Laval: 2023-24 U-Sports Canada Men's Basketball National Champions

 

The Laval Rouge et Or concluded an historical journey in historical fashion Sunday night, defeating the Queen’s Gaels 77-71 to capture its first gold medal in the program’s history in the final of the 2024 GreenShield U SPORTS Final 8 Men’s Basketball Championship, presented by Michelob Ultra Sunday night in front of an ecstatic home crowd at the Laval University PEPS in Quebec City.

Qualified as the tournament’s hosts, the Rouge et Or consecutively took care of the Victoria Vikes (first seed), the Dalhousie Tigers (fourth seed) and the Queen’s Gaels (second seed).

With the win the Rouge et Or becomes the first French-language university and only the third RSEQ team to capture the national banner.

Back to the game. Energized by a very engaged crowd of 3,200 fans, the Rouge et Or quickly set the tone to the title match with a 16-points run to transform an 8-5 deficit into a 21-8 lead. The OUA champions still haven’t said their last word. Methodically, the Gaels climbed back into contention and jumped seven points ahead with 17 minutes to go in the game.

As they typically did since the beginning of that tournament, the Rouge et Or did not throw the towel. Steeve Joseph and Ismaël Diouf, who was the player of the game, enabled the local favourites to come from behind and write their own chapter of Canadian university basketball history.

Diouf concluded the final with outstanding 26 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks and two steals in 37 minutes of play. Joseph added 24 points and six assists.

For the Gaels, the U SPORTS Defensive Player of the Year Luka Syllas (23) was the only Gaels scoring over 20 points. Playing their first national final in program history, the Gaels will return to Kingston with a silver medal.

Tournament MVP : Ismaël Diouf (Laval)

Players of the Game: Ismaël Diouf (Laval) and Cole Syllas (Queen’s)

2024 U SPORTS Men’s Basketball Final 8 All-Star Team:

Shawn Maranan (Winnipeg)

Diego Maffia (Victoria)

Malcolm Christie (Dalhousie)

Cole Syllas (Queen’s)

Ismaël Diouf (Laval)

Laval: 2022 Vanier Cup Champions

LONDON, Ont. – Kevin Mital turned into a dual threat on Saturday, as he made eight catches and threw for the decisive touchdown as the Laval Rouge et Or downed the Saskatchewan Huskies 30-24 in the 2022 Canada Life Vanier Cup before a sellout crowd of 8,420- at Western Alumni Stadium.

The second-year receiver, who won the Hec Crighton Trophy as the U SPORTS player of the year on Thursday night, captured the Ted Morris Trophy as the Vanier Cup MVP. He is only the second player ever to complete the Hec-Ted double in the same year, following Calgary’s Don Blair in 1995.

“There's no way to take this away from us. We are the Vanier Cup champions of 2022,” said Mital. “We've worked hard for this, and now we go down in the history books as being the best team in Canada this year. Everything that I said this year and set up in terms of goals, we did. It's a sweep. I said we are going to win the Dunsmore, the Mitchell and the Vanier Cup, and that's what we’ve done.” 

Mital’s 142 receiving yards led all players, but it will be his turn as a passer that may be most remembered. With Laval holding a 20-17 lead early in the fourth quarter, Mital took a direct snap and connected with Daniel Dallaire on a jump pass to break the game open.

“He's very proud,” said Glen Constantin, the Laval head coach. “He'll back up what he says and forces everyone on the team to do it too. He's just a really good football player and competitor. When he came back from Syracuse, he told me two things – ‘I want #8 and to win the championship.’ He breathes confidence, and it transcribes onto our team. He’s a generational talent for us, probably the best receiver we’ve ever had.” 

The win is the 11th for Laval, extending their national record but their first since 2018.

“It doesn't get old for the simple reason that it's a different group, different story, different challenge and a different road,” said Constantin after the win, his 10th as head coach. “Every cup has its own stories.”

