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A great week for Bianca Andreescu

Andreescu shows great signs despite injury

Canadian tennis star Bianca Andreescu played at this year’s Miami Open, her first Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) final since she won her major US Open title in 2019. Unfortunately for Andreescu, she was forced to retire at the end of the second set because of an ankle injury. She was trailing world number one Ashleigh Barty 6-3, 4-0.

Barty delivered an impressive performance, which gave Andreescu, who was already fighting ankle pain, absolutely no chance. It was the first time these two played each other.

Despite the loss, it’s been a great week and tournament for the Canadian. She won impressive matches against top players in order to reach the final. Andreescu didn’t play much in 2020, not only because of COVID-19, but also an injury. To see her perform the way she did in Miami will surely give hope to Canadian tennis fans.

She defeated players like two-time Grand Slam champion Garbiñe Muguruza and top 20 player Maria Sakkari. In both of those matches, she had to elevate her game to win important points that ultimately decided the winner.

Luckily, Andreescu said her injury is nothing serious. It’s been a while since she had to play so many matches in such a short period of time for a tournament, so to see her body take a hit is no surprise.

If Andreescu’s week at the Miami Open is synonymous with her performances this season, she’s definitely going to be a player to watch, especially during Grand Slam tournaments.

 

Graphic by Rose-Marie Dion

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March Madness update

March Madness has already brought surprises to the table

One of the best sporting events of the year has finally arrived. Fans of college basketball have been waiting over 700 days for the next March Madness, as the tournament was cancelled last year due to COVID-19.

What a tournament it’s been so far. Let’s dive right in.

West Region

Let’s start off with the best team in the country. Before the tournament, there were many expectations for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. They went undefeated in the regular season, going 26-0 in the process. Needless to say they made it to the round of 16, also known as the Sweet 16.

The Creighton Blue Jays will play in the Sweet 16 after beating the 13th seed Ohio Bobcats 72-58, ending junior standout Jason Preston’s season. This will be Creighton’s first time in the Sweet 16 since 1974. Their leader, Marcus Zegarowski, led the way with 20 points in the second round matchup. A date with juggernaut Gonzaga awaits.

One first round matchup was cancelled due to the pandemic. The game between the Oregon Ducks and the VCU Rams was ruled a no-contest because of COVID-19 protocols on the VCU end. This gave Oregon an automatic win, which saw them advance to the round of 32.

The Iowa Hawkeyes, number two seed in the west, were hoping to give their star player Luka Garza, College Player of the Year favourite, one final shot at a championship. They won their first-round matchup against Grand Canyon Antelopes handily, 86-74, but the second round told a different story. They lost to Oregon by a whopping 15 points, 95-80. It will be interesting to see where Garza lands in the 2021 NBA draft.

The sixth seed in the west region, the USC Trojans, have looked phenomenal so far, and hardly anyone has been talking about them. They beat down the Drake Bulldogs in the first round 72-56 and beat an injured Kansas Jayhawks team 85-51 in the round of 32. We’ll see if they can keep it up. They match up against Oregon in the Sweet 16.

Midwest Region

All of the one seeds won their first round matchups rather comfortably. Number one seeds now own a 143-1 record against 16 seeds in the NCAA tournament. That sole win came in 2018, when the UMBC Retrievers defeated the Virginia Cavaliers 74-54.

Not all of the one seeds lasted very long though. The number one seed in the Midwest region, the Illinois Fighting Illini, lost in the second round to the Loyola Chicago Ramblers. Illinois came into this tournament as one of the favourites to win it all. The Ramblers proved they should not be taken lightly, as Cameron Krutwig showed that he is one of the most dominant big men in the country.

The Ramblers will play the Oregon State Beavers, who just beat the Oklahoma State Cowboys and top NBA recruit Cade Cunningham, 80-70. Oregon State was projected to finish last in their conference, the Pac-12. They now find themselves in the Sweet 16.

