November 9, 2005
LAURIER AND WESTERN GEAR UP FOR 98TH YATES CUP
WATERLOO – The 2004 Yates Cup marked a significant turning point in the Laurier Golden Hawks football program. Gary Jeffries’s Golden Hawks overcame a major hurdle in putting together a dramatic fourth-quarter rally to dethrone the four-time defending Ontario University Athletics champion McMaster Marauders 31-19. Laurier now has a shot at carving out their own piece of history as they look for a second straight title when they host the Western Mustangs in the 98th Yates Cup. A national audience will see the two OUA giants play for the championship in the final University Rush broadcast of the 2005 season, presented by Pioneer Petroleums, on The Score Television Network, Saturday, November 12, 2005. Air time is 1:00 pm ET.
The third-ranked Golden Hawks enter the Yates Cup having won 19 straight games in OUA play, their last loss coming back in November of 2003 when McMaster handed the Hawks a 41-17 defeat in the championship. Since then, Lauier has demonstrated a quiet confidence and ability to get the job done on both offense and defense.
“We know how to win,” said fifth-year quarterback Ryan Pyear. “It’s a lot different then when I came here and we just lost a lot of those close games. That’s the edge in a close game. The team that wins more is used to winning and they know how to scrape it out in the end.”
Laurier certainly showed that ability in their decisive 43-21 victory over McMaster in the OUA semi-final last week in Waterloo. The Marauders arrived at University Stadium later than anticipated because of bus troubles, though the visitors showed no ill effects of an abbreviated warm-up. Despite a ragged first half, the Golden Hawks distanced themselves just before the break, a trend that’s emerged for the defending champions this season. Up five points in the final minute of the first half, fifth-year running back Nick Cameron plunged in for a one-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 19-12. Laurier rode Cameron for a career-high 263 yards on the ground.
Cameron, who finished fourth in the nation with 1,025 yards and eight touchdowns in the regular season, was shocked at the number of yards he gained against McMaster’s tenacious front seven. He quickly paid tribute to the men in the trenches that guided him to such a massive performance.
“It’s the O-line,” Cameron said of a unit that features starters Erik Salo, Andrew Dietrich, Kyle Weston, Mitch Zappitelli and Scott Evans. “They did it. They prepped all week long. They came out confident, they came out tough and all the credit goes to them.”
The running attacks of both teams will be a key to victory Saturday, as Western did its own damage on the ground in an 18-10 semi-final win over the Ottawa Gee-Gees. The Mustangs established the run effectively and racked up 218 yards and two touchdowns facing a stubborn Ottawa defense. Jay Akindolire led the way with 20 rushes and 141 yards, making up for a passing game that lacked efficiency. Western also had one of its best defensive performances of the season. The unit showed a willingness to be physical and handled the explosive Gee-Gees offence for the final three quarters of the game. The gritty playoff performance, against a team that had beat Western on an overtime field goal in Ottawa back on October 15, enabled the Mustangs to return to the championship for the first time since 1998.
“It’s been seven years, but who’s counting?” said Mustangs’ head coach Larry Haylor, admitting that the championship drought in London hasn’t been easy to handle. “We always play here with huge expectations.
“There’s a distinct advantage in game experience at that time of the year. The teams that do have it tend to succeed. But we will have energy, excitement and anticipation. We’re trying to focus on being our absolute best.”
The two teams last met on October 8, with Laurier winning 32-17 in London. Haylor suggested that the Golden Hawks were a much better team on that day and his own team didn’t compete. He said that they will have to be focused for the full 60 minutes if they hope to win their first Yates Cup since defeating the Waterloo Warriors 47-41 in 1998.
“They humbled us,” Haylor said of the recent Laurier win.
“They always say, it’s tough to beat the same team twice,” said veteran Golden Hawks’ defensive back Ian Logan. “We know that. The regular season game isn’t indicative of what can happen now. We’ll have a good week of practice and we’ll be ready for them.”
Western’s All-Canadian receiver Andy Fantuz, the CIS touchdown reception leader with 12 this season, hurt his quadriceps in the second quarter against Ottawa and though he was involved in a few more plays, he was limited to just two balls for 24 yards. Fantuz is expected to suit up for the Yates Cup.
