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Daniel Craig
a, Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

Film Review: Spectre

by Declan Embury on

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When Skyfall came out in 2012, it gave the James Bond franchise a 21st century upgrade, focusing on modern issues and distancing itself  from the goofiness that defined the brand in the more recent films. Under the direction of Sam Mendes, Spectre, the 24th addition to the collection, attempted to bring back some of that goofiness while still maintaining serious undertones. Unfortunately, the result is more of a disjointed combination that quickly jumps from serious drama to Bond being locked in a Austin Powers-esque torture contraption. The weak script makes the 148-minute running time feel endless, and is ultimately a disappointing farewell for what is rumoured to be Craig and Mendes’ final Bond film.

Spectre’s strongest scene is its opening. Set in Mexico City during a Dia de los Muertos festival, the film opens with a masked Bond stalking and taking out a target, while simultaneously destroying half a block of buildings all in one brilliant continuous film shot. These actions result in Bond being suspended and having to work—with the help of Moneypenny (Naomie Harris), Q (Ben Whishaw), and Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux)—behind MI6’s back in order to discover more about the shadowy “Spectre” organization. Eventually he must stop their evil plans, which involve the current hot topic of mass surveillance. Meanwhile, back in London, the film follows C (Andrew Scott), who is in the late stages of constructing a giant surveillance centre in London that he believes will make the ‘Double-O’ program obsolete. Meanwhile,  MI6 command, M (Ralph Fiennes) tries his best to stop Spectre and keep the program alive.

The head of Spectre, Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz), serves as the main antagonist in the film. Waltz tends to play very similar characters in every movie he’s in, but without the strong writing that came with his most notable roles such as Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained, Waltz performance feels unexceptional. As for the rest of the acting, the performances, while not poor, are far from show-stopping. Craig returns as the slightly more emotional mass murderer that has defined his character in the past; Seydoux plays the typical Bond girl, who falls for the helpless love interest role before the end of the film. The one standout is Jesper Christensen, who returns to his role of Mr. White from Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, and makes the most dramatic scene in the film.

It’s also hard to ignore the blatant misogyny that’s become commonplace in Bond films. In early stages of the film, it seems that they might have finally cast a love interest for Bond that’s more age appropriate, unfortunately, Lucia (Monica Bellucci) who’s actually four years older than Craig, only makes one real appearance in the film to serve as a sex object for Bond. Quickly, Bond is back to the standard woman who is 20 years his junior. This is a shame as it could have been a great way to update a franchise and bring it further into the 21st century.

This isn’t to say that Spectre is all bad: The action sequences are undeniably epic, while the cinematography and soundtrack are both well done; The range of global settings from Morocco, to Rome, and back to London all serve as good backdrops to the action.

Spectre attempts to tie together all the storylines from previous Daniel Craig Bond films, while also harking back to the older, more goofy films—ultimately, it does neither of these particularly well. More conviction within the acting, a stronger script, and an overarching better storyline would have been necessary to raise the film even remotely close to the standard or captivation level of previous Craig Bond films. Ultimately, Spectre is a signal that it’s time to move onto a new Bond, and take the series in a new direction.

Hourani
a, Art, Arts & Entertainment

Neutralité utilizes primary colours

by Alex Bankier on

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Rad Hourani has no need to be humble. The 33-year-old fashion designer is an accomplished photographer, filmmaker, and is perhaps most notorious for his ‘invited member’ status within the world’s premier high fashion group, the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. Hourani’s style attempts to transcend the constructs used by humanity to categorize and order the world.  Hence, ‘neutrality’: It’s an aesthetic Hourani claims had its genesis in his own lack of formal artistic instruction or, in his words, a “no-background background.”

