SPORTS

Gees fall to Sherbrooke in straight sets

Gee-Gees volleyball record falls to 3-8 after loss to Vert et Or

150 fans braved the cold and found a way to Montpetit Hall to show their support for the Gee-Gees women’s volleyball team, despite the elements. The fans who made it out were quickly treated to an entertaining first set.

The set, which saw the Gees start off serving, began with some good hitting, forcing Sherbrooke’s libero Ariane Fortin-Haines to make a couple of huge digs to keep the set close. Those digs led to points for Sherbrooke, which helped them get out to an 8-5 lead.

This was the moment Nicole Hildebrand caught fire with serves.

Hildebrand helped the Gees get three points in a row. On the fourth serve, though, Sherbrooke changed their strategy to protect Sophie Tremblay, who was having a rough time receiving Hildebrand’s serves. This worked in their favour as they stopped the run and regained the lead in the process, making it 9-8 for the Vert et Or.

Ottawa kept the momentum up, amplified when Denae Bristow had a huge stuff at the net to put the Gees in the lead 11-10. The team would then widen their lead to 13-10 before Sherbrooke brought it closer at 16-14. After Sherbrooke made a pinch server substitution, they got back in the set. Although Bristow was still being a force on the attacking end, it was Shebrooke’s middle blocker, Marianne Boucher, who began to heat up, getting a block and a kill back to back to bring the set level at 17. The Vert et Or would score one more before U of O elected to use a timeout. However, the timeout was not enough to slow down the trajectory of Sherbrooke in the set, as they would go on to win the opening set 25-22.

The second was much tamer, with Sherbrooke controlling the set all the way through. However, the Gees did bring it close in the middle of the set at 15-13 with significant contributions from middle Janae Mckay and Avery Hughes. Sherbrooke added to their lead, bringing the score to 20-16, when they decided to

Gee-Gees hockey loses to the best team in the division

Gees fall 3-1 to hot UQTR team

On Saturday afternoon, the University of Ottawa men’s hockey team played host to the Université du Quebec Trois à Rivières Patriotes (UQTR). UQTR is one of the hottest teams in all of U Sports, coming in on a seven-game winning streak. The Patriotes also sit top of the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East division.

The team from Trois Rivieres started the game well defensively, as they made it tough for the Gees to get clean entries into the offensive zone,

SPORTS EDITOR

Brandon Adibe sports@thefulcrum.ca

swap their setters.

Emma Bergeron, who had 23 assists in this contest, was subbed off for Emilie Dumetz, who was making her homecoming return as an Ottawa native in front of friends and family. Whether it was jitters or a bit of rust off the bench, Dumetz had an unfortunate start, with her first touch being a double touch, then a pass went array. However, she would sort it out by getting an assist and then an ace to seal the second set for the visitors.

In the third set, it was the Langevin and Bristow show with great sets and deadly kills. The set was hotly contested and was tight up until it was 15-14 for the away team. Sherbrooke would go on a four-point run, which was capped off by a ferocious jump serve by Camille Theriault down the line and went untouched. The Gees would push to make a late comeback, bringing them within three, however it was too little, too late, as the Vert et Or would win the match and take the Gees down in straight sets. even on the penalty kill. They also would get the first quality chance of the game, which came on the powerplay after Jean-Robin Mantha took an interference call. The Patriotes rang one off the post from a point shot.

The Gee-Gees can hold their heads high knowing they were in every set of this game, and they can definitely be proud of performances from Bristow, who had a game-leading 11 kills and Langevin, who tallied 29 assists. The team will look to cause an upset on the road against the top team in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), the University of Montreal.

Right after the penalty expired, the GeeGees had a breakaway, but it was denied on the backhand attempt.

With just over a minute left in the first period, the Gees took a cross-checking penalty, which UQTR capitalized on after a nice role out play giving them the advantage going into the break.

The second period started with another penalty, this time coming from defenseman Keenan MacIsaac for a hooking call. But this time around, the penalty kill unit would kill it off.

Later in the second, the game started getting a bit chippy, with both teams making it a point of emphasis to finish their checks, which caused a flurry of bodychecks in quick succession.

The period also included three great saves by the goaltender of the night, Jean-Philippe Tourigny, who kept the score tight.

With so many checks, it was bound for one to get disciplined, and it was Mantha once again who would head to the sin bin, this time for a boarding call. It was once more nullified by the team.

Late in the second, the Gees got a golden opportunity on a two-on- one, where Justin McRae tucked it home on the feed from Nick Bowman. This gave life to the GeeGees, as they went into the break tied up. Midway through the third, the Gees got a powerplay of their own and almost got the goahead goal on a scramble in front of the net, but the puck stayed out.

With seven-anda-half minutes left in the frame, the Gees would take a too-many-men pen- alty, giving the lethal powerplay of UQTR another chance with the man advantage. They would score with 6:19 left in regulation.

