Last week was significant for McGill Athletics, as three varsity teams—Martlets Soccer, Redbirds Soccer, and Redbirds Rugby—qualified for the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) playoffs.
After a 2-0 victory versus the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) Patriotes, Redbirds Soccer finished the regular season ranked third in the RSEQ. They faced off against the Patriotes in the division semifinals on UQTR’s turf on Friday, Oct. 25. The team concluded the season with a 5–4–3 record, making the playoffs for the first time since 2018. While some teams may feel discouraged playing their first playoff game on the road, captain Stuart Klenner, U1 Engineering, shared the team’s positive outlook with The Tribune.
“We’re all excited,” he said. “We’ve beat them two times this season, both games we’ve played them. But they’re always a strong team [.…] We don’t mind [playing away]. We’ve played well away, at least against [UQTR].”
The team’s enthusiasm served them well as the Redbirds beat the Patriotes 2-1 on a penalty kick taken by striker Mujtaba Mirhasan in the second half of added time, and will travel to the Université de Montréal on Nov. 1 for the RSEQ Championships. More notably, though, the victory secures the Redbirds’ ticket to the U SPORTS national championships from Nov. 7-10 in Oshawa, Ontario.
Martlets Soccer has also been unstoppable this year, and headed into the postseason with a record of 8–4–2, ranking second in the league behind the Université de Montréal Carabins. The Martlets played Laval on Oct. 24 at Percival Molson Stadium in the RSEQ semifinal game. The two had matched up twice during the regular season, with the Martlets tying them on Sept. 15 and losing 4-1 on Oct. 6. Captain Mara Bouchard, U3 Arts, reflected on the team’s preparation for the upcoming game.
“It’s very exciting,” Bouchard said in an interview with The Tribune. “In all the years I’ve been at McGill, it’s the first time we’re hosting playoffs, the first time we’re finishing second instead of third [….] We know what our main objective is: We want to go to nationals. We know what the steps are. So yes, it’s pretty exciting, but we’re focusing on the [first game] and are going to give everything we have on that day.”
Unfortunately, the team faced a devastating 1-0 loss against Laval in which a Martlet scored an own goal in the 27th minute. Regardless, the season was one of the most successful in Martlets soccer history.
Soccer is not the only sport sending McGill teams to the RSEQ playoffs—Men’s Rugby headed to Matt Anthony Field on Saturday, Oct. 26, to face the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees in a battle for a spot at the RSEQ Championship. Rugby had a successful season, finishing with a 5–1 conference record and ranked third in the league. They entered the semifinals following a 57-0 win over the Harvard Crimsons in the 150th anniversary of the Covo Cup—an honoured tradition that celebrates the first intercollegiate rugby game in North America, played in 1874. Sitting down with The Tribune, flanker Elliot Descarreaux, U4 Science, reflected on what the Covo Cup means to the team.
“It means a lot to us […] because of the history of it,” he said. “We often speak about how when you put on your jersey it’s not just for the guys you’re playing next to or the coaches, but for the history of our program and our team. It’s also important for keeping the alumni society active. It usually brings them together. This weekend there were 30 or 35 alumni there, so that was really fun for us, and nice to see that our program keeps having lasting effects even after you graduate.”
Descarreaux shared that the victory was a testament to the team’s ability to work together and that team spirit was high as they approached playoffs.
Despite a valiant effort, the Redbirds lost to UOttawa, falling short with a final score of 24-12.
With Martlets Soccer and Redbirds Rugby advancing to the RSEQ semifinals, and Redbirds Soccer heading to the RSEQ finals and U SPORTS national championships, McGill Athletics can take pride in the program’s impressive recent performance. This success highlights the dedication and talent of the athletes and sets a promising tone for the future.
