U Sports: Carleton tops McMaster, Guelph beats Waterloo in OUA quarterfinals

OTTAWA – Running back Nathan Carter scored three touchdowns and the Carleton Ravens survived a fourth-quarter comeback attempt to beat the McMaster Marauders 30-25 in one of two Ontario University Association football quarterfinals on Saturday.

McMaster scored 13 unanswered points on a pair of TDs from Jordan Lyons and Michael Bazzo in the final 12 minutes to turn a 30-17 deficit into a close game.

Carleton had taken control in the second quarter with 13 points, including a one-yard TD run from Carter, to go into halftime up 21-5. Carter also had a one-yard score in the first quarter and added a 27-yard running TD in the Ravens’ nine-point third quarter. He finished the game with 176 yards.

Ravens quarterback Mike Arruda was 11 for 21 with 238 yards.

Both teams finished the regular season with 5-3 records. Carleton ranked No. 4 while McMaster was the fifth seed.

In other quarterfinal play Saturday, the Guelph Gryphons earned a 45-28 home win over the Waterloo Warriors. Guelph outscored the Warriors 17-7 in the first quarter and 8-0 in the fourth to seal the win.

Jonathan Cimankinda ran for 226 yards and had three rushing touchdowns for the Gryphons — including a 52-yard score — and QB Theo Landers completed 16-of-22 pass attempts for 240 yards with two TD strikes.

The game was Waterloo’s first playoff appearance since 2003, and a rematch of a dramatic double-overtime thriller in the regular-season finale for both teams a week earlier where Guelph secured the No. 3 seed with the 47-44 victory. Waterloo took the sixth and final spot.

Carleton will face Western next week while Guelph takes on Ottawa.

The top-seeded and reigning Vanier Cup champion Mustangs (8-0) and the second-seeded Ottawa Gee-Gees (6-2) had first-round byes.

Western averaged 48 points a game and gave up a total of just 89 points on the season.

The other U Sports leagues begin their playoffs next week. They wrapped up their regular seasons on Saturday.

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X-MEN 38 MOUNTIES 15

ANTIGONISH, N.S. — Bailey Wasdal threw for 174 yards and a touchdown as StFX (6-2) closed its regular season with a win over Mount Allison (2-6).

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AXEMEN 31 HUSKIES 2

WOLFVILLE, N.S. — Dwight Wright had two rushing touchdowns as Acadia (5-3) handed Saint Mary’s (7-1) its first loss of the season in both teams’ regular-season finale.

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CARABINS 16 REDMEN 0

MONTREAL — QB Dimitri Morand threw for 214 yards and rushed for another six, including a touchdown, as the Carabins (6-2) blanked McGill (2-6).

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VERT ET OR 28 STINGERS 21

SHERBROOKE, Que. — Running back Gabriel Polan rushed for 213 yards and two touchdowns to power the Vert et Or (2-6) past Concordia (2-6).

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DINOS 52 GOLDEN BEARS 6

EDMONTON — Quarterback Adam Sinagra completed two touchdown passes to wide receiver Dallas Boath as Calgary (8-0) romped to victory over the Golden Bears (2-6).

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THUNDERBIRDS 38 BISONS 34 (OT)

WINNIPEG — Ben Cummings caught a two-yard pass from Michael O’Connor in overtime for a touchdown as UBC (5-3) slipped past Manitoba (3-5).

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