Located in the interior of a repurposed warehouse, Neutralité is Hourani’s second and latest attempt at a multidisciplinary art exhibition. No variations in lighting are afforded within the space; illumination is equal throughout the exhibit, and coupled with the floor plan’s relative openness reflects the accessibility of Hourani’s artistic vision to all viewers. The rectangular trusses on the high ceiling recalls a wholesale retailer, with the many patrons adding to the cacophony of voices that dominate Neutralité’s soundscape. On any other night, however, the sheer vastness of the venue might be enough to intimidate patrons into silence.

First of the five segments comprising Neutralité is the Child’s Room. Setting the stage for following sections with works such as “Ageless”—a series of eight solidly-coloured pastel tableaus symbolizing the pure energy of life without social pressures—Hourani reveals a calculated minimalism as central to his neutral aesthetic. Such minimalism is, in fact, complemented quite well by the hollowed out industrial space and white palettes upon which many of the artist’s works are mounted.    

As viewers move through the exhibit’s three middle sections, a multitude of pieces ranging from humanoid, rubber sculptures to brightly coloured, polygonal wood panels, and even a pile of sex toys are presented for the viewer. In displaying some 21 works of art, Hourani seems to actively take inventory of the many dogmas and precepts driving human socialization.  Among these works are multi-tiered, aluminum daisies that display the inherently unbalanced interaction between socio-economic classes, and whose skeletal frames appear hollow, as if to indicate that the ideology of socio-economic stratification lacks substance.

Alongside each piece was an accompanying white placard printed with Hourani’s responses to his own work. Among these explanatory placards, there never seemed to be any suggestion for how exactly the artist would see his vision implemented—though perhaps this is left to the audience’s own imagination, or perhaps unimportant to Hourani’s work altogether.

Marking the final phase of the exhibit was The Adult’s Room. Here, the artist’s “Nationless” is practically a companion piece to his “Ageless”—both are sets of eight painted tableaus albeit with respectively darker and lighter shades. In addition to implying the transformation of child to adult, the two pieces help contextualize the collective entirety of Hourani’s works as being greater than the sum of its parts.  Each piece is in itself lacking context when removed from Neutralité, just as Neutralité lacks clarity when judged without all of its constituent works.

Overall, the eclectic nature of the media and objects present in Neutralité—scattered within their vaguely partitioned sections—suggests that audience members are, in fact, walking through a manifestation of the artist’s own psyche. As the abstractions of the human mind often elude understanding, the definitive placards provide a guided tour through the artist’s reasoning and thoughts in a style akin to a written manifesto. Despite leaving little to the imagination, Hourani nonetheless offers the audience an intriguing view of his own blueprint for transcendental utopia.    

Neutralité is located at Arsenal (2020 Rue William) and is running from Nov. 4 to Jan. 17. Admission is $10.

Hamilton the musical
a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

First Listen: Hamilton The Musical

by Eric Noble-Marks on

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Full disclosure: I’ve never understood the appeal of modern musicals. Generally I find them trite, overdramatic, and contrived. My musical theatre friends have constantly to broaden my horizons, begging me to listen to Next to Normal or Rent. “This one’s different,” they say to no avail. It’s especially hard for me to appreciate musical soundtracks without actually seeing the staging of the play. It’s one thing to write songs that serve particular narrative functions, but quite another for them to stand on their own.

So, as someone who doesn’t really understand musicals in general, you can imagine my skepticism when I heard about Hamilton, a rap musical that uses a multiracial cast to tell the story of the American founding father, Alexander Hamilton. Nevertheless, I wanted to give it a shot. This one might actually be different.

In working with one of the tightest pit bands on Broadway (to my ears anyway), creator Lin-Manuel Miranda has written some definitively great songs that even musical curmudgeons like me can enjoy. After all, any project that boasts the Roots’ Questlove and Black Thought as collaborators can’t be all bad. Rest assured, the rap sections of the soundtrack not only work, they shine above the singing. This is not cringe worthy, family friendly rap. Miranda and company have a definitive grasp of cadence and flow, and tracks like “My Shot” and “Right Hand Man” have ‘bars,’ if I’m allowed to use that term. 