The Syracuse Orange has always been a fan favourite, but they have not garnered much attention after a slow start to the season. Everything changed for them once the calendar switched to March. They won against the sixth seed San Diego State Aztecs in the first round, and squeezed out a win versus the heavily favoured third seed West Virginia Mountaineers in the round of 32. Next up, a date with the powerhouse second seed, the Houston Cougars in the Sweet 16 of the Midwest region.

South Region

Upsets were bound to happen. But who would have expected them to be of this magnitude? This is the first time in NCAA tournament history that four teams seeded 13 or higher have reached the round of 32.

The most shocking upset of the tournament happened early on in the South region in the round of 64. The 15th seed Oral Roberts Golden Eagles defeated the number two seed Ohio State Buckeyes 75-72 in overtime. Kevin Obanor and Max Abmas led the way for Oral Roberts, scoring an outstanding 59 points combined. It’s going to be a long off-season for an Ohio State group that had championship aspirations.

Oral Roberts wasn’t done there. They came into the round of 32 with as much confidence as anyone. They shocked the basketball world once again, defeating the Florida Gators 81-78. They are the second 15th seed to ever make the Sweet 16. Could they be the first 15th seed to ever make the Elite Eight? They will be facing off against the heavily favoured third seed Arkansas Razorbacks.

Number one seed in the South region, the Baylor Bears will take on the fifth seed Villanova Wildcats in the Sweet 16 after both teams won their second-round matchups easily.

East Region

One 14th seed made it out of the first round of the tournament this year, and that team was the Abilene Christian Wildcats. It was a complete team effort, as the defence stepped up and no player scored more than 11 points in the victory. Sadly, that’s as far as they would go, as another underdog, the UCLA Bruins, defeated them in the second round. Alabama Crimson Tide and their high-flying offence is next on the agenda for UCLA.

Last, but certainly not least, we have the number four seed in the East region, the Florida State Seminoles. They survived a small scare in the first round against the St. Bonaventure Bonnies, but bounced back in a big way, blowing out the Colorado Buffaloes 71-53. They face the first seed Michigan Wolverines in the Sweet 16 after they beat the LSU Tigers 86-78. Eli Brooks was clutch down the stretch when LSU made it a close game. He poured in 21 points and seven assists.

There you have it, everything to get you up to date and ready for the next round. Buckle up for the Sweet 16, because the madness is just beginning.

 

Graphic by Rose-Marie Dion

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A memorable Masters

Dustin Johnson wins the 84th edition of the Masters

The Masters tournament at Augusta National Golf Club is traditionally held in the spring of April and serves as a joyful indication to golf enthusiasts everywhere of the beginning of a fresh season.

The Masters is widely considered the most influential career milestone that every golf star must conquer to achieve greatness in the sport. As a result, the best contenders have always had their sights set towards claiming the illustrious green jacket.

The ongoing pandemic ultimately forced tournament organizers to postpone the 84th edition of the event, settling on a projected return in mid-November and after a seven-month adjournment, The Masters officially took place from Nov. 12 to 15.

The azaleas that traditionally outline the course and give the competition it’s distinct look gave way to fall foliage. The usual thousands of patrons that line the course in greeting the field of players were now in the comfort of their homes. The greens that are notoriously deceptive and delicate were uncharacteristically lenient due to the added softness from frequent precipitation and cold conditions that come with the fall season.

While the most traditional of the four golf major tournaments was as different as could possibly be this year, the Masters ended in the most normal way, the green jacket being awarded to the top-ranked golfer in the world, Dustin Johnson. In 2019, Johnson finished in a three-way tie for runner-up at the event, and experts have always known it was only a matter of time for the superstar.

Sometimes as fans, we like to make spicy predictions because it gives us something new to root for when watching from home,” said Tom Carrier, a life-long golf enthusiast and golf instructor from Laprairie. “It’s easier to say in hindsight now that the tournament is done, but Johnson was the obvious pick if you know anything about golf.”

In the end, Johnson finished 20 under par, the lowest 72-hole score in Masters’ history. His five-stroke margin of victory was the largest since Tiger Woods’ historic 12-shot win in 1997.

