This Saturday’s Vanier Cup match will be a battle between two splendid teams. The game takes place at Ivor Wynne stadium in Hamilton between the University of Laval Rouge et Or and the Saskatchewan Huskies. The two teams have just 3 losses between them for this entire Canadian Interuniversity Sports (CIS) football season, with Laval going 10-1 and the Huskies going 9-2.
Laval, who are defending champions, were in the same place at this time last year. They became Uteck Bowl champions after beating Laurier last Saturday. Their only loss this year came at the hands of Montreal, and it was a close 14-13 regular season contest. They, however, proved that they are the elite team in Quebec when they defeated the same Montreal team to win the Quebec University Football League’s (QUFL) Dunsmore Cup by a score of 30-12.
Laval will be led by William Leclerc, who was ranked eighteenth in passing this year in CIS football. They also have one of the best punters in the league in Jerunimo Flores, who averages about 38 yards per punt. Laval also has a good offence, but a far more powerful defence, which was ranked first in the country.
The Huskies are no weak opponents, however, and will give the Rouge et Or a run for their money. They are ranked third in the country with 480 yards of total offence per game, six spots ahead of their Laval counterparts. In addition to this they have the best quarterback in the country in Steve Bilan, who will be at the helm of the Huskies offense on Saturday.
The Huskies beat last year’s finalists, St Mary’s, to capture the Mitchell Bowl and advance to the Vanier Cup. Before that they last saw action in the Vanier cup in 2002, where they lost to the same St. Mary’s squad.
The two games the Huskies lost this year were against Alberta; however, like Laval, they made up for the losses by defeating them in the playoffs, where games count the most.
Laval has had two previous appearances in the Vanier cup- in 1999 and 2002-and so far they are undefeated in the big game. On the other hand, the Huskies have a lot more experience and wins in the Vanier Cup, with six total appearances and 3 championship victories.
The game should be an exciting one, with one of Canada’s best offensive units, Saskatchewan, playing one of the country’s best defenses, Laval.
Saturday also marks the first time the Vanier Cup game is being hosted out of Toronto. The event has always been held in one of a variety of locations around the city, such as Varsity Arena, Exhibition Stadium, and Skydome.
Hamilton should expect a superb game; both these teams will fight to the end for rights to be Canadian university football champions.