That being said, the music gets stale when Miranda takes a turn towards the conventional. If you changed a few of the lyrics to songs like that of album opener, “That Would Be Enough,” they could come from any generic musical. Let’s just say, it’s no coincidence that they leave much of the singing to the snide, stuffy British characters. Perhaps I might be able to appreciate these songs more if I was able to see them actually performed on stage in the context of the story. Nevertheless, as individual songs they fall flat.

All in all, I was presently surprised by Hamilton. Though it wasn’t the home run I hoped for, its concept generally works—especially if taken as a biting satire of the theatre industry’s ubiquitous whitewashing as others have suggested. Musically, it features a number of standout tracks and a couple duds. Hamilton is certainly the most unique musical soundtrack I have ever heard. Who knows, maybe I’ll even check it out next time I’m in New York.

Butcher
a, Arts & Entertainment, Theatre

Play Review: Butcher question ideas of justice, revenge, and love

by Anna St. Clair on

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Playwright Nicolas Billon premiered Butcher last year in Calgary, having previously won the 2013 Governor-General’s Award for Fault Lines, a work of three plays including Greenland, Iceland, and Faroe Islands.  While Billon’s previous plays have had darker themes, they look like comedy sketches in comparison to his latest work. Butcher forces the audience to examine what would happen when victims and perpetrators of ethnic violence meet almost 20 years later and an ocean away from their first encounter in a concentration camp. At last, the victim is more powerful than the perpetrator, but whether victims can find peace without vengeance is left to be discovered.

The play is reminiscent of the trials of former Auschwitz officers. On trial are nonagenarians who one might pass on the street and think “What a cute old man.” When war criminals become so far removed from the time and setting of their transgressions, it’s strange to think that millions have been murdered at their hands.

Butcher opens on a rainy Christmas Eve in a Toronto police station where Inspector Lamb, (Alain Goulem) an average, no-nonsense police officer. He likes hockey, loves his family, and just wants to be home with his wife and daughters by Christmas morning. Dumped at the police station is a man (Chip Chuipa) wearing a Santa hat and an old general’s uniform. He speaks only a (made-up) Eastern European language called Lavinian. The only things found on his person are a business card for a lawyer named Hamilton Barnes with the words “arrest me” written on it, as well as a butcher’s hook. 

Hamilton Barnes (James Loye), the eloquent English lawyer is the foil to the humdrum Inspector Lamb. Barnes holds a firm belief in the power of law and order, and has an extensive knowledge of Latin and Greek. Enter Elena (Julie Tamiko Manning), the Lavinian translator and nurse.  The drama quickly turns from comedic clash of characters to a serious look at ethnic conflict in a lonely police station at 3 a.m.

In a play that addresses the horrors of genocide, it would be too sickening to describe or depict crimes against humanity in gory detail. Billon wanted characters to speak in a Slavic language, but it was essential that no one in the audience could understand every line of dialogue. He worked with University of Toronto linguist Christina Kramer to create Lavinian, challenging the audience to confront how and why they communicate with one another.

In keeping with Billion’s decision to have violence described in a language nobody can understand, director Roy Surrette ensured that some of the most violent scenes were staged in darkness, obscuring the audience from what’s really going on. That’s not to say that the play was G-rated, as the climax of the play features a drawn-out murder that is only partially hidden from view.

A stellar cast that supports Billon’s complex script fully; Alain Goulem’s portrayal of Lamb initially comes off as cartoonish, yet by the end of the roller coaster ride of plot twists, his expert portrayal of a cop hiding a dark secret is transfixing. In a remarkable feat, Chuipa delivers each of his lines with powerful emotion, be they anger, confusion, or pain—and all of them in a language invented solely for this production. The audience is left in the dark as to what exactly he’s saying, but despite the language barrier, emotional power and emotional truth come to the forefront in the most pivotal scenes. We are never given the details of the man’s confession, but through a passionate emotional language we are able to piece together the truth.