Laval kicker Vincent Blanchard played a large role in getting the Rouge et Or to that point, as he kicked for five field goals – tying the Vanier Cup record – and connected on a 49-yarder on the stroke of halftime that tied the game at 17. His 49-yard boot was the second-longest in Vanier Cup history, behind only a 50-yarder kicked in 1995. Blanchard added two conversions and an 85-yard kickoff single to finish with 18 points, the second-highest by a kicker in a Vanier Cup.

Laval quarterback Arnaud Desjardins completed 27 of his 36 pass attempts for 397 yards – the fourth-highest total in Vanier Cup history. Desjardins’ favourite targets were Mital and Antoine Dansereau-Leclerc, who had eight catches for 119 yards.

“He's a cool customer,” said Constantin of his quarterback. “He's a young quarterback, only in his second year. His future is bright. He's got this calmness, and he is a cool customer under pressure.” 

For Saskatchewan, Mason Nyhus had an outstanding performance in his final U SPORTS game, completing 34 of 43 passes for 344 yards and three touchdowns. Caleb Morin led the Huskies receivers with seven carries for 97 yards.

While the Huskies offence appeared to be rolling after a first half that saw them put up 281 total yards, they stalled in the third quarter.

“The third quarter, we didn't do enough,” said Huskies head coach Scott Flory. “We started to get traction late, and this will be a point of emphasis for sure in our post-season analysis. The third quarter wasn’t one of our best.”

The Huskies offence responded in the fourth quarter, driving 86 yards in seven plays following Mital’s touchdown pass. However, on first and goal from the Laval 6, Nyhus’ pass into the end-zone was intercepted by Félix Petit, elating the Rouge et Or bench as he handed possession back over to the Quebec side.

“[That was] huge,” said Constantin on the play. “It's better to be lucky than good. We had our fair share of luck. We had a couple of tipped balls and made great plays, so that stop in the end zone was huge. [It was] one of the critical stops we needed to make. It was huge for us.”

The Huskies were able to put a scoring drive together later in the fourth, but they could not complete the comeback.

“We marched the field, had a turnover, and then marched it again,” said Flory on his team's determination. “We competed, and it was a tough game. There's a finality [to sports], there is someone who wins and loses. Unfortunately, we are on the other end of it, and it’s not easy.” 

The Huskies, who led Canada West from wire to wire and won their second straight bowl game, finish the season with an 11-2 overall record (7-1 CW).

“These games always come down to a handful of plays,” said Flory on the loss. “Credit to Laval, they made those plays. Their quarterback played a great game. They did some really good things. But you look at our side, and I think that Mason was phenomenal out there. He’s an elite-calibre player and leader, and he showed that here today. It's tough and will take time to digest. I'm really proud of our guys and the season and everything we had to overcome.”

Charles-Alexandre Jacques took home the Bruce Coulter Award as the game’s top defensive player. The second-year linebacker finished with 5.5 total tackles (one solo, nine assists.)

Everett Iverson and Daniel Wiebe had the Saskatchewan touchdowns, while Kalenga Muganda had the other Laval major.

Laval Rouge et Or: 2018 Vanier Cup Champions

QUEBEC — Quarterback Hugo Richard said "preparation and intensity" made the difference on Saturday as the fifth-year pivot led the Laval Rouge et Or to their record tenth title, beating the Western Mustangs 34-20 in the 54th Vanier Cup.

That preparation showed early as Laval scored its first of four touchdowns one minute into the game, with Richard hitting receiver Vincent Forbes-Mombleau on 46-yard throw in the end zone.

Richard said he didn’t expect to score a TD on his second throw of the game, but the Rouge et Or were ready from kickoff.

"We’ve been training hard all year and been waiting for this moment," he said.

Richard thrilled the 12,380 hometown fans at Telus stadium in Quebec City by completing 23-of-31 pass attempts for 348 yards and two touchdowns. The fifth-year QB also ran for 60 yards and a score.

