McGill battles 60-year jinx, haven't won since '46 Mar 10, 06 Ice Hockey (M)

By RANDY PHILLIPS, The Gazette

McGill battles 60-year jinx in Queen's cup; Haven't won crown since '45-46 season

RANDY PHILLIPS
(reprinted from The Gazette)

McGill head coach Martin Raymond spoke at an alumni luncheon not long ago, where he was asked what it would take for the Redmen to win a 14th Queen's Cup.

McGill has been stalled at 13 - the number of times the university has won the trophy emblematic of OUA men's hockey supremacy - since its last win in 1945-46. McGill, the oldest university hockey program in the country, also won the inaugural Queen's Cup in 1902-03.

"I don't think I'll ever forget being asked that question because of the historical aspect," Raymond said. "Obviously, there is a lot of importance attached to it."

No. 2-ranked McGill faces the No. 5 Lakehead Thunderwolves in Thunder Bay tomorrow night at 7:30 in a battle between Eastern and Western Conference winners for overall bragging rights in the OUA this season.

Both teams already are in the CIS national championship tournament in Edmonton, March
23-26. The OUA championship hasn't always been taken seriously by some teams in the past, but it isn't the case for either team this year.

The T-Wolves, in only their fifth season in CIS hockey, have an opportunity to prove how good they really are after stunning playoff wins over Western Ontario and Wilfrid Laurier. Lakehead finished 15 points behind first-place Western in the OUA Far West.

It also will be an emotional night for Lakehead captain Joel Scherban, a Thunder Bay native who is the team's all-time leading scorer. In his fifth and final season of college eligibility, last year's CIS player of the year was diagnosed with diabetes this season, and despite losing 30 pounds, led the team in scoring with 13 goals and 14 assists.

For the Redmen, who are headed to the nationals for the first time in history, winning the Queen's Cup not only would move them closer to the record 41 piled up by the Toronto Varsity Blues, but more significantly, it probably would be worth a favourable seeding heading into the six-team national championship at the University of Alberta.

"The opportunity for us to get a higher seeding going into the nationals is important," said Raymond. "(The nationals) is a first-time event for us, and being in a particular pool, as well as scheduling when you're going to play, are important."

At the women's hockey nationals in Antigonish, N.S., the fourth-ranked McGill Martlets will play their first game against No. 8 Dalhousie at 4 p.m. today. Dalhousie lost 4-2 to Wilfrid Laurier as the six-team tournament got under way yesterday at St. Francis Xavier University.

McGill will play Laurier in group action tomorrow at 4 p.m.

The Martlets are making their seventh appearance at the nationals and have yet to win the tournament, but have come away with a silver medal and three bronzes.

"I think this championship is wide-open," Martlets head coach Peter Smith said. "The team that is best prepared for every game, plays well on special teams and takes care of the little things should be successful."

rphillips@thegazette.canwest.com

© The Gazette (Montreal) 2006