Redmen Hockey: B
The Redmen ended their season on a disappointing note with a loss in the rubber match of the OUA quarterfinals to Nipissing. However, this was a rebuilding year, after last year’s national championship squad lost numerous key members upon graduation. This year’s team only loses three players—goalie Hubert Morin, captain Patrick Belzile, and right-wing Marc-Andre Daneau—and is primed to bounce back strong.
Injuries were unfortunately the story this past season. By the final few games, defencemen were forced to play on the forward lines, as skaters were spending more time on the trainer’s table than on the ice. Ryan McKiernan was a bright spot for the team, finishing with 21 points from the blueline en route to Second Team OUA honours. Patrick Delisle-Houde, a freshman winger, led the team in points and was instrumental in the team’s attacking success; he parlayed this to a spot on the OUA All-Rookie team. The future looks bright for the Redmen, and they look primed to taste CIS glory sooner rather than later.
MVP: Ryan Mckiernan
Athlete to Watch: Patrick Delisle-Houde
Martlet Hockey: A-
After a remarkable RSEQ regular season in which the Martlet hockey team went undefeated, there was a lot of excitement surrounding this group as they headed into the playoffs. Unfortunately, McGill was unable to sustain their dominance against the Montreal Carabins in theiRSEQ finals. Losing on home ice in dramatic fashion, the Martlets did not qualify for the CIS Nationals, an extremely disappointing result.
However, despite the season’s unexpected ending, it would be unfair to discount all of their success from the entire year. In particular, the trio of Melodie Daoust, Leslie Olse, and Katia Clement-Heydra combined for 102 goals and 227 points, capping off three outstanding campaigns, all of which merit MVP status. Gabrielle Davidson from notched 27 goals and 15 assists in her rookie season with the Martlets, and it is clear that she will be an important piece of the puzzle going forward for McGill. With their core players still on the roster next season, this year’s devastating loss to the Carabins will undoubtedly motivate the Martlets.
MVP: Mélodie Daoust
Athlete to Watch: Gabrielle Davidson
Martlet Basketball: A-
In a year that saw the Martlets graze the championship round at the CIS Final 8, the basketball team stood out for their impressive effort on the court, and their united locker room environment.
The Martlets had an outstanding season, with an overall record of 21-12, and finished atop the RSEQ. The year’s highlights included a 29-point scoring explosion by freshman Mariam Sylla against Laval on Jan. 12, and a 72-31 pounding of Bishop’s University on Feb. 16. Sylla also received the CIS Rookie of the Year award, due to her impressive scoring efforts and unmatched rebounding presence during the season.
The team qualified for the CIS Final 8, where they lost to eventual finalist Regina in the quarterfinals, after leading 39-33 late in the third quarter. The Martlets would go on to trounce Fraser Valley and Ottawa in the consolation games to finish in fifth place overall.
Moving forward, the Martlets have a great mix of experienced and younger players. While graduating veteran Anneth Him-Lazarenko will be sorely missed, the team has an extremely promising future. Look for the 2013-2014 season to be a good one.
MVP: Anneth Him-Lazrenko
Athlete to Watch: Miriam Sylla
McGill Swimming: B
The Redmen and Martlet swimming teams brought back a strong core for the 2012-2013 season, and the results showed. The teams finished third and second, respectively, at the RSEQ championships, before sending 19 athletes to the CIS National Championship in Calgary. There, both teams claimed eighth place.
A number of impressive individual performances supplemented the teams’ success. Fifth-year veteran Steven Bielby—whose graduation will be an enormous loss to the program—led the Redmen throughout the year. He won two gold medals at Nationals in the 200m and 400m individual medleys, while Marc-Andre Benoit, Pierre-Alexandre Renaud, and Erik Cheng round out a strong group of returnees.
On the women’s side, the Martlets compiled another successful season on the back of breakout rookie star Katie Caldwell. The 18-year-old was named RSEQ Rookie of the Year and RSEQ Athlete of the Year in one of the most impressive debut seasons in recent McGill swimming memory. Aside from Caldwell, other notable Martlet seasons came from Jennifer Darling, Rebecca Cheverton, and Taryne Landry.
While the team loses an irreplaceable swimmer in Bielby, the other Redmen should pick up the slack, while the Martlets, led by Caldwell, should challenge for an RSEQ title next season.
MVP: Steven Bielby & Katie Caldwell
Athlete to Watch: Pierre-Alexandre Renaud & Taryne Landry
McGill Track & Field: B
Although the McGill Track & Field team may not have finished the season as well as they would have liked at Nationals, the 2012-2013 year was still a success by any standard. The Martlets claimed their first RSEQ title in six years, while the Redmen finished third in the division. However, both teams had a number of individual results which highlighted the season.
Toronto native Alana Battison kicked off the year with a strong effort at Tomlinson Fieldhouse. Her gold medal finish marked the beginning of a career year, as she would go on to claim two more golds, three silvers, and a bronze. Battison finished the season at Nationals with a team-high fifth-place, recording a personal-best of 3558 points.
The Martlet team had other notable podium finishes as well, with team captain Sarah McCuaig winning two golds, freshman Caroline Tanguay with one gold, and a relay team that finished atop the podium twice.
On the Redmen side, the relay team, comprised of Vincent Parent-Pichette, Benjamin Raymond, Nathan Goldstein, and Michael Abramson, was also impressive, winning gold at the RSEQ championships. They finished sixth overall at Nationals.
The graduation of both Battison and long-distance runner McCuaig will be a tough pill to swallow, but the team has a solid core of top-athletes for next year.
MVP: Alana Battison
Athlete to Watch: Vincent Parent-Pichette
Redmen Basketball: A
Before this season, the last time the Redmen qualified for the CIS National Championship tournament was before any member of the current squad was born. The young but growing team under third year head coach David DeAveiro was locked in a see-saw battle with the Bishop’s Gaiters atop the RSEQ standings all season. When all was said and done, the Redmen won their first regular season crown in 12 years. They parlayed the home-court advantage into their first RSEQ title since 1986, and a ticket to Ottawa for Nationals. After a loss to the third ranked Ottawa Gee-Gees, McGill took down Cape Breton and Victoria for a fifth-place national finish. Seniors Winn Clark and Aleksandar Mitrovic graduate, but the new generation led by Adrian Hynes-Guery and Vincent Dufort will set out to solidify McGill’s place at the national table for years to come.
MVP: Adrian Hynes-Guery
Athlete to Watch: Vincent Dufort
Martlet Volleyball: C+
After an incredible 2011-2012 season, in which the Martlets came out of nowhere to shock the nation and claim third place at Nationals, the team was looking to ride their momentum to more success this season. Unfortunately, a number of injuries and a lack of team chemistry prevented them from repeating such a performance.
The Martlets finished a disappointing 8-12 in RSEQ play, and failed to make the conference playoffs.
Despite the disappointing team result, the Martlets featured a number of breakout stars. First-year power hitter Ashley Norfleet was named to the CIS All Rookie team after an extremely impressive debut season. She should continue developing and hold a spot in the lineup for years to come.
Captain Genevieve Plante compiled another impressive season, and will be relied upon even more next season to lead this young Martlets sqaud.
The most notable departure is Marcela Mansure, who has served as the team’s setter for the past five seasons. Finding a replacement will be key next season, if the Martlets plan to return to national prominence.
MVP: Genevieve Plante
Athlete to watch: Ashley Norfleet
