Lancers fall to Gee Gees in football opener
By Josh Kolm
Sports Editor
September 7, 2010
 Despite falling short in the opener to the 2010 Ontario University Athletics football season, the Windsor Lancers received some reassurance about the potential of their team.
The game itself could have been the Lancers drawing the short straw. Their schedule had originally left Ottawa off the Windsor schedule, but the suspension of the football team at the University of Waterloo left Windsor with a game to make up.
The Lancers were already underdogs heading in to the game, but some poorly timed analysis confirmed just how good the Gee-Gees were. Hours before kickoff, Canadian Interuniversity Sport released the season’s first Top Ten list for football. Suddenly, the Lancers found themselves against the fifth-best football team in the country.
The game began at a neck-and-neck pace, with teams trading possessions through the start of the first quarter before a 109-yard drive resulted in an Ottawa touchdown.
While the defensive line had problems containing the hot commodity Ottawa quarterback Bradley Sinopoli when he was on the move, the pressure they put on him was impressive. The Ottawa QB had little time to think in the pocket, and the disruption caused one of the top-ranked quarterbacks in the country to make several mistakes, dropping multiple fumbles and throwing an interception. This is made all the more impressive by the fact that Ottawa was considered the best offense in the province, if not the country.
Going in to the game, the Lancer defense was the team’s strongest area, with a number of returning veterans and all-stars. In addition to lineman Seamus Postuma, safety Daryl Townshend and defensive back Matt Bucknor filled their expected roles as leaders for the squad. The pair finished the game with 13.5 tackles between them.
However, one of the big problems in the Lancers’ play last season was the amount of time the defense spent on the field. Short times of possession on offense kept the defense on the field for so long that touchdown-costing mistakes became inevitable.
As the second quarter rolled on, the symptoms of a Lancer breakdown once again began to appear. A 50-yard touchdown pass from Sinopoli to Matthew Bolduc was child’s play, as the tired defense was out of position, leaving the receiver wide open.
After the half, however, the Lancers began to shake out the cobwebs. Lancer quarterback Sam Malian, once a top prospect before last season’s injury troubles, began to increase his production, improving his highly-touted throwing accuracy when he was on the move. Malian and receiver Cory Fernandes formed an unbreakable link, connecting regularly and for big yardage. Eventually this put them in position for an exciting touchdown pass to Jordan Brescacin in the fourth quarter.
Even though the Lancers were suddenly within a touchdown of tying the top-ranked team in their division, time became the enemy, and it only took an Ottawa field goal in the final minute of the game to put the comeback out of reach.
A pleasant surprise for the Lancers was the performance of their offensive line. While carried by fifth-year veterans Chris Cowan and All-Star Nick Cicchini, the remainder of the line was characterized as inexperienced with a lack of depth. What could have been a weak point that crippled the rest of the team was instead a sign of great potential that bolstered the play of the offense.
They provided stellar protection for Malian, who was not sacked during the game and had plenty of time to sit in the pocket in passing formations, a situation the Lancers played from frequently. In addition, they were able to open up gaps in the Gee-Gee defense for running back Paul Lefaive who, at 5’9’’, is runner better suited to taking the ball to the outside.
Windsor’s next two games are on the road against the Toronto Varsity Blues and the Queen’s Golden Gaels before returning home in Week 4 to face their rivals, the Western Mustangs.
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