The action takes place on a minimal, yet realistic set. Grey and beige desks and file cabinets set the scene in an average police station office. The indifference of the set stands in contrast to pain and passionate revenge experienced by the characters. Real rain falls from the ceiling before the play begins, and continues in a window during the action. This is no cheerful Christmas play, and there are no plush blankets of snow decorating the window. Instead, the audience gets a dreary and unforgiving urban rainstorm. By being set on Christmas Eve, there is a certain urgency to the action. The bonds and love of family become more pronounced during the holidays, and the thought of losing loved ones becomes that much more heartbreaking.

Adamant theatregoers and those who haven’t yet been introduced to drama can all enjoy Butcher. Every one of the play’s 90 minutes was loaded with gripping suspense, philosophic themes, and emotional charge.

Butcher runs from Nov. 3 to Nov. 29 at the Centaur Theatre (453 Rue St. François-Xavier). Admission for students is $28.

a, Editorial, Opinion

Editorial: Fall 2015 referendum endorsements

by McGill Tribune Editorial Board on

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CKUT Fee increase: Yes

CKUT provides invaluable services to students, as well as to the wider Montreal community. As the only radio show on campus, it is an invaluable space for training in all aspects of radio production, such as mixing and radio software, and is a source of quality journalism. The budget demonstrates that an increase in the fee will offset much of the deficit facing CKUT, but leaves the reason for this method to the imagination. It is apparent when looking at the budget that an increase in the fee will ameliorate CKUT’s financial position, but does not show whether alternative sources of revenue or cost-cutting measures have been explored. While students must do what they can to assist CKUT in reducing their budget—especially as it has been several years since a fee increase—CKUT itself must work to ensure that it considers ways to restructure to entrench its long-term viability as a news agency.

Safety Network Fee: Yes

The “Safety Network” is comprised of McGill Student Emergency Response Team (M-SERT), DriveSafe, Walksafe, and the Sexual Assault Centre of the McGill Students’ Society (SACOMSS). By creating a single non-opt-outable fee that includes a set amount for each group, all students will support the provision of these essential services. Regardless of whether a student uses the services, they will support their functioning for the entire McGill community. The new fee will also reduce the administrative strain on the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) by removing separate fees from the SSMU base fee.

Plebiscite- Yearbook Fee: Yes to both questions

There has been very limited interest in the Old McGill yearbook in recent years, perhaps owing to its high cost. Even with subsidies from SSMU, yearbooks cost $60.00 last year. The first plebiscite question asks students to consider whether the funding structure ought to be changed; if students vote “Yes,” the new funding structure will have to be approved in another referendum question in the future. Adjusting the funding structure will make the yearbook more accessible to those who want one while reducing the deficit incurred by SSMU each year, which last year was nearly $20,000. It is a physical archive for the university, as well as a memento for graduating students. A “Yes” vote for the second question, which would favour an opt-outable fee that will charge students $3.00 per semester, would lower the cost of the yearbook for all students who are interested in receiving one. This would ensure a sustainable fund to spend on the yearbook each year. The plebiscite will provide an indication of how many students are interested in the yearbook itself, and will be able to determine whether or not a new funding structure and introduction of an opt-outable Yearbook Fee would be worthwhile.

Plebiscite- SSMU support for student-run cooperative enterprises: Yes

While an effort by SSMU to develop projects to increase the financial accessibility of commodities for students is a commendable goal, the ambiguous wording of the plebiscite itself leaves many questions unanswered. In order to properly consult students, the details and plans of action for such projects must be delineated more clearly.SSMU should be able to discuss the issue and determine if such projects would be something that would fall within their capabilities. Student-run cooperative enterprises would fall within the mandate of supporting students facing financial difficulty. The implementation of such projects may needlessly add to the responsibilities of SSMU executives, who already face various challenges owing to a lack of staff; while the conversation should be opened, the McGill community must not be deluded in thinking that this will lead to any significant changes within the 2015-2016 year. Instead, it can be seen as an opportunity to begin a discussion that can crystallize in several years. The vague presentation of the issue, particularly how it is related to mobilization against austerity, must be corrected in the future in order to inspire greater confidence in SSMU’s ability to go beyond this very preliminary conception of the issue itself.

