Final regular season standings (9): Montmorency (14-2), Vanier (13-3); Dawson (11-5), Champlain-St. Lambert (10-6); Champlain-Lennoxville (10-6); Ste-Foy (6-10); John Abbott (5-11); Édouard-Montpetit (3-13); Sherbrooke (0-16)
Playoff non-qualifiers:
Édouard-Montpetit Lynx:
John Abbott Islanders: Simon Salois, Joey Ranjitsingh, Lennox Malcolm, Nigel Peters, Mark Nixon, Jason Ratchelous, Nickolas Pronovost, coach Ron Dorsnie
Sainte-Foy Dynamiques:
Sherbrooke Volontaires:
In the semis, the Montmorency Nomades defeated the Champlain-St. Lambert Cavaliers 92-76.
In the other semi, the Dawson Blues dumped the Vanier Cheetahs 77-63.
In the bronze medal match, the Vanier Cheetahs defeated the Champlain-St. Lambert Cavaliers 91-78. The Cavaliers included Pierre-Marie Altidor-Cespedes.
In the final, the Dawson Blues, hoping to give a royal send-off to coach Olga Hrycak, who was leaving the program after 15 years to become the head coach of the University of Quebec at Montreal, which was joining the CIS ranks, stunned the heavily favored Montmorency Nomades 70-63. “It’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me,” Hrycak says. “I wasn’t expecting this. A lot happened to this team this year. We lost some key players. We finished third in the league. It really was a rough year. The nationals are going to be tough. But this is the icing on the cake.” Point guard Mario Joseph hit 10-12 from the line as he scored 16. Montmorency led 32-28 at the half. But Dawson opened the second frame with a 21-7 run. The Nomades closed to within 64-61 with three minutes to play but Joseph hit six free throws in the final 42 seconds to ice it. “Our game plan worked,” said Hrycak. “Defensively, we kept the pressure on and realized that they couldn’t hit all of their three-pointers.” Joseph said the team was motivated by Hrycak’s departure. “It was extra motivation. While this team really came together in the last month, we wanted to make sure this wasn’t going to be her last game with us.” Jean-Philippe Morin led Montmorency with 21 points. Several Nomades, including coach Guy Pariseau, put a damper on the post-game celebrations by throwing their silver medals on the floor or kicking them. Pariseau walked across the floor, gave his silver medal to a Dawson player, turned his back and walked away.
Hrycak had announced in February that she was stepping aside after 15 years at the helm of the Dawson Blues to assume coach duties at UQAM, which planned to enter the RSEQ university ranks in 2003-04. “I’m a person of challenge, that’s why I’m moving on,” Hrycak told the Montreal Gazette. “I have mixed feelings about leaving. It’s been good here. We weren’t able to win a national championship during my time here, that’s been the only possible regret, but everything and everybody – including (Dawson athletic director) John Davidson – has been so great and so supportive.” Hrycak began her career in 1967, first coaching girls’ high school teams at Holy Name and women’s teams at Sir George Williams University (now Concordia) and Marianapolis College. She has coached men’s teams for the past 24 years. During 15 years at Dawson, her teams never missed the playoffs and won 11 medals, including seven gold in provincial championships. Her teams also won silver twice and a bronze in Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association national championships, and Hrycak twice has been named CCAA coach of the year. Hrycak was replaced by Wayne Yearwood, former member of the Canadian men’s national team and coach of Dawson’s Double-A team.
The bronze medalist Vanier Cheetahs: Damian Buckley; Jerreh Saidybah; Dwayne Buckley; Colson Senat; Stevens Nostrome; Dima Yurchenko; Paget Berridge; Andre Johnny; David Carter; James Lee; John Carter; Alexis Him; Stevens Nostrome; coach Andy Hertzog
The silver medalist Montmorency Nomades: Jean-Philippe Morin; coach Guy Pariseau
The gold medalist Dawson Blues: Vikram Bhardwaj; Maradona Cereisier; Claude Delmas; Vic Aujula; Omar El Turk; Luckern Dieu; Doug McCooeye; Mario Joseph; Ric Noel, Greg Noel; Chris Saltibus; McNabb; coach Olga Hrycak, assistant Jay Prosper