Laval extracted a measure of revenge after its 39-17 loss to the Mustangs in last year’s Vanier Cup played in Hamilton. Western is second to Laval with seven national football championships in 14 appearances. Both teams went into the match undefeated during the season. The No. 1-ranked Mustangs were riding a 23-game winning streak. Laval still holds the consecutive win record at 25 (2012-14).

Laval head coach Glen Constantin said his team was "humbled" by the Mustangs last year.

"It’s been 12 months we’ve been waiting for this. The kids made a vow we’d be back," he said, crediting Richard and star defensive end Mathieu Betts for their leadership.

"Quarterbacks get in trouble when they try to do too much. (Richard) stayed within his scheme, he executed very well. He was sharp, he was clean. He had an outstanding game."

Richard said his next goal is to graduate, but was coy about his future. He was named game MVP, as he was in 2016 when Laval won its last Vanier Cup.

Betts, who has been scouted by the National Football League, could be destined to play pro football next year.

The loss was a little more painful than expected for Mustangs head coach Greg Marshall. As the clock ticked down the final seconds, he took a hit to the leg when a tackled player plunged to the sidelines.

"Maybe I deserved it," he joked. "I’m proud of my team. I’m disappointed, obviously."

Western QB Chris Merchant also got off to good start with a 26-yard completion to Cole Majoros, but was intercepted by Laval’s Maxym Lavallee with a 31-yard return. Laval’s David Cote notched a field goal on the subsequent drive. The Rouge et Or led 10-0 after the first quarter.

Marshall cited the pick as one of the turning points in the match.

"That’s sport. It was a play here, a play there. That changes the outcome of the game. I’m just happy we get to come here and compete," he said.

Merchant completed 26-of-46 passes for 358 yards and one touchdown, but was intercepted three times.

The second quarter started with Western encroaching on the Laval zone on a 10-yard run by Cedric Joseph. Two completions by Merchant put the Mustangs on the goal line and Joseph strolled into the end zone untouched.

Richard threw a 27-yard pass to Jonathan Breton to gain position on the next drive, then hit Benoit Gagnon-Brousseau with a 22-yard for a score to go up 17-7. Western took over deep in its own zone, gambling on third and inches to prolong the drive before kicker Marc Liegghio then nailed a 36-yard field goal.

Liegghio kicked an 18-yard field goal with one second remaining in the first half, to leave the score 17-13.

Marshall said he felt his team would be able to stage a strong comeback going into locker-room, but the Rouge et Or played stingy defence to start the third and shut out Western’s offence until 10-minute mark of the fourth.

"(They) pinned us in and we started our drive at 15 yards after the kickoff. Credit to them. They did a good job," he said.

Merchant has one more year of eligibility and may get another shot at a second Vanier Cup. He said he was disappointed with his performance.

"I threw too many interceptions, gave the ball to them too many times. It’s a tough loss for us. We’re going to go regroup as a team and come back next year."

Western actually gained more total yardage than Laval (503 to 471) but the Rouge et Or defence was able to snuff out threatening attacks from the visitors.

This was the third time Laval and Western have met in the Vanier Cup. The Rouge et Or won the first matchup in 2008.

Laval Rouge-Et-Or: 2016 Vanier Cup Champions

HAMILTON (U Sports) – The No. 1 Laval Rouge et Or won their ninth national championship and third in the last five years Saturday, with a 31-26 victory over the No. 6 Calgary Dinos in the 52nd ArcelorMittal Dofasco Vanier Cup at Tim Hortons Field.

Laval’s quarterback Hugo Richard (Longueuil, Que.) won the Ted Morris Memorial Trophy as the game’s MVP, tossing two touchdowns and rushing for another on the ground. He completed 25 of 32 attempts, recording 339 yards in the air and another 62 yards on the ground.

