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Winter Sports Bring Home Three Championships

It was a successful second season back at inter-school sports as St. Michael’s College School (SMCS) as student-athletes claimed three championship titles in just two days.

Leading the path to victory was the SMCS Curling team with a co-championship victory, its very first title since debuting with the Conference of Independent Schools of Ontario Athletic Association (CISAA) in January 2020.

On the same day, the St. Michael’s Majors hockey team were declared CISAA champions with an eventful game against Appleby College.

Less than 24 hours later, the Blue Yetis snowboarding team tasted victory with their own CISAA title. 

SMCS Athletics CISAA Champions - Curling team

Curling

The SMCS Curling team finished the year as co-champions after playing their final CISAA curling bonspiel on March 8. The team had a 4-1 record going into the final round of play at East York Curling Club. 

SMCS won their final match against Bayview Glenn by a score of 6-3. After a slow start and two points against them in the first end, Patrick Shu, Grade 12 student and the team’s skip, switched the lineup making Mussawir Ahmad, Grade 10, the lead, and he had a few rocks make it to the house. 

Byron Feng, Grade 11, who was the team’s second followed with a few more throws. Conor Dimmock, Grade 12, as the team’s vice with his skilled sweeping put up strong guards to protect other stones.

The team was able to steal not just one point in the second end, but another in the third. In the fifth end, Shu swept the opponent’s rock out of the house stealing two points.

SMCS tied with Crestwood for first place in the final standings, crowning both schools CISAA co-champions.

This impressive group was established one month before the CISAA finals and had only five practice days and two bonspiels to hone their shots and sweeping skills. 

SMCS Athletics CISAA Champions - Sr. Hockey team, Majors

Sr. Hockey (Majors)

On March 8, the St. Michael’s Majors hockey team defeated Appleby College with a thrilling 6-5 overtime win, becoming the 2022 CISAA champions.

The Majors had an unsteady start to the first period with an early goal by Appleby’s team, but Majors captain, Cuan Doig, Grade 12, rallied the group by opening the scoring for SMCS to tie the game at 1-1. Appleby bounced back with a go-ahead goal to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. 

The second period saw goals from both Joshua De Souza, Grade 12, and Jack Morris, Grade 12, helping SMCS take the lead for the first time by a score of 3-2. However, Appleby responded and the game was tied again heading into the third period. 

Both teams exchanged goals to begin the third period, with Majors forward Roan Oliva, Grade 12, scoring for the home team. After an unlucky puck bounce, Appleby found the back of the net again on a powerplay making the score 5-4 with only eight minutes left in the game.

A key Majors powerplay late in the game, plus a sixth attacker on the ice, propelled SMCS to tie the game off the stick of Doig in dramatic fashion and send the championship to overtime.

Three minutes into overtime, Alex Dubajic, Grade 12, fired the game-winning goal from left-wing, crowning the Majors 2022 CISAA Champions.

SMCS Athletics CISAA Champions - Snowboarding

Snowboarding

The Blue Yetis snowboarding team took home the 2022 CISAA overall championship on March 9 after the final competition at Alpine Ski Club.

SMCS students fought hard, receiving multiple gold and silver medals for their efforts. Matteo Muchalov, Grade 8, captured gold in slopestyle, with Hayden Fraser, Grade 8, taking silver in GS racing. Liam Minion, Grade 10, went home with a gold in both slopestyle and GS racing. Snowboarding team co-captains, Josh Branson, Grade 11, received a silver in slopestyle, and graduating student-athlete, Michael Popik, a silver in GS racing. 

The last time the SMCS Blue Yetis won this CISAA snowboarding championship was in 2012.

2022 Winter Season Highlights

SMCS Athletics, Grade 10 student medalist at CISAA Swimming finals
Yichi Zhang, Grade 10, won two gold medals for the SMCS Swim team.
  • Senior Basketball – CISAA silver medal
  • Junior DI Basketball – CISAA silver medal
  • Junior DIB Basketball – inaugural season, played four games
  • U14 Basketball – exhibition season, played five games
  • Junior Hockey Blue – CISAA silver medal
  • Junior Hockey White – Returned to the DI loop, played five games
  • U14 Hockey Blue & White – exhibition season, played five games
  • Alpine Skiing – CISAA silver medal
    • Owen Currie, Grade 12, won individual gold
    • Frank Zou, Grade 10, fifth place finish
  • Swimming
    • Yichi Zhang, Grade 10, won two gold medals in 15 and under 50 Free and 50 Back
    • Spencer Schultz, Grade 10, won a silver medal in the 15 and under 50 Breast, and placed fourth in the 15 and under 100 IM
    • Zhang, Schultz along with Edward Wayland, Grade 9, and Thomas Arciero, Grade 9, finished third in the 15 and under 200 Medley Relay
    • 19 and under team of Jason Han, Grade 11, Matthew Wayland, Grade 12, Jordan Knudson, Grade 10, and Zhang placed fourth in the 200 Free Relay
    • Other top places went to Arciero with a sixth place finish in 15 and under 50 Free and 50 Fly, Ethan Poon, Grade 9, in sixth place in 15 and under 50 Back, Matthew Wayland in sixth in 19 and under 100 IM, and Han in seventh in 19 and under 50 Fly.

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