WINNIPEG — Trevor Harris didn’t look too surprised — or even thrilled — after the Montreal Alouettes pulled off a huge upset with a 20-17 overtime victory over the previously unbeaten Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Thursday.
“It’s just such a CFL game,” the veteran Montreal quarterback said. “There’s always going to be things that you don’t expect and there’s always going to be maybe an upset that people think wasn’t going to happen. We’re just thankful to come out with a win.
“Obviously I know that they’re probably kicking themselves, feeling they should have won with that missed (fourth-quarter) field goal late, but we’ve been there as well, so we feel their pain.”
Montreal kicker David Cote booted a 43-yard field goal in overtime to make it 20-17, but Winnipeg counterpart Marc Liegghio couldn’t match it.
Liegghio’s 37-yard field-goal attempt hit the right upright and bounced outward in front of 31,053 stunned fans at IG Field. He also went wide on a 32-yard attempt on the last play of the fourth quarter.
The Bombers’ first loss of the season gives them a 9-1 record and stopped them from tying a team record from 1960 for starting a season with 10 straight victories.
The Alouettes bumped their record to 3-6.
After the game, Liegghio gave differing analyses of both misses.
“The one before overtime, I just didn’t give myself a chance and it didn’t look good coming off my foot,” he said. “Then the one at the end there, in overtime, I thought I hit it well. It felt good off my foot but, obviously, the outcome wasn’t what I wanted it to be and just move on.”
Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea viewed Liegghio’s game as part of the sophomore kicker’s progression.
“Better now than later, right? He’ll bounce back and be good,” said O’Shea, whose team heads into its bye week.
It was a rematch between the clubs, who played in Montreal last week. That game was tied 14-14 heading into the fourth quarter, but Winnipeg notched three straight touchdowns and won 35-20.
Following Thursday’s finish, Montreal general manager and interim head coach Danny Maciocia said he’s seen a few twists and turns in his 20-plus years in the league.
“That definitely ranks up there with one of the most wildest, craziest finishes that you’re going to come across,” he said.
“But what was good was that we happened to be on the right end of it. These are games that, I don’t know, maybe a few weeks ago we wouldn’t have won.”
Both teams were scoreless in the first quarter, then tied 7-7 at halftime and 10-10 after the third quarter.
Bombers running back Brady Oliveira broke the tie with a 19-yard touchdown run at 12:50 of the fourth quarter, capping off a 10-play, 100-yard scoring drive.
Winnipeg looked like it was marching down for another score, but Montreal defensive back Wesley Sutton hit Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros, forcing a fumble and turnover with just under eight minutes left.
The Alouettes used the change of possession to get to Winnipeg’s one-yard line. The Bombers’ defence rattled off the stops and it looked like a turnover on downs, but Winnipeg was handed an offside penalty and the visitors went back to first down.
Montreal backup quarterback Dominique Davis then pushed in for the one-yard touchdown with 2:21 remaining. Cote was good on his convert for the 17-17 tie.
Oliveira had another run and appeared to fumble the ball, but he was ruled down by contact.
As the clock wound down, Liegghio lined up for a 32-yard field-goal attempt but missed wide left. Alouettes receiver Tyson Philpot ran the ball out of the end zone, sending the game into overtime.
After Cote made his go-ahead field goal, Sutton broke up a pass attempt to Bombers receiver Dalton Schoen, causing Mike O’Shea to throw the challenge flag. It was unsuccessful and Liegghio stepped up and made his ill-fated attempt.
Davis also scored a TD on a three-yard push in the second quarter. Cote made two converts, hitting the upright on a 20-yard field-goal attempt and connecting on a 43-yarder.
Schoen had a 27-yard TD catch for Winnipeg. Liegghio was good on a 44-yard field-goal attempt and made two converts.
Collaros, who was sacked five times, was 21-of-27 passing for 251 yards and one TD.
Harris was 18-of-27 for 213 yards and one TD for Montreal.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 11, 2022.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
