December 2, 2005
HAWKS FOLLOW HUSKIES BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS
HAMILTON - Brian Towriss knows that after defeating the two-time defending Vanier Cup champion Laval Rouge et Or two weeks ago in the Mitchell Bowl, his Saskatchewan Huskies are favoured over Gary Jeffries’ Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks heading into this Saturday’s Vanier Cup.
But after Jeffries made a claim on Wednesday about “trying to model” his program after Saskatchewan, Towriss had a tongue-in-cheek warning for the media.
“Don’t let Gary deceive you guys,” Towriss said. “(Laurier’s) been one of the top programs in the country for the past three years. They’re 8-0 for the second straight season, they’ve got a very good football team over there,” Towriss said.
Participants in the 41st annual Vanier Cup—the nationally second-ranked Huskies and the third-ranked Golden Hawks—were introduced to the media on Wednesday at The Sheraton Hotel in downtown Hamilton.
Ontario University Athletics president David Dubois and Hamilton mayor Larry diIanni welcomed players and coaches to open up Wednesday’s press conference.
Towriss and Jeffries then made opening remarks and both voiced similar statements about “unfinished business,” stemming from 2004.
This is Saskatchewan’s third appearance in the Vanier Cup in the last four years, and eighth since 1990. In last year’s contest, the team lost a tough battle to Laval 7-1.
“We’re really driven this time,” Towriss said. “There’s probably 15 or 20 guys that are playing in their third Vanier Cup and they’ve had their hearts torn out a couple times. This is first time we’ve been relatively healthy at this time of the year.”
In last year’s national championship game, Saskatchewan quarterback Steve Bilan threw five interceptions while trying to play with a torn abdominal muscle. Bilan said on Wednesday that he’s as healthy as he’s ever been for a playoff game.
“Coming to the game healthy is huge. Last year I practiced maybe once the entire month of November… and it showed,” Bilan said. “There’s been so much disappointment in the past couple years. From me tearing my abs and David (Stevens) tearing up his knee last year, to breaking my thumb and tearing my Achilles in earlier years, we feel like we’ve been ripped off. Now is our chance to take advantage of our circumstances.
Last season, Laurier experienced a Cinderella-type year that saw them stop McMaster’s four-year reign atop the OUA. After losing seven games only three seasons ago, earning a trip to the 2004 Uteck Bowl at Laval was quite the experience for Jeffries and his team.
“That’s a unique place to play, and going up against the defending champs was probably a bit intimidating for some of our players,” Jeffries said.
But after losing 30-11 to Laval, Jeffries and his players knew there was work to be done. “We left Laval last year and realized that they were bigger and stronger than us and we made a point to improve upon that area of our game this season.”
And after soundly defeating Acadia in this year’s national semi-final, Laurier is now one win away from securing their second Vanier Cup crown. “We’ve gotten to the next step, and we’re happy to be here, but just getting here was never our goal, our main goal is to win on Saturday,” Jeffries said.
That business-like atmosphere pervaded throughout Wednesday’s press conference, as the stone-faced expressions of fifth-year Huskies Ryan Gottselig, Bilan, and Stevens; and Golden Hawk fifth-year seniors Ryan Pyear, Bryon Hickey, and Nick Cameron suggested. In fact, with 23 total fifth-year seniors appearing in this Saturday’s game, Bilan said he wouldn’t expect anything less from the rest of his team or from Laurier.
“We all know there’s work to be done, and make no doubt about it, this is a business trip for us, to treat it any other way would be wrong,” Bilan said.
The 2005 Desjardins Vanier Cup festivities continue Thursday evening at the Hamilton Convention Centre for the All-Canadian Awards Ceremony at 7 p.m.
The 2005 Desjardins Vanier Cup takes place Saturday, December 3 at 3 p.m. at Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton.
(Source: Chris Black, Special to the DVC)
But after Jeffries made a claim on Wednesday about “trying to model” his program after Saskatchewan, Towriss had a tongue-in-cheek warning for the media.
“Don’t let Gary deceive you guys,” Towriss said. “(Laurier’s) been one of the top programs in the country for the past three years. They’re 8-0 for the second straight season, they’ve got a very good football team over there,” Towriss said.
Participants in the 41st annual Vanier Cup—the nationally second-ranked Huskies and the third-ranked Golden Hawks—were introduced to the media on Wednesday at The Sheraton Hotel in downtown Hamilton.
Ontario University Athletics president David Dubois and Hamilton mayor Larry diIanni welcomed players and coaches to open up Wednesday’s press conference.
Towriss and Jeffries then made opening remarks and both voiced similar statements about “unfinished business,” stemming from 2004.
This is Saskatchewan’s third appearance in the Vanier Cup in the last four years, and eighth since 1990. In last year’s contest, the team lost a tough battle to Laval 7-1.
“We’re really driven this time,” Towriss said. “There’s probably 15 or 20 guys that are playing in their third Vanier Cup and they’ve had their hearts torn out a couple times. This is first time we’ve been relatively healthy at this time of the year.”
In last year’s national championship game, Saskatchewan quarterback Steve Bilan threw five interceptions while trying to play with a torn abdominal muscle. Bilan said on Wednesday that he’s as healthy as he’s ever been for a playoff game.
“Coming to the game healthy is huge. Last year I practiced maybe once the entire month of November… and it showed,” Bilan said. “There’s been so much disappointment in the past couple years. From me tearing my abs and David (Stevens) tearing up his knee last year, to breaking my thumb and tearing my Achilles in earlier years, we feel like we’ve been ripped off. Now is our chance to take advantage of our circumstances.
Last season, Laurier experienced a Cinderella-type year that saw them stop McMaster’s four-year reign atop the OUA. After losing seven games only three seasons ago, earning a trip to the 2004 Uteck Bowl at Laval was quite the experience for Jeffries and his team.
“That’s a unique place to play, and going up against the defending champs was probably a bit intimidating for some of our players,” Jeffries said.
But after losing 30-11 to Laval, Jeffries and his players knew there was work to be done. “We left Laval last year and realized that they were bigger and stronger than us and we made a point to improve upon that area of our game this season.”
And after soundly defeating Acadia in this year’s national semi-final, Laurier is now one win away from securing their second Vanier Cup crown. “We’ve gotten to the next step, and we’re happy to be here, but just getting here was never our goal, our main goal is to win on Saturday,” Jeffries said.
That business-like atmosphere pervaded throughout Wednesday’s press conference, as the stone-faced expressions of fifth-year Huskies Ryan Gottselig, Bilan, and Stevens; and Golden Hawk fifth-year seniors Ryan Pyear, Bryon Hickey, and Nick Cameron suggested. In fact, with 23 total fifth-year seniors appearing in this Saturday’s game, Bilan said he wouldn’t expect anything less from the rest of his team or from Laurier.
“We all know there’s work to be done, and make no doubt about it, this is a business trip for us, to treat it any other way would be wrong,” Bilan said.
The 2005 Desjardins Vanier Cup festivities continue Thursday evening at the Hamilton Convention Centre for the All-Canadian Awards Ceremony at 7 p.m.
The 2005 Desjardins Vanier Cup takes place Saturday, December 3 at 3 p.m. at Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton.
(Source: Chris Black, Special to the DVC)
