The 41st Vanier Cup

Vanier Cup

The Vanier Cup is the name of the championship of Canadian Interuniversity Sport football and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is currently played between the winners of the Uteck Bowl and the Mitchell Bowl...

was played on December 3, 2005, at Ivor Wynne Stadium

Ivor Wynne Stadium

Ivor Wynne Stadium is a Canadian football stadium located at the corner of Balsam and Beechwood Avenues, two blocks west of Gage Avenue North in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada...

 in Hamilton, Ontario

Hamilton, Ontario

Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...

, and decided the CIS Football

CIS football

Twenty-six universities across Canada compete in football under the auspices of Canadian Interuniversity Sport . The teams are divided into four conferences, drawing from the four regional associations of the CIS: Canada West Universities Athletic Association, Ontario University Athletics, Quebec...

 champion for the 2005 season. The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks

Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks

The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks is the name used by the varsity sports teams of Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The university's varsity teams compete in the Ontario University Athletics conference of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport and, where applicable, in the west...

 completed a perfect season by defeating the previously undefeated Saskatchewan Huskies

Saskatchewan Huskies

The University of Saskatchewan began in 1907 and has operated teams that compete with others since 1911. The term Huskie Athletics is defined as those student athletes from the University of Saskatchewan that compete in elite interuniversity competition administered by Canadian Interuniversity...

 by a score of 24-23, on a last minute field goal by placekicker

Placekicker

Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...

Brian Devlin. In a game that saw five lead-changes, the Golden Hawks overcame an eight-point fourth quarter deficit to take the lead with 19 seconds remaining, a lead they would not relinquish.

Game summary

Saskatchewan Huskies (23) - TDs, David Stevens (3); FGs Braden Suchan (1); cons., Braden Suchan (2).

Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (24) - TDs, Andy Baechler, Nick Cameron, Bryon Hickey; FGs Brian Devlin (1); singles, Brian Devlin (1); cons., Brian Devlin (2).

Scoring summary

First Quarter

WLU - Single Devlin missed 30 yard field goal attempt (3:29)

Second Quarter

SSK - TD Stevens 1 rush (Suchan kick) (2:35)

WLU - TD Baechler 23 pass from Pyear (Devlin convert) (5:18)

Third Quarter

WLU - TD Cameron 5 pass from Pyear (Devlin convert) (5:18)

SSK - TD Stevens 6 pass from Bilan (Two-point convert failed) (13:54)

Fourth Quarter

SSK - FG Suchan 41 (2:19)

SSK - TD Stevens 85 rush (Suchan kick) (8:14)

WLU - TD Hickey 10 pass from Pyear (Two-point convert failed) (12:07)

WLU - FG Devlin 32 (14:41)

Notable game facts

• The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks became the 10th team in CIS history to claim the Vanier Cup after an undefeated season.
• This was only the third time in the game's history that a Vanier Cup was decided by one point, with the last time occurring in 1971.
• On the game-winning drive, the Golden Hawks gambled on a third-and-fifteen with a 17-yard completion to Dante Luciani.

External links

• Official website