The Gees would try to get the tying goal late after they called a timeout in the offensive zone with 20 seconds left and their goalie pulled, but it would be UQTR who scored the next goal, as the puck got cleared down the ice from their own face off dot into the net, put-

Reflecting on the most impactful sports story in recent history

HOW DAMAR HAMLIN’S COLLAPSE CREATED A RARE MOMENT OF SOLIDARITY

Almost every household on the first Monday of 2023 had one of two things playing (for some of us, both.) The first option: the incredible performance by Team Canada at the World Juniors.

The second option: Monday Night Football.

The Buffalo Bills were suited up in Cincinnati to face the Bengals. There were many layers of hype to the game: the AFC playoff picture, star young quarterbacks Josh Allen and Joe Burrow going head to head for the first time, and the finale of Monday Night Football for the 2022 regular season. It was sure to be a thrilling, unpredictable matchup.

Perhaps you were on the couch with your family, or snuggled in bed with your laptop. Maybe you had some buddies over for drinks, or were out at the bar to watch.

Regardless of your situation, the same shock, confusion, and multitude of questions likely came to your mind.

Just a few minutes into the game, Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed after a hit. The field was rushed by team trainers, first responders, and an ambulance. For ten minutes, everyone watched a terrifying scene as Hamlin was receiving CPR, and the cameras panned to players with indescribable expressions on their faces.

What began as the biggest game of the NFL season had quickly transformed into something much greater — a collective moment of hope for Damar Hamlin’s health and safety. Immediately following Hamlin’s collapse, players from Buffalo and Cincinnati mutually agreed to halt the game. The response to this decision was generally warm. Notably, many Twitter users offered their support and encouragement for the Buffalo Bills’ safety, with all 32 NFL teams changing their profile picture to the same image of Hamlin’s jersey.

Following the cancellation of the game, the global response to Hamlin’s situation continued. One of the more no- ting the game to bed. table developments was the support for Damar Hamlin’s personal charity, a toy drive he started named Chasing M’s. Prior to the Monday Night Football game, Chasing M’s had almost hit their GoFundMe goal of $2,500; currently, the charity has received almost 9 million dollars in donations. Damar Hamlin’s situation is undoubtedly the global sports story of the year. It represents a moment when everyone — both sports fans and non-sports fans — was able to come together and wish for the same thing.

The Gees would drop their next match; meanwhile, UQTR stayed hot, winning their eighth in a row, firmly solidifying their place at the top spot in the OUA East division. UQTR have widened their cushion at the top of the division to five points over second-place Ontario Tech.

The Gee-Gees’ next game will be against Nippising at home on Friday, Jan. 20.

On Twitter, one of the more divisive platforms, many users were aligned in their hope for Hamlin’s safety.

However, some social media users were still quick to exploit Hamlin’s situation. Some claimed that the on-field collapse was not a direct result of the game; rather, it was caused by the COVID-19 vaccine. The unfortunate nature of these anti-vaccine claims is that they promote harmful conspiracies and detract from what is actually important — Hamlin’s safety.

Other users exploited the situation by shifting the focus away from Hamlin and towards the execution of the NFL’s schedule. Popular sports analyst, Skip Bayless, questioned the cancellation of the game, tweeting, “this late in the season, a game of this magnitude is crucial to the regular-season outcome.” Similarly, sentiments along these lines detract from what the actual focus should be.

Nevertheless, within the context of this 2022/23 NFL season, the Hamlin situation is a massive event in what has been a turbulent year for both the city of Buffalo and the Buffalo Bills. Prior to the season, a racially motivated shooting at a Buffalo grocery store claimed the lives of 10 residents, and more recently, during the winter storm in Buffalo last December, 37 city residents passed away.

This season has been anything but easy for the Bills. But having positive updates about their teammate in Hamlin has definitely provided a boost for the team heading into the postseason. Hamlin has been active on social media, supporting his team, even stepping foot in the facility to see his teammates days before their first playoff game. Seeing positive updates have been wonderful, but

Hamlin is still focused on his recovery, and there is surely a long road ahead.

When Hamlin first woke up, he asked “did we win?“

The fact that we were all waiting to hear if he’d be okay, but the first thing on his mind was who won the football game really puts things into perspective.

While professional athletes like Hamlin live the dream of many, and every athlete can relate to the notion of putting everything on the line for the team and to win the game, there are risks, and there are tragedies behind the glory. We’ve been reminded that Hamlin, like other athletes, is human.

This weekend the divisional round of the NFL playoffs begin. Perhaps the most notable game of the weekend is the Sunday (quasi) rematch between the Bills and the Bengals. The two teams look to face off again for the first time since their cancelled game in week 18. One of the highlights of this game is bound to be Damar Hamlin’s attendance for the first time since his collapse.