SHERBROOKE, Que. – The Bishop's Gaiters men's rugby team's season came to an end in dramatic fashion on Saturday, November 15.  They hosted the McGill Redmen in an RSEQ University semi-final.  The eight-time defending champion Redmen jumped out to an early advantage and held on for a 21-17 victory.  The loss ends the promising 2014 campaign for the Gaiters.
 
McGill jumped out to an 8-0 lead after an early penalty kick followed by a try six minutes later. Gaiters' captain Nicolas Charlton (Montreal) continued his excellent kicking with a successful penalty 28 minutes into the contest to cut the lead to 8-3. McGill added a pair of penalty kicks of their own including one on the last play of the first half and grabbed a 14-3 advantage at the break.
 
The second half was a different story. McGill was awarded a penalty try that was converted three minutes into the frame.  Despite a 21-3 disadvantage the Gaiters used the support of over 300 cheering fans to bounce back and seize the momentum. Mike Izzard (Oakville, Ont.) scored a beautiful try on a run of over 40 yards that Charlton set up then converted.  Just six minutes later rookie Brock Spencer (Stittsville, Ont.) scored as the forward pack pushed forward. Charlton again was successful on the conversion to make the score 21-17 in favour of the Redmen.  McGill pushed forward but a missed penalty late in the game that gave the Gaiters life.  Unfortunately for the hosts that was as close as they got as the referee's final whistle blew punching McGill's ticket to the RSEQ final.
 
"It was a great rugby game," said Gaiters coach Charles Goode.  "Unfortunately sometimes the games don't go your way."
 
See Coach Goode's complete post-game comments here: http://youtu.be/rcdLjfcn5z0
 
The 21-17 RSEQ semi-final loss to McGill ends the Bishop's Gaiters 2014 campaign.  Stay tuned to www.gaiters.ca for all the latest news and information on the Bishop's Gaiters.
 
-30-