“The kid is kind of guilty of having a great freshman season,” Laval head coach Glen Constantin. “The expectations are very high on him and people are hard on him. And you know what, he’s started more games after three years than most quarterbacks do in five years. I’m very very proud of him. He’s resilient, a better leader and the future is great.”

Richard, Vincent Alarie-Tardi (Chibougamau, Que.), Antony Auclair (Notre-Dame-des-Pins, Que.) and Marc-Antoine Pivin (Sherbrooke, Que.) all scored in Laval’s first Vanier Cup win since 2013.

For Calgary, Adam Sinagra (Pointe-Claire, Que.) tossed 276 yards and one touchdown in relief of injured starter Jimmy Underdahl. Prior to his first quarter injury, Underdahl was three of four, throwing one touchdown and 123 yards.

Dinos running back Jeshrun Antwi (Calgary) rushed for 177 yards, while Anthony Anderson (Medicine Hat, Alta.) scored one touchdown on the ground in the loss for the Calgary.

Cédric Lussier-Roy of Sherbrooke, Que. won the Bruce Coulter Award as defensive MVP. Lussier-Roy forced a critical turnover in the third quarter which resulted in a Rouge et Or touchdown and shifted the game’s momentum to Laval. Lussier-Roy finished with seven total tackles, a forced fumble and one sack.

Calgary came out rolling in their 10th appearance at the Vanier Cup, securing a 14-point lead in the opening five minutes of the game by scoring on their first two possessions.

Underdahl, the fifth-year senior who started the game, connected with Michael Klukas (Calgary, Alta.,) for an 86-yard touchdown strike on Calgary’s first play from scrimmage. Following a Rouge et Or punt, Dinos receiver Anderson capped a six-play, 85-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run followed by a Niko DiFonte (Winnipeg, Man.) rouge seconds later on the ensuing kick to set the score at 14-0.

Underdahl was injured on a Rouge et Or sack by Vincent Desjardins of Quebec, which saw his understudy Sinagra relieve him for the remainder of the game.

The Rouge et Or got on the board on a quick-strike play with 5:34 remaining in the opening quarter, with Richard hitting Pivin on a 37-yard toss to bring the score to 14-7.

In the second quarter, the two teams traded field goals, with Calgary’s DiFonte knocking a 43-yard field goal and Laval’s Dominic Levesque (Saint-Georges, Que.) notching a 38-yard kick to set the score at 17-10 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Calgary added to their lead with DiFonte hitting his second of four field goals to extend the score to 20-10.

At that point, with Calgary looking poised to take control of the game, Lussier-Roy came up with the game-changing sack on Sinagra, who dropped the ball. Lussier-Roy recovered the fumble, and that turnover resulted in a Rouge et Or touchdown, with Richard finding Auclair on a five-yard pass two plays later to bring the Rouge et Or within three points at 20-17.

“I don’t know if we win the game without it – it’s that important,” said Laval first-team All-Canadian Mathieu Betts of the critical play. “He deserves it…It could have happened to anybody. I think we all worked really hard but it came down to Cédric. He was there to make the football play and I’m just so proud of him.”

From there, the game see-sawed back and forth, with Laval taking their first lead of the game when Alaire-Tardif punched in a three-yard rush with 21 seconds left in the third quarter.

In the fourth, DiFonte notched back-to-back field goals, giving Calgary the slender 26-24 edge, and setting up a dramatic final few minutes.

Laval went up 31-26 with just 2:33 remaining in the game on a one-yard Richard run.

“That was a designed play,” said Richard. “It’s a play we run a lot on our goal-line offence. It’s a standar QB-power (player) and we love it. A lot of teams have trouble stopping it and it’s our go-to play – we need to score (on it).”

Calgary had two shots to get in the endzone in the remaining minutes, with one of the final drives coming when Laval turned the ball over on downs with 1:27 remaining on a third-and-inches play. Calgary would drive down the field to Laval’s 23-yard line, but failed to convert on third and 10, handing the Laval Rouge et Or their ninth Vanier Cup title.

