MontrealAlouettes.com
MONTREAL – This Saturday, two longtime rivals squared off a few hundred kilometers from the metropolis as the Université de Montréal’s Carabins and the Université Laval’s Rouge et Or went go toe-to-toe in pursuit of the highly regarded Dunsmore Cup at the Stade TELUS in Quebec City.
Affectionately known as “les Bleus” to their fanbase, Université de Montréal defeated le Rouge et Or in resounding fashion, disposing of their bitter cross-island foes in what can only be described as an ending for the ages. Deadlocked 9 to 9 after a full 60 minutes of play, tension between the clubs reached a boiling point in overtime with many players experiencing the adrenaline-fueled fire of Canadian university football for the first time. Rookie Louis-Philippe Simoneau fired a perfect strike between the uprights in the extra session to seal the victory for les Bleus.
“There are no words. Four years of hard work, of relentlessness, of training – it all came down to this. I don’t think I can find the right words to express [the feeling of winning the Dunsmore Cup],” a visibly emotional Byron Archambault declared after the Carabins’ stunning victory, snapping a streak of 11 consecutive Dunsmore Cups won by le Rouge et Or. Laval had not lost a home game dating back to September 19, 2004.
“History was made today, and we couldn’t be more proud of it,” said Carabins quarterback Gabriel Cousineau. “We’ll enjoy this moment for a day or two then get right back to work for our next big test.”
The Carabins are only one win away from the TELUS Vanier Cup Final, which will be held at McGill on November 29th.
Photo credit: Dominique Bernier