a, Science & Technology

Going back to the elements

by Andy Wang on

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On Nov. 4, as part of Redpath Museum’s Mini-Science series, McGill Assistant Professor Audrey Moores from the Department of Chemistry discussed her research on nanoparticles in the context of green chemistry. 

Moores began by posing a fundamental question to the audience: “What is sustainability?”

From a pure materials  science perspective, it is ending the overuse and overconsumption of elements. But social and economic impacts of supply and demand are factors that must be taken into consideration when creating a sustainable future. For example, old and broken electronics are shipped from developed countries to parts of Africa to be recycled. This process is not only environmentally harmful, but creates dangerous working conditions for those involved.

“[Recycling electronics] involves melting [special] metals, which inevitable creates toxic fumes,” Moores said. “And of course, the workers are not properly [equipped with safety gear].”

Creating a sustainable future not only requires new recycling methods, but also new products that might be easier to recycle. 

Today, heavy metals play a huge role in industries, from electronics to pharmaceuticals, as they are used as catalysts—substances used to increase the speed of a reaction—in a variety of chemical transformations. A special example is the metal indium, which is found in all touchscreen devices. When mixed with titanium dioxide, it is used as a transparent and conductive coating. Currently, there is no alternative to indium’s unique properties. If no other options are found, this could pose serious problems to these industries.

“At the current rate of consumption, the supply of these critical elements—[such as silver, gold, indium, and palladium] is likely to run out in the next five to 50 years,” stated Moores. 

Moores’ lab creates and examines alternatives to heavy metal catalysts. One candidate is iron nanoparticles. Though the catalytic properties of iron have been used for centuries, creating iron nanoparticles require very harsh conditions, such as extremely high temperatures, pressure, and pH level. In 2009, however, researchers in the Netherlands were able to conduct hydrogenation reactions catalysed by iron nanoparticles at room temperature. Hydrogenation involves the transfer of a hydrogen to another molecule, thereby increasing or decreasing its molecular complexity, and is used in a number of industries.

“Hydrogenation is an ubiquitous process because of its usage in the production of margarine to the synthesis of ibuprofen,” explained Moores.

The process proposed by the Dutch scientists required that no oxygen or water be present, however, making it extremely difficult to use on an industrial scale. 

“We have figured out methods to create an oxygen-free environment in factories, but not water,” explained Moores. “New factories being built in the South of China or India have up to 80 to 90 per cent humidity throughout the year. If you tell them ‘no water,’ they are going to laugh at you.” 

To address this issue, Moores’ lab added block copolymers to the reaction mix, making the iron nanoparticles water-resistant, with yields of up to 95 per cent. 

The next step in Moores’ research is to take her findings to the industrial level for mass production. The ferromagnetic properties of iron nanoparticles allow them to be easily separated in industrial processes—a huge advantage compared to the heavy metal catalysts they are trying to replace. 

a, Opinion

Criticizing white feminism for the sake of progress

by Diana Little on

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Since the emergence of third-wave feminism in the ’90’s, feminist theory has become increasingly diversified into new categories, such as black feminism, liberal feminism, and radical feminism. But as different varieties of feminism emerge and intersect with other social issues such as race, sexuality, and class, the blanket term “feminism” has become increasingly obsolete. This is largely due to the fact that, from its inception, feminism has mainly addressed gender inequality as it pertains to white, cisgendered females. Now frequently distinguished as “white feminism,” this older, more homogenized version of feminism faces increased scrutiny. Criticism of the movement, however, is necessary to increase its strength. While it may appear to divide or detract from the overall movement, criticism spawns diversification, which makes feminism accessible to a larger audience.