The game featured 10 quarterback sacks, with Calgary tallying seven and Laval three. Michah Teitz and Boston Rowe, both of Calgary, were the Dinos top defensive players, recording 12 total tackles. Nic Statz of Calgary had two of the Dinos seven sacks.

“We know Laval’s a good team, we didn’t expect anything but a tough game today.” said Calgary head coach Wayne Harris Jr. “I don’t know if people expected a tough game out of us but we tried to provide one.”

NOTES: This was Laval’s 10th Vanier Cup appearance since 1999 … Laval is 3-0 against Calgary in Vanier Cup games and 5-0 all time on the national stage ...  Laval also has perfect 3-0 record in Vanier Cups played in Hamilton; Laval earned wins in 2008 vs. Western and 2004 vs. Saskatchewan; both were played at Ivor Wynne Stadium.

SCORING SUMMARY

Online Stats: STATS

LAV 7-3-14-7: 31

CGY 14-3-3-6: 26



First Quarter

CGY - Michael Klukas 86 yard pass from Jimmy Underdahl (Niko Difonte convert failed), 00:30 (6-0 CGY)

CGY - Anthony Anderson 3 yard run (Niko Difonte convert), 04:18 (13-0 CGY)

CGY - Niko Difonte 0 rouge 4:21 (14-0 CGY)

LAV -  Marc-Antonie Pivin 37 yard pass from Hugo Richard (Dominic Levesque convert) 9:26 (14-7 CGY)



Second Quarter

CGY - Niko Difonte 43 yard field goal, 2:56 (17-7 CGY)

LAV - Dominic Levesque 38 yard field goal, 5:18 (17-10 CGY)



Third Quarter

CGY - Niko Difonte 31 yard field goal 4:40 (20-10 CGY)

LAV - Anthony Auclair 5 yard pass from Hugo Richard (Dominic Levesque convert) 6:46 (20-17, CGY)

LAV - Vincent Alarie-Tardif 3 yard run (Dominic Levesque convert) 0:21 (24-20, LAV)



Fourth Quarter

CGY - Niko Difonte 31 yard field goal 11:55 (24-23, LAV)

CGY - Niko Difonte 29 yard field goal 8:12 (26-24, CGY)

LAV - Hugo Richard 1 yard run (Dominic Levesque convert) 2:33 (31-26, LAV)



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Laval Rouge et Or: 2013 Vanier Cup Champions

The Laval Rouge et Or football machine keeps rumbling along like an unstoppable tank.

Pascal Lochard led a running game that piled up 449 net rushing yards as the Rouge et Or wore down the young Calgary Dinos for a 25-14 victory in the Vanier Cup game on Saturday afternoon.

It was Laval's second Canadian Interuniversity Sport championship in a row, their third in four years and their record eighth overall in only 17 years since its well-financed football program started.

"It's incredible to go back to back and win it here in front of our fans," said Laval quarterback Alex Skinner, who got nowhere trying to throw the ball against a tough Calgary defensive secondary and just ran it on nearly every play in the second half.

Among Laval's trio of running backs, the 2012 Vanier Cup MVP Maxime Boutin got 190 yards, Lochard had 198 and Guillaume Bourassa had 30, while graduating receiver Guillaume Rioux had a 31-yard run.

The team set Vanier Cup records for rushing yards — breaking their own mark of 373 set last year — and rushing first downs with 26.

Lochard had Laval's only touchdown in the fourth quarter. Boris Bede, despite struggling with his kicking all afternoon, managed to tie a Vanier Cup record with five field goals.

Big crowd

The win on a chilly, windy day in front of a raucous, overflow crowd of 18,543 at 12,000-seat Telus Stadium kept Laval undefeated at 12-0 this season. Calgary fell to 11-1.

Jake Harty and Chris Dopko scored touchdowns for the Dinos, who were looking to avenge a 29-2 loss at Laval in the 2010 Vanier Cup game.

