Friday, March 3, 2017

Lycoming Football Going To Canada?

Head Coach Mike Clark
The 2017 Lycoming Football team will have an opportunity of a lifetime as they are going to Montreal, Canada this spring to play an exhibition game. Sounds exciting doesn’t it!

Coach Clark said that any player who wants to go will make the trip.

Montreal is a European city locate in North America with all the culture of Paris, France. Vanier College is a publicly-funded English language CEGEP located in Montreal. Named in honour of General Georges P. Vanier, Canada’s second native-born Governor General, Vanier College opened its doors on September 8, 1970, welcoming close to 1,400 students in its first cohort. The Vanier College Crest is an adaption of the Vanier family Coat of Arms.


Hear is what I know after talking to Athletic Director and Head Coach Mike Clark. The Warriors will be playing the Vanier College Cheetahs using Canadian Football Rules on May 21st at 1:00pm.

Some facts about Canadian football:
  • They have 3 downs to get a first down instead of four,
  • Canadian fields are 150 yards long,
  • End zones are 20 yards deep,
  • Goal to Goal is 110 yards.

Coach Clark said that any player who wants to go will make the trip. Presently there are 80 players eligible to make the trip. So this spring, Lycoming will have more legal practices than usually allowed by the NCAA. A tentative schedule for this spring is having “no pad” practices starting April 10th at David Person Field. Those practices will conclude on April 16th. The NCAA also allows 10 “pad” practices when an exhibition game is being played (Note: The NCAA allows one exhibition game every three years, but Lycoming plans on one exhibition game every four years so every player gets a chance to make the trip). Lycoming will use eight practices (Saving two for later) just before graduation culminating in a Blue / Gold inter-squad game.

After graduation, players will go home on May 13th and returning on the 18th of May. Then the team will be bused to Watertown, New York for the evening before heading to Montreal for sightseeing. After the game on May 21st, the team will head back to Williamsport, PA getting into town early Monday morning.

Vanier College Cheetahs' Field

Vanier College Cheetahs Football Stadium

This is an experience of a lifetime for many of the players who will never get to Europe. Montreal is one beautiful city. I have been there myself. The architecture is great and the people are very friendly. 
10 Facts about Montreal:
  • Montreal is the second largest speaking city in the world,
  • Montreal has the highest number of restaurants per capita in Canada,
  • Montreal is the first North American city to have been designated “City of Design for Cultural Diversity,”
  • Montreal is build on Mont Royal mountain an is where it got it’s name,
  • Montreal has an underground city,
  • Montreal is North America’s number one host city for International Events,
  • Montreal has the second largest amusement park in Canada,
  • Montreal host 18,000 foreign students from 150 countries each year,
  • John Lennon’s song “Give Peace a Chance” was written in Montreal,
  • 85% of the worlds maple syrup comes from Quebec.

YOU CAN HELP!

Want to support these young men and their experience of a lifetime? Here is what you can do.


Donate to the Lycoming Warrior’ Club link:
Designate your gift to "football." It is that easy. Thanks for your consideration and go Warriors!