As a white, cisgendered female, it is difficult to avoid falling into the white feminist trap; simply put, my experience as a woman cannot be equated to the experience of a person of colour or a member of the LGBT community. Just as any male can’t pretend that one dollar of his income is equal to my 77 cents, I can’t pretend that my 77 cents is the same as a black woman’s 64 cents, or a Hispanic woman’s 56 cents. Trying to fit every woman’s experience into one coherent idea of feminism is as illogical and incomplete as allowing one stereotype to represent an entire racial minority.

 

 

White feminism needs to acknowledge the ways in which it excludes many of the women it is supposed to support.

This type of generalization is exactly what white feminism is criticized for, and rightly so—a movement simply cannot enact change if the individuals it’s supposed to be uplifting feel alienated and excluded from it. With that said, this feeling of alienation white feminism produces doesn’t just apply to non-white women, but to all members of society. With each wave of feminism, there has been a pushback by both men and women who actively identify themselves as non-feminists—the most popular and recent being the “Women Against Feminism” collective. Feminists will often attribute this opposition to a misunderstanding of feminism’s fundamental purpose, or a belief that feminism advocates for something other than political, social, and economic equality of the sexes. Feminists distance themselves from these associations because they feel that such beliefs do not accurately, or even remotely, reflect their motivations.

Another frequent criticism of feminism is that it excludes members of the LGBT community from the conversation. Feminism must address this concern and emphasize inclusivity by increasing focus on the intersectionality. The way in which feminism intersects with issues of race, sexuality, and class ultimately demonstrates that feminism isn’t just a women’s issue, but a human rights issue. While feminism at its core is, and should be, a movement to promote gender equality, conceptualizing feminism as it pertains to other social issues makes it more accessible.

White feminism needs to acknowledge the ways in which it excludes many of the women it is supposed to support. Feminism should embrace its diversity, as its growing ability to reach and influence more people will make it stronger. For this diversity to flourish properly, however, feminism needs to be able to reflect upon itself as a social movement, and be critical of certain brands that invalidate others and counteract progress. Gender equality will be very difficult to achieve if feminism continues to work against, rather than with, itself.

Diana Little is a U1 English literature major, minoring in history.

@McGillTribOp | [email protected]

a, Science & Technology

McGill Space Institute takes off with a ‘big bang’

by Clare Lyle on

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McGill is home to many renowned astrophysicists, cosmologists, and planetary scientists. Until recently, however, space researchers at McGill lacked a place to share their work. Scientists were scattered between different departments, with offices ranging from Rutherford Physics Building to Burnside Hall. But all of this is changing with the creation of the McGill Space Institute. 

“Looking around [the] campus at McGill, there’s a lot of expertise in space-related research,” said Professor Andrew Cumming, a physicist affiliated with the Institute. “We decided to create the Institute to bring together these different researchers and foster collaborations across disciplines.”

A $1 million donation from the Trottier Family Foundation not only created fellowships for students affiliated with the Institute but helped in the creation of a space for researchers at McGill to gather. The official home of the McGill Space Institute will be thirty-five fifty (3550) Robert-Bourassa Boulevard, formerly part of the Montreal Neurological Institute.

“I think [having a dedicated building] is key to the success of the institute,” said Cumming. “Particularly for interdisciplinary studies, it takes time to learn the particular language and jargon of the other discipline, and so having a physical location where researchers can talk and discuss ideas is crucial [….] Explaining your research to someone in another field is when the most interesting new ideas emerge.”

The Institute brings researchers together with a mixture of formal and informal events, such as seminar series and a daily ‘coffee time’ that is attended by researchers from across the Institute. 

