All aboard for the Vanier Cup
Players board the bus for Toronto outside Ron Joyce Stadium on Tuesday morning. The team will be practicing at the Rogers Stadium and the Varsity Centre ahead of Friday's Vanier Cup rematch.
There was an eerie silence at the north end of Ron Joyce Stadium on Tuesday morning, as the football team settled in for their short commute to Toronto.
Three days before the Marauders will square up against the Laval Rouge et Or for a Vanier Cup rematch at the Rogers Centre, it was clear that everyone in a maroon jersey has one goal in mind: winning.
In preparation for Friday’s tilt with Laval, the team will be practicing at the University of Toronto’s Varsity Centre and also at the Rogers Centre throughout the remainder of the week. Head Coach Stefan Ptaszek spoke to the Daily News prior to last week’s Mitchell Bowl victory about staying focused under the glare of the national spotlight.
“They’ve been pressing and pushing and so mature and setting such a great example for my young kids. What you worry about when you’re trying to go back to a very special place is that you won’t roll up your sleeves and do the work. I’ve got some great leaders who have been pushing us, frankly, to keep up with them.”
Ptaszek was recently nominated for the Frank Tindall Triophy as CIS Coach of the Year, and is a top candidate to receive the award at the AMJ Campbell All-Canadian Awards Banquet on Wednesday evening. He earned the OUA’s Dave “Tuffy” Knight Coach of the Year award earlier this month, in the midst of a record-breaking winning streak that has now reached 21 straight games. Number 22 could come on Friday.
Other McMaster award nominees include QB Kyle Quinlan, who will be in the running for the Hec Crighton Trophy at Thursday’s Gibson’s Finest Player Awards. The award recognizes the most outstanding football player in the country, and only four Marauders have taken home the prize in its 45-year history (Phil Scarfone, Kojo Aidoo, Ben Chapdelaine and Jesse Lumsden).
McMaster linebacker Aram Eisho (defensive player of the year), and defensive end Ben D’Aguilar (outstanding down lineman) are also up for CIS player awards on Thursday.
Prior to kickoff on Friday night, the McMaster Alumni Association will be hosting a special pre-game event at the Regency Ballroom at the Hyatt Regency Toronto (370 King Street West). The event runs from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Registration is $5.