Calgary has not won a Vanier Cup since 1995 and was not expected to reach the title game this year after losing 19 starters, including 11 on defence, from last year's squad.

But they found a way to stay in the game and took over momentum in the third quarter when quarterback Andrew Buckley got the passing game going for a pair of TDs and a brief 14-12 lead. But Laval's running game took over the rest of the way, eating up the clock with long drives.

"For a while, things were going good, but there was no way we were able to compete on the line of scrimmage," said Dinos coach Blake Nill. "To be honest, we made two big plays.

"We had a screen play to (Mercer) Timmis and a long pass to (Rashaun) Simonise, and we were able to put the ball in the end zone twice. But at the end, we just couldn't stop the run. We tried putting bigger people in and to make adjustments, but we just flat out couldn't stop them."

Buckley went 19-for-29 for 247 yards and also rushed for 82 yards, but there was little else to the Calgary attack besides Harty's nine catches for 112 yards. Laval's top-ranked rush defence held Timmis to 33 yards on 12 carries.

The Rouge et Or dominated territorially, but ran into a bend-but-don't-break Calgary defence that kept the visitors in the game until the final quarter. Skinner was 8-for-21 for only 93 yards.

The Dinos got through the first half down only 6-0 thanks partly to some bad Laval penalties and place kicking. A 42-yard TD run by Maxime Boutin and an 80-yard punt return by Guillaume Rioux were called back for holding.

"We let them in the game," said Laval coach Glen Constantin, who got a seventh Vanier Cup title to go with one loss — an overtime setback to McMaster in 2011 in Vancouver. "We had our opportunities in the first quarter.

"There were 14 points called back and we knew that if those guys kept close we'd be in difficulty. But our kids showed a lot of grit. They just took over. They're proud guys."

The Rouge et Or moved to the Calgary 23 on the opening drive, but Bede missed right on a 30-yard field goal attempt and settled for a single. A 37-yard attempt with the wind to open the second quarter hit an upright and fell for no points.

Bede finally made one from 40 yards midway through the second quarter, but Constantin took the points off the board due to a roughing the kicker call. Three plays later, Bede was good again from 19 yards.

The Dinos conceded a safety with 2:18 left in the half.

Lochard, the game MVP, carried on seven consecutive plays to the Calgary three to open the second half and Bede was good from 10 yards.

The Dinos bounced back, as Buckley hit Simonise with a 42-yard pass to help set up Harty's six-yard TD run around the right side at 7:59 to cut Laval's lead to two points.

Laval blocked a punt to set up a 16-yard Bede boot, but the Dinos marched back on a 39-yard screen pass to Timmis to set up Buckley's six-yard TD toss to Dopko. Laval answered with Bede's fourth field goal of the day.

Skinner kept the ball on the ground all the way as Laval marched 89 yards on seven plays for Lochard's eight-yard TD run at 9:12.

Constantin did not look pleased as his players doused him in Gatorade with time still on the clock, but another drive that ended with Bede's fifth field goal of the game from 12 yards clinched it in the final minute.

Despite the loss, Nill saw the Vanier Cup as prime experience for a young team.

"That's the nature of the beast — we're not mature enough yet to compete here when it counts," he sad. "This will be a huge experience for them.

"But like I told the kids: that's the fifth time I've ended up No. 2 and I can't deal with that. If you want to be No. 1, you've got to beat these guys (Laval). We were doing it on their home turf and I thought our guys did very well."

2011 Coupe Vanier Cup

 

Mac marauders their way to the Vanier Cup

sacked. Laval University Rouge et Or quarterback Bruno Prud'homme, bottom, is sacked by McMaster University Marauders' MacKenzie Dent, right, and Scott Caterine during the first half of play at the Vanier Cup in Vancouver, B.C. Friday.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press Source: The Canadian Press

Drew Edwards

November 28, 2011

VANCOUVER In the moments after his team’s spectacular 41-38 overtime win in Friday night’s Vanier Cup, McMaster coach Stefan Ptaszek stood alone on the B.C. Place field, watching his players celebrate the school’s first football championship from a distance.