“Every day, tea time is [from] 3 to 3:30 or 4, and you just hang out and talk and some really interesting topics come up—I’ve learned a lot,” explained Miles Cranmer, a U1 math and physics student affiliated with the Institute. “[For example,] there’s a neutron [star] discussion group where you read a paper on neutron stars and you present the most interesting parts of it to the group, and then you discuss it.”

This type of environment creates a think tank that enables a variety of topics, from supernovas to the creation of new matter, to be shared amongst researchers. 

“Whenever you go in, there are people talking about something really interesting.” Cranmer said. “You can bring up some topic you’ve read about and have a long discussion about it with someone, like nuclear pasta—[an exotic state of matter observed in neutron stars].” 

Research areas include exoplanets, cosmology, the evolution of the universe, and high energy astrophysics. Although most of the research occurring at the institute is primarily theoretical, supporters of the Institute are quick to point out that scientific inquiry has a history of having unintended practical applications.

“Quite often, the new instruments that are being built to do some of these observations are pushing the limits of technology,” said Lorne Trottier, a McGill alumnus and benefactor of the Institute. “From some of that work, people develop skills that are very useful in other fields—and some of the techniques and hardware and algorithms that they develop may find some commercial application as well.”

Ultimately, much of the motivation behind the research that goes on at the Institute stems simply from human curiosity.

“The kinds of questions that they’re looking for answers for are very fundamental, and something that I think most people have some sort of deep interest in,” explained Trottier. “Where do we come from? How did our universe come into being? How have we evolved over time? Is there life in the universe? Are we alone?” 

Until these questions are answered, scientists like those at the Institute will undoubtedly continue to search the stars. 

a, Martlets, Sports

Hockey: Martlets split weekend against two cross-town rivals

by Nicholas Jasinski on

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McGill Martlets
3

 

 

 

 

 

Montreal Carabins
4

 

 

It was a women’s hockey double derby weekend in Montreal, with the McGill Martlets (3-2-0) welcoming challengers from two local universities: The Montreal Carabins (4-1-1) and the Concordia Stingers (2-2-1). The Martlets started on a low note in a thrilling 4-3 loss against the Carabins on Saturday night at McConnell Arena. An even first period ended with the Martlets up 1-0 on rookie forward Olivia Atkinson’s strike. Both teams were playing fast paced and aggressive hockey, with confident displays of teamwork, passing, and individual skill.

The second period was a different story entirely.

After a relatively back and forth start, the Martlets found themselves under a offensive barrage from the Carabins’ forwards, who relentlessly drove the puck into the McGill half of the rink and kept the home team scrambling to defend. It soon became too much for the frustrated Martlets and the floodgates opened, with Montreal netting four consecutive goals in less than nine minutes. After the fourth goal veteran Head Coach Peter Smith pulled starting goaltender Taylor Hough for sophomore Kayla Loberg, who held the fort and the Carabins scoreless for the rest of the game.

“We got away from our game plan,” Head Coach Peter Smith said. “For our team to be successful we need to play with structure and we got away from the structure in the second period. Credit to Montreal, they turned it up a notch and I just don’t think we matched them in the second period.”

The Martlets got back into the game in the final period, picking up their tempo and aggression while outshooting Montreal 13-8 and finding the net twice in the third stanza, but it was not enough to salvage the mess they got themselves into in the middle period.

“I thought we had a great start to the game and I thought we had a great finish to the game,” Smith said. “The middle wasn’t very good.”

Sunday night’s 2-0 victory against the Concordia Stingers had a different atmosphere. Loberg got the nod for the first start of her career and made the most of it, going 22 for 22 to shut out the Stingers.

"Kayla was good, made the key stops that she needed to make and we played real well in our own end," Smith said. "She managed the puck well, [she] had good rebound control, and did a nice job."

The game was plagued by constant interruptions for penalties and other stoppages in play, preventing either team from getting into a real rhythm. McGill captain Melodie Daoust found the net in the first period on a well-orchestrated team goal after receiving pinpoint passes from sophomore forward Cora Constantinou and rookie blueliner Zoe Todd. Daoust contributed again in the second period, clearing the puck on a penalty kill to find veteran forward Gabrielle Davidson for a shorthanded goal to give McGill a 2-0 lead for the rest of the match.