He came into the fall edition of the Masters on a dominant run that hadn’t been seen since a young Woods lead the game for several years at the turn of the century.

In Johnson’s six previous tournament appearances this year, he won two events (the Northern Trust, TOUR Championship), finished second three times (PGA Championship, BMW Championship, Houston Open), and finished a respectable sixth at the US Open.

Johnson first became the top-ranked golfer in the world at the beginning of 2017 and has maintained the prestigious honour for a total of 104 weeks, fourth-most all-time. With his victory at Augusta National on Sunday, he now has two major championships to his name to go along with his 27 professional victories.

Johnson’s list of accolades rivals golf’s most notable superstars of the past; yet, the top-ranked golfer struggled to avoid criticism and skepticism from fans and peers coming into the competition.

While Johnson has won two majors, cynics will be the first to state he should have a couple more in his possession after failing to convert 54-hole leads into victories in several notable tournaments. In addition, his stoic and silent nature has at times played into the misconnected narrative that he is an uncaring and simple-minded jock.

However, Johnson proved he is as meticulous as any generational talent through his most recent triumph in golf’s biggest test. Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy summed up this year’s champion in a nutshell: “[Johnson] makes the game so simple. It’s something to admire all the time.”

 

Graphic by Rose-Marie Dion

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The 2020 League of Legends World Championship is on

A primer to the biggest esports event in the world

On Sept. 25, the 2020 League of Legends World Championship Play-In Stage began in Shanghai, China. This year marks the 10th edition of the biggest esports event in the world, and features the top teams from regional leagues around the world in a battle to earn the title of world champion. With one week of action wrapped up and many more to come, here’s everything you need to know before the championship’s main event.

What is League of Legends?

League of Legends is a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) video game, developed and published by Riot Games in late 2009. It quickly became one of the most popular video games in the world, and is one of the most recognized esports games to this day.

It’s a five-on-five team game where players assume the role of a “champion,” each equipped with a unique set of abilities.

Gameplay can often be tough to comprehend, as chaotic skirmishes ensue across Summoner’s Rift, representing the map and settings where every match of the 2020 World Championship will be played.

Unfamiliar viewers looking to catch some action should know that the objective of each match is quite simple: destroy the enemy base before they can destroy yours.

What’s the format of the tournament, and who is competing?

The tournament began with the Play-In Stage, wherein 10 teams were split into two groups of five. Each group played a single round-robin cycle, where the top two teams from each group advanced to the Group stage.

For a recap of the first week of Worlds 2020, check out the Weekly Rundown provided by Riot Games.

On Oct. 3, the main event began with the Group Stage where 16 teams are split into four groups. Each group consists of one Play-In team, and three other teams that earned their spot in the Group Stage based on regional ranking. Groups are randomly selected, but balanced; the top seed from the four major regions earns the right to be separated in the group stage.

On Oct. 15, the Knockout Stage will transition to a single-elimination bracket consisting of the top two teams from each group. All matches will be played in a best-of-five format that will conclude on Oct. 31, where the team that comes out on top will be crowned the 2020 World Champions.

A region’s seeds are earned based on past international performance. A strong region will send most, if not all, of their seeds straight to the group stage, whereas weaker regions receive fewer seeds and/or must start in the Play-In Stage. The four main regions are China and Europe, who have a total of four seeded teams, as well as South Korea and North America, who have three representatives. Twenty-two teams will be competing this year.

What teams should I look out for?

There are new faces looking to set a new standard for competitive esports; regional legends looking to re-write history and cement their names in international League of Legends lore; and multiple Canadian players to watch. Here’s a brief rundown of teams to look out for whether you’re a die-hard consumer of esports or a casual fan looking to get your feet wet.

