Weekend of Champions - Day 1

The championship weekend got underway Saturday as the Universite de Laval Rouge et Or took to the field at Ivor Wynn Stadium in Hamilton against the University of Western Mustangs in the 2008 Vanier Cup. The first quarter of the game was rather uneventful, at least on the scoreboard, as it ended with a 3-0 Laval lead. The second quarter was much more lively as Laval increased their lead to 20-0 with a two yard TD run and a lengthy punt return for a TD before Western got on the board with a field goal...check that, a penalty by Laval gave Western a second chance and they turned the field gal into a TD. The scoring of the first half ended with an 82-yard pass completion by Laval to make the lead 27-7. Both teams exchanged converted TD's to start the third quarter; 37-14 Laval. They traded another 7 points before Laval put the game away with a field goal to make it a 44-14 final.

Laval earned a spot in the national final by routing the Dinos from the University of Calgary while Western had it a bit tougher in the Mitchel Bowl winning by a mere 16 points, 28-12 against the Saint Mary's Huskies.

While the CIS football championship was being fought out the final game of the 2008 World Sledge Hockey Challenge was being played in Charlottetown, PEI. Canada finished first in the round robin took on the second team in the round robin in Norway. Canada jumped out to an early 1-0 lead as Bradley Bowden scored just 23 seconds into the game. Todd Nicholson of Canada scored the second and last goal of the first almost ten hard fought minutes later. The second period was over two thirds finished before Canada took a 3-0 lead on a goal by Marc Dorion. A late goal by Greg Westlake gave Canada a 4-0 lead going into the second intermission. Norway's Rolf Pedersen laid a hard hit on Canada's Danny Verner at the end of the second that got Canada riled up some.

As a result of the hit at the end of the second, Canada started the third with a 5-minute power play (hit to the head penalty) and Norway lost the services of Pedersen as he was also given a game misconduct. The power play failed to score but Marc Dorion scored his second of the game at 7:29 of the period to extend the lead to five. Just over a minute later PEI's own Billy Bridges made it 6-0 then with just over two minutes left, Canada ended the scoring as Greg Westlake notched his second of the game. Canada's Paul Rosen earned the shutout in the 7-0 victory by stopping all eight shots by Norway. Raymond Grassi along with the rest of the defense had a great game in limiting the shots for Rosen.

Earlier in the day the USA defeated Japan 9-0 for the bronze medal lead by Brad Emerson (2G, 1A), player of the game Taylor Lipsett (2G) and Adam Page (1G, 2A).