“We played much more of a grinded out game with a lot of penalties,” Smith said. “There wasn’t a tremendous amount of flow. They were fresh, they hadn’t played, and we had […] the kind of game where we had to grind it out and it [was] a good win for the girls.”

Sound bite

“[This weekend was] certainly developmental. I thought there was some learning that went on. They’re a smart group and a hardworking group and they’ll take this weekend […] and certainly get some learning out of that.” —Smith on the weekend’s action

Moment of the game

Twenty-eight seconds into the third period of Saturday’s game—on a fast break straight off the opening puck drop—Atkinson scored for her second time in the game to give the Martlets players and supporters new energy to start the final period.

Stat corner

McGill managed just one shot on goal in the second period of Saturday’s loss while Montreal recorded 17.

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a, Martlets, Men's Varsity, Sports

The week that was for McGill Athletics: Nov. 9

by McGill Tribune Sports on

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In this week's edition of the week that was for McGill Athletics the McGill Tribune Sports team looks at Catherine Amyot and Anders Bjella, our athletes-of-the-week;  Redmen lacrosse and Martlet volleyball; as well as our weekly edition of by the numbers.

Beyond the box score

Martlet Hockey

The Martlet hockey team (2-1-0) lost 2-0 against the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the nation’s capital on Friday. The Gee-Gees goaltender saved a stunning 37 shots and Ottawa took advantage of a penalty against McGill just two minutes into the game to score on their power play. McGill, despite fore-checking relentlessly and sending waves of pressure on the Ottawa goal, could not find the back of the net. McGill will need to tighten up their play as they face the No. 3 ranked Montreal Carabins and then the Concordia Stingers next week at McConnell Arena on Nov. 7 and 8 respectively.

Martlet Volleyball

The Martlet volleyball team (5-0) remained undefeated on the season with a convincing victory over UQÀM in three straight sets on Saturday. Sophomore power hitter Emilie Matte de Grasse led the way with 15 kills, and veteran setter Yasmeen Dawoodjee contributed 29 assists. After fighting off a furious rally to take the first set 25-23, McGill cruised in the second set (25-15) and were able to finish off the Citadins with ease. The Martlets will try to improve to 6-0 to start the season as they take on Laval next Friday.

Tribune Athletes-of-the-Week

Catherine Amyot

Power Hitter, Martlet Volleyball

Senior – Engineering

The senior power hitter had a stellar weekend for the Martlet volleyball team—she scored 17.5 points against Laval Rouge et or on Friday and followed that up with with 16 points against the Sherbrooke Rouge et Or on Saturday. Amyot also added 14 kills and two aces in a complete performance. The Martlets extended their winning streak to seven games and now boast a perfect 7-0 regular season record to top the RSEQ table.

Anders Bjella

Midfielder, Redmen Lacrosse

Senior – Management

The fourth year midfielder had one of the greatest games ever by a Redmen Lacrosse play—he scored seven goals as the McGill Redmen won their second ever CUFLA Baggataway Cup trophy against the Western Mustangs last Sunday. McGill won 15-11 in an offensive shootout and finished the season with a perfect 15-0 record. Anders performance represented McGill’s offence at its clinical best—they held out any notion of a Western comeback with their excellent shooting.

By the numbers

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7

Gold medals earned by Redmen swimming’s Kade Wist through his first three RSEQ University Cup meets.

7

The Martlet volleyball team’s longest ever winning streak to open a season—their previous mark was five.

4:25

Time elapsed between Olivia Atkinson and Marie-Pier Lavoie’s third period goals as the Martlets mounted a late rally against Montreal in Saturday night’s loss.

(Photos courtesy of McGill Athletics)

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