  1. Top Esports (#1 seed, China) and G2 Esports (#1 seed, Europe): Top Esports (TES) has a dynamic duo in Knight and Karsa in the mid-lane and jungle respectively, and is the top seed from the top region in China. If you’re looking to watch the highest level of gameplay, look no further. G2 is coming off another year of regional dominance led by their star mid-laner Caps, who continues to raise the bar for his team by displaying calculated aggression and IQ at all stages of the game.
  2. Team SoloMid (#1 seed, North America) and Fnatic (#2 seed, Europe): Two of the oldest franchises that have been around since the dawn of League of Legends, Team SoloMid (TSM) and Fnatic have some of the largest fan-bases in esports. Both teams enjoy regional success on a regular basis, but have failed to obtain international success as world champions, except for Fnatic’s Season 1 Worlds victory in 2011.
  3. FlyQuest (#2 seed, North America): FlyQuest has two high-profile Canadian marksman players on their roster in Toronto’s WildTurtle and Mississauga’s MasH. The team uses both players interchangeably, giving FlyQuest additional flexibility that most teams cannot match.

Where can I watch?

The event is taking place in Shanghai, but all Worlds matches can be watched on-demand on the official League of Legends esports site.

Graphic by Taylor Reddam

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Sports

44th edition of the Ed Meagher Sports Tournament kicks-off Monday

There’s something inherently special about a sports tournament. The competition, the camaraderie, the excitement of measuring oneself against an unknown opponent, all packaged into a weekend that shapes a young athlete’s fond memories of his or her favourite game.

In a town full of sports tournaments, there are always a few that stand out above the rest. In the high school sports landscape, the Loyola-Ed Meagher Sports Tournament is a tournament that has brought many memories to its organizers and participants.

The tournament, now in its 44th year, is named after long-time Loyola teacher, coach, and administrator, Ed Meagher, who started the tournament as a way to promote high school sports in Montreal.

To honour the contributions of Meagher, who passed away in 1995, Concordia University re-named their arena the Ed Meagher Arena in January of 2000.

The arena, along with the Concordia gym, will play host to various high school basketball and hockey teams from around the city including, among others, College Regina Assumpta, Loyola High School, Selwyn House, and West Island College, from Monday, Jan. 20 to Saturday, Jan. 25.

Meagher’s son, Richard, who is a teacher and former administrator at Loyola High School, spoke fondly of those memories of some of the early tournaments he shared with his late father.

“The very first memory that comes to me, year after year, is that of young men with beards, some with babies in tow, descending upon the rink in the early years to take on our baby-faced 15- and 16-year-olds,” said Meagher, “In the early 1970s, teams from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and often Ontario had 18- and 19-year-olds and while Loyola never won the tournament in those early days we gave them some tough competition,  and they always went away impressed with the Loyola teams they faced.”

“This was the weekend my dad looked forward to most — and that has certainly stuck with me and in a way I feel that he is still living the tournament through me,” he added.

The tournament has grown over the years and has attracted more and more media attention with each passing year.

“Most participants consider the Loyola tournament to be the best in the city, and probably the best they will attend during their high school career,” said Meagher. “It is the tournament everyone wants to attend, and hopefully win. The number one thing I would say everyone walks away with, especially those who win the gold medal, is a memory for life.

“I was fortunate to win the Juvenile hockey gold medal playing for St. Andrews College of Aurora, Ontario way back in 1978,” continued Meagher. “I can remember standing on the blue line and having the gold medal placed around my neck like it was only yesterday — but that was 36 years ago. That memory and experience has been ingrained in me for life.”

Roberto Mormina, currently a forward with the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team and a Loyola High School grad, can attest to how special the tournament was for young athletes from across the province and county.

“The Ed Meagher sports tournament remains to this day one of the most impassioned sporting experiences of my amateur career,” said Mormina, “The sights and sounds of a building filled with your friends and your teachers, cheering and chanting with pride, drove me to better myself and to put on the greatest performance I could. This tournament, above all others, was personal. This was our home and we all knew that no one was going to raise that trophy but us. It was exhilarating.”

For more information on the history of the tournament and the tournament schedules, visit: www.loyola.ca/tournament.

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