“Andy’s got a resiliency to him,” said Haylor.
- O U A -
Enquires can be addressed to:
David DiCenzo
Communications and Media Relations Coordinator
Ontario University Athletics
Phone: 905-540-5156
Fax: 905-540-5149
Email: david.dicenzo@oua.ca
Web: www.oua.ca
The third-ranked Golden Hawks enter the Yates Cup having won 19 straight games in OUA play, their last loss coming back in November of 2003 when McMaster handed the Hawks a 41-17 defeat in the championship. Since then, Lauier has demonstrated a quiet confidence and ability to get the job done on both offense and defense.
“We know how to win,” said fifth-year quarterback Ryan Pyear. “It’s a lot different then when I came here and we just lost a lot of those close games. That’s the edge in a close game. The team that wins more is used to winning and they know how to scrape it out in the end.”
Laurier certainly showed that ability in their decisive 43-21 victory over McMaster in the OUA semi-final last week in Waterloo. The Marauders arrived at University Stadium later than anticipated because of bus troubles, though the visitors showed no ill effects of an abbreviated warm-up. Despite a ragged first half, the Golden Hawks distanced themselves just before the break, a trend that’s emerged for the defending champions this season. Up five points in the final minute of the first half, fifth-year running back Nick Cameron plunged in for a one-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 19-12. Laurier rode Cameron for a career-high 263 yards on the ground.
Cameron, who finished fourth in the nation with 1,025 yards and eight touchdowns in the regular season, was shocked at the number of yards he gained against McMaster’s tenacious front seven. He quickly paid tribute to the men in the trenches that guided him to such a massive performance.
“It’s the O-line,” Cameron said of a unit that features starters Erik Salo, Andrew Dietrich, Kyle Weston, Mitch Zappitelli and Scott Evans. “They did it. They prepped all week long. They came out confident, they came out tough and all the credit goes to them.”
The running attacks of both teams will be a key to victory Saturday, as Western did its own damage on the ground in an 18-10 semi-final win over the Ottawa Gee-Gees. The Mustangs established the run effectively and racked up 218 yards and two touchdowns facing a stubborn Ottawa defense. Jay Akindolire led the way with 20 rushes and 141 yards, making up for a passing game that lacked efficiency. Western also had one of its best defensive performances of the season. The unit showed a willingness to be physical and handled the explosive Gee-Gees offence for the final three quarters of the game. The gritty playoff performance, against a team that had beat Western on an overtime field goal in Ottawa back on October 15, enabled the Mustangs to return to the championship for the first time since 1998.
“It’s been seven years, but who’s counting?” said Mustangs’ head coach Larry Haylor, admitting that the championship drought in London hasn’t been easy to handle. “We always play here with huge expectations.
“There’s a distinct advantage in game experience at that time of the year. The teams that do have it tend to succeed. But we will have energy, excitement and anticipation. We’re trying to focus on being our absolute best.”
The two teams last met on October 8, with Laurier winning 32-17 in London. Haylor suggested that the Golden Hawks were a much better team on that day and his own team didn’t compete. He said that they will have to be focused for the full 60 minutes if they hope to win their first Yates Cup since defeating the Waterloo Warriors 47-41 in 1998.
“They humbled us,” Haylor said of the recent Laurier win.
“They always say, it’s tough to beat the same team twice,” said veteran Golden Hawks’ defensive back Ian Logan. “We know that. The regular season game isn’t indicative of what can happen now. We’ll have a good week of practice and we’ll be ready for them.”
Western’s All-Canadian receiver Andy Fantuz, the CIS touchdown reception leader with 12 this season, hurt his quadriceps in the second quarter against Ottawa and though he was involved in a few more plays, he was limited to just two balls for 24 yards. Fantuz is expected to suit up for the Yates Cup.
“Andy’s got a resiliency to him,” said Haylor.
- O U A -
Enquires can be addressed to:
David DiCenzo
Communications and Media Relations Coordinator
Ontario University Athletics
Phone: 905-540-5156
Fax: 905-540-5149
Email: david.dicenzo@oua.ca
Web: www.oua.ca