“They’re a special group. It’s been a privilege to be a part of this program this year and it’s something we’ll remember for the rest of our lives,” Ptaszek said. “It’s never been about me — it’s all about them and I’m just enjoying the view.”

The Marauders were led by quarterback Kyle Quinlan, who turned David’s slingshot into a machine gun. Quinlan’s spectacular day — 482 yards on 36 of 55 passing, two touchdowns and another 106 yards rushing — was simply too much for the heavily-favoured Rouge et Or.

”We might not have as much talent as those guys,” Quinlan said. “But you can do some crazy things when you play with everything you’ve got.”

Mac stormed out to an improbable 23-0 halftime lead courtesy of two Tyler Crapigna field goals, a three-yard pass from Quinlan to James Hill and a 13-yard run from Chris Pezzetta.

But Laval came back in the second half. First Guillaume Riouz returned a punt 62 yards to the house, followed by Fred Plesius intercepting a Quinlan pass and taking it in for a score as well.

Less than five minutes had passed in the third and Mac’s lead was cut to 23-14.

“We could feel the momentum turning over and we had one choice, to battle back and we did it every single time,” Quinlan said.

After another Laval field goal cut the lead to six, Quinlan threw a second interception at the Laval goal-line. And the Rouge et Or made them pay, putting together an eight-play, 107-yard drive that finished with a 44-yard Sebastien Levesque touchdown run. Just like that, Laval led 24-23.

Ptaszek said there was no panic on the sideline once the lead was gone, though he did take a couple of his offensive players aside.

“I said to them: ‘If I told you in August that we were going to be down by one in the fourth quarter of the national championship and you’re the best offence in the country, would you have taken it?’” Ptaszek said. “They grinned from ear-to-ear and said ‘absolutely.’”

Back came Mac. Quinlan led his team 69 yards in seven plays, with Matt Peressini fighting his way to the end zone from nine yards out, then hauling in a toss for the two-point covert. With just under six minutes to play Mac led 31-24.

Again, Laval responded, Bruno Prud’homme converting a second-and-15 before finishing with a five-yard strike that tied the game at 31.

Quinlan put together another perfect drive, starting on his own seven with 2:08 to go, and moving McMaster to the Laval 22 with three seconds to go.

But Crapigna missed from 30 yards and Laval ran the ball out of the end zone.

“I just had to get it out my head,” Crapigna said about the miss.

“I had a feeling I was going to be used in the overtime. I wanted another shot.”

Mac had the ball to start the extra session — by rule they started from the Laval 35 — and on just the second play from scrimmage, Quinlan hit Bradley Fochesato for a 26-yard touchdown, forcing the Rouge et Or to score a major or go home.

And so they did. Prud’homme heaved a 33-yard score to Adam Thibault, who juggled but hung on and the game was tied again, this time at 38.

Laval was up next but Steven Vantresca intercepted Laval quarterback Bruno Prud’homme’s pass and set off for the end zone. If he scores, Mac wins. Several laterals ensued but Laval stopped the Marauders short.

Mac ball, Laval 35. Needing only a field goal to win it, McMaster moved the ball to the Laval 15 and gave Crapigna his shot at redemption. This time he made no mistake. McMaster 41 Laval 38.

Quinlan’s passing yardage was the second highest in Vanier Cup history and it capped a roller-coaster year for the 22-year-old who was charged with two counts of assaulting an officer and one count of assault in September.

“The one major thing I learned this year — that I can apply to football — is just to persevere,” Quinlan said.

“I think the entire team did that.”

Ptaszek said the team overcame a number of obstacles both on and off the field to win the title.

“As a coach and as an organization, we strive for these young men to reach their full potential on and off the field,” Ptaszek said. “This is as close as you can get to that unattainable goal.”

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