Redmen ruggers hammer UNB Ironmen to capture Eastern Canadian title
(PHOTO BY GARY RUSH)
MONTREAL -- John Lee scored two tries and was named "man of the match" as the Redmen rugby team hammered the UNB Ironmen 36-0 to close out their undefeated season by capturing the unofficial Eastern Canadian championship for the second time, Saturday.
Lee was one of six different players to score for McGill Other try scorers were Cameron Perrin, Keelan Chapman, Daniel Levin,Nicholas Charlton. Gideon Balloch rounded out the scoring with 11 points.
The invitational game, which pitted the Quebec champions against the Atlantic champs, was played at Concordia as Molson Stadium was being used for the CIS women's soccer championship. UNB entered the contest with an intimidating 6-0 record, outscoring their regular season opponents 417-32, before winning the New Brunswick - PEI championship 24-12 against UPEI. They then won the Maritimes University Rugby League championship 26-24 against Dalhousie University.
"What an incredible and memorable game, I definitely did not think we were going to execute that well, and looking at their record coming in we knew we had to be aggressive from start to finish," said Balloch, an engineering senior from Ottawa. "Every player in our lineup, from one to 22, had a great game, each making big hits, rucking hard and running hard. A few years ago we had a couple of star players but this year was an all around show of skill through the entire roster."
McGill dominated from start to finish, which improved on their performance at the Quebec conference championship the previous week, where they led Concordia only 3-0 at halftime.
"Our discipline was incredible, and even more impressive was the way we controlled the physical battles, especially around the ruck area," said Balloch. "We signaled our intention to play a wide-open running game, opting to put our penalty kicks into the corners as opposed to opting for penalty goals. Our set plays were clinical, winning all our scrums and line-outs and turning over several opposition line-outs. It was by far our most clinical, dominant, skilled game this year, and in my opinion our best rugby since winning the Eastern Canadian championships in 2009."
The Redmen, who posted an unblemished 9-0 record against Canadian university opponents, are expecting to lose six seniors to graduation, including Nitai Ben-Shach, Jon Lee, Trevor Friesen, Nicolas Lefrancois-Santo, and the Balloch twins, Josh and Gideon.
GAME NOTES: By comparison, McGill had won the Quebec title, posting a 6-0 regular-season record, outscoring opponents 191-34. In two playoff victories, the Redmen outscored opponents 71-13, including 28-7 decision over Concordia in the RSEQ final... Dalhousie won the inaugural Eastern Canadian title in 2008, with a narrow 14-12 victory at McGill, on a last minute penalty kick. McGill won the following year with a 19-17 conquest over Dalhousie on a last minute try and conversion.
SCORING SUMMARY
First half
1.McGill: TRY by Cameron Perrin (conversion missed by Gideon Balloch), 15:00, (McGill 7-0)
2.McGill TRY by Keelan Chapman (conversion by Gideon Balloch), 25:00 (McGill 12-0).
3.McGill TRY by John Lee (conversion missed by Gideon Balloch), 34:00 (McGill 17-0)
Second half:
4.McGill TRY by Daniel Levin (conversion by Gideon Balloch), 50:00 (McGill 24-0)
5.McGill PENALTY TRY by John Lee (conversion by Gideon Balloch), 65:00 (McGill 31-0)
6. McGill TRY by Nicholas Charlton (conversion missed by Gideon Balloch), 72:00 (McGill 36-0 UNB).
SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
McGill Athletics 7 Communications
514-398-7012