matchup even more intriguing is the recent playoff history between the two teams. This decade, Queen’s and McMaster have met twice in the playoffs, with the Gaels earning a 25-10 upset win over the Marauders in their most recent matchup in the 2006 OUA Quarter-final. In 2002, the Marauders defeated the Gaels in the Yates Cup by a score of 33-19.

Tickets for the game are available at the Physical Education Centre while students can also get their tickets at Tricolour Outfitters. They will also be on sale on Saturday at Richardson Stadium.
Kickoff between the Gaels and the Marauders is scheduled for 1:00 pm.

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Queen's to host Marauders in playoff showdown
By Mike Koreen

Queen's University will attempt to end a football playoff drought on Saturday against an opponent that was on the wrong end of the scoreboard the last time the Golden Gaels won a post-season game.

The fifth-seeded McMaster Marauders (7-2) earned an Ontario University Athletics semifinal date with the top-ranked Gaels (7-1) at Richardson Stadium with a 27-15 quarterfinal win in Ottawa against the fourth-seeded Gee-Gees this past Saturday. The Gaels, losers of three playoff games in a row, beat the favoured Marauders 25-19 in an OUA quarterfinal in Hamilton in 2006.

With the third-seeded Western Mustangs knocking off the No. 6 Guelph Gryphons 37-18 in the other quarterfinal Saturday, it ensured the winner of the Ottawa-Queen's game would travel to Kingston next week as the lowest-ranked quarterfinal survivor.

While the McMaster win prevented an all-eastern Ontario semifinal for the second year in a row as well as a chance for the Gaels to gain some revenge after the Gee-Gees knocked them out of the playoffs two of the past three years, the Marauders and Queen's should provide an entertaining, competitive contest.

The Gaels beat the Marauders 8-7 in the second week of the season in Kingston, but Queen's quarterback Danny Brannagan suffered a concussion in that game and Mac still was using Ryan Fantham as its starting quarterback. With Brannagan back and the fleet-footed Kyle Quinlan running the show behind centre for Mac, both teams should be much more effective offensively if the weather holds up.

"He's good," Queen's coach Pat Sheahan said of Quinlan. "He looks like he's really come of age. He runs with the ball really well. He certainly adds a degree of difficulty (for opponents). Quinlan threw two touchdown passes and no interceptions against Ottawa on a windy day. The Marauders also feature a dangerous two running back system with Joey Nemet and Jordan Kozina. The Gaels did an excellent job limiting the Marauders ground game in the regular season and they'll have to do it again to move on to the Yates Cup.

Sheahan and several Queen's coaches drove to Ottawa to watch the Gee-Gees-Marauders game Saturday. While they spent some time looking at all three potential playoff opponents in their bye week, the Gaels started watching film exclusively on Mac yesterday. "They look solid," Sheahan said. "It should be a good game."

Mac rallied from a 15-14 deficit against Ottawa with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Nemet put Mac on top with a four-yard touchdown run before Quinlan hit Kozina for a 65-yard catch-and-run to give the Marauders some insurance.

"It's a huge win for us," Quinlan said. "We've been playing tough road games all year against tough opponents and to get a win here is big for us." The Marauders, who have won their past five games, are 4-1 on the road this season with the only defeat coming by just one point at Richardson. Conversely, the Gaels are 4-0 at home this season.

The Gaels-Mac game is slated to start at 1 p. m. Saturday and will be televised nationally by The Score. The later semifinal (4:30 p. m., Score) sees Western going to Waterloo to face the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks.

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Queen's next foe for resurgent Mac; With seven wins in its past nine games, McMaster heads to Kingston with a Yates Cup berth at stake
By David Grossman, Toronto Star

It has been a Cinderella season for the McMaster University football team. The Marauders haven't been able to say that since 2003, when they went on to win the Yates Cup. Despite seven wins in their past nine games, McMaster has its work cut out to get back to the provincial championship. McMaster, with 13 points in the final quarter, upset the hometown and favoured Ottawa Gee Gees 27-15 on Saturday in OUA quarter-final play.

Also, the two-time defending Yates Cup-champion University of Western Ontario Mustangs spotted Guelph an 8-0 lead and then bounced back in a home game to crush the Gryphons 37-18.
Next Saturday, Western heads to Laurier while McMaster goes to Kingston to play Queen's in the Final Four. McMaster, however, might not mind the trip to Kingston. The Marauders have lost only once on the road and that was at Queen's, 8-7, in the lowest-scoring game of the season. The previous time McMaster beat Queen's was three years ago in Hamilton by a score of 37-5.

McMaster quarterback Kyle Quinlan completed only 11 of 22 passes for 180 yards on Saturday, but two were for touchdowns. bJoey Nemet, with two touchdowns, including the winner with 8:39 left in the game, rushed for 123 yards on 19 carries.

Ottawa quarterback Brad Sinopoli threw for 342 yards, using nine receivers in completing 30 of 54 passes, but his only TD strike was to Matthew Bolduc early in the final quarter. In the Western win, Michael Faulds tossed touchdown passes of 16 and 13 yards to Jesse Bellamy, while Darryl Wheeler kicked four field goals.