Sports

The latest in McGill and world sports.

PROFILE-MARTLETS SOCCER: Rishworth brings a world of experience

Aside from its claims of Canadian superiority, McGill loves to boast about its international flavour. It is a magnet for many foreign students who wish to study in the West, or more specifically, in Canada. However, the international character has typically been confined to the lecture halls and seldom seen on the soccer pitch.

THIRD MAN IN: Two Longs don’t make a right

Does anyone else hear that laughing? It’s coming from the south, somewhere below the 49th parallel. That sound is our American counterparts buckling over at our blind devotion to this pastime of ours-one which, yet again, has embarrassed us for taking it seriously.

FROM THE CHEAP SEATS: Canada, Tom sucks!

I guess I’m unpatriotic. Though, born and raised in Canada-and a lifelong fan of the gridiron game-I have never made a secret of my disdain for this country’s knock-off brand of football or its ramshackle convening body, the Canadian Football League. What mystifies me most about the CFL isn’t its poor management, weak talent pool, inferiority complex or laughable quality of play.

FOOTBALL: Redmen let upset slip away

There’s an old cliché in sports: “You have to play 60 minutes to win.” McGill found out the hard way on Saturday that there’s still a lot of truth in that expression. Despite going into halftime with an 11 point lead, the Redmen failed to pull off what would have been a huge upset against the top ranked team in the country, losing to the Laval Rouge et Or 43-27 in front of 1,749 spectators at Molson Stadium.

WOMEN’S SOCCER: Second half surge sinks Sherbrooke

The third ranked Martlets got off to a slow start in Friday night’s season opener at Molson Stadium. But a much stronger second half allowed them to escape with a 2-0 victory over the visiting Sherbrooke Vert et Or. Neither side had been able to find any rhythm or assert itself during the first frame.

WOMEN’S SOCCER PREVIEW: Martlets aiming for championship

Sports teams are notoriously tight lipped and cautious when making preseason predictions about success. Such is the case with the Martlets soccer team. While they didn’t engage in any interviews touting dominance over the rest of the field, the Martlets soccer team clearly has only one target for the season: a national championship.

MEN’S SOCCER: Redmen stutter to victory

With Sherbrooke having prevented the Redmen from reaching the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, it’s not difficult to imagine why this meeting was such a scrappy affair. And while it won’t erase the memories of post-season dreams dashed, McGill managed to exact a little revenge by edging out a 2-1 victory at Molson Stadium.

Atlantic

Boston Celtics: The reigning champs lost a lot of their toughness when they let go of SF James Posey, but the Celtics are still the favourites to win the East. Their rookies, C Semih Erden and guards Bill Walker and J.R. Giddens, have seen little action this preseason and figure to play minor roles, if any, this year.

Central

* Detroit Pistons: The team that won it all in 2004 has kept their starting line-up virtually intact since, losing only C Ben Wallace in 2006. But after six straight trips to the Eastern Conference Finals, changes are afoot-new Head Coach Michael Curry replaces the polarizing Flip Saunders.

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