Ryan Reisert

Ryan Reisert

Building on a pair of Quebec semi-final finishes last year, the Redmen and Martlets will look to challenge for league honours this season. After a tough pre-season, the Redmen and Martlets both look ready.

“It has been a tough pre-season with strong opponents. I felt that last year we were not as hard working despite being talented,” Redmen Head Coach David Simon said in an email to the Tribune. “In order to succeed, everyone will have to put their ego aside and play for the team.”

The Redmen’s pre-season was filled with more downs than ups, beginning with a 1-1 draw against NCAA foe Southern New Hampshire. The Redmen then travelled to Boston where they fell 2-0 to the Boston University Terriers. “We need to improve mentally,” Simon said. “We tend to lose our focus at key moments of the game.”

Although the results were not great, the tough early tests prepared the team for the Old Four Tournament against long-time rivals Queen’s, Western, and the University of Toronto. McGill was seeking a second consecutive title after a nail biting final triumph against the Golden Gaels last season.

The Redmen soundly won their opening match 4-1 against last year’s finalists, but the tournament was cut short and the championship game against Toronto could not be played due to flooding at Molson Stadium from the remnants of Hurricane Irene. McGill followed up the unfinished Old Four tournament with losses against Middlebury and Cape Breton.

If McGill is to achieve success later this year, they will have to avoid being hit on the counterattack. “We are able to generate dangerous attacking opportunities but are often unable to finish, which in turn makes us more vulnerable defensively,” Simon said.

Without more clinical finishing ability, the Redmen could be in danger of giving up quick leads after attacking moves forward. The coach also stressed mental toughness as a key to success.

The Redmen will begin their Quebec season at UQAM on September 11.

On the women’s side, the Martlets also had a challenging pre-season. Their first game was in Vermont where they faced the Catamounts, suffering a tough 4-0 loss. This was followed by a 2-1 loss to Fraser Valley at Molson Stadium.  Like the Redmen, the Martlets opened up the Old Four tournament against Queen’s. An intense match saw the McGill women squeak by, 4-3, on penalties. The championship pitted the Martlets and Toronto, but the flood affected this match, leaving the championship without a winner for the year.

After the Old Four Tournament, the women had a strong showing against Cape Breton, cruising by the Capers in a 3-0 rout.  The penultimate pre-season game was against Trinity Western—the Martlets lost 3-2 in heartbreaking fashion after going up 2-1 early. The women now travel to British Columbia for training camp and a pre-season matchup against Victoria before kicking off their regular season at Bishop’s in Lennoxville on Friday night.