Lancers and Gee-Gees Face Off for Playoff Positioning

The no. 10 ranked Windsor Lancers land in Ottawa for the final game of the regular OUA season on Saturday, October 19. The teams are all tied up with a 4-3 record on the season, and each have the possibility of finishing anywhere from fourth to sixth in the final OUA standings.

Since the top six teams from the OUA are guaranteed a spot in the playoffs, Ottawa has been a shoo-in since the win against Carleton. As Western, Guelph and Queen's are already positioned in the top three, the toss up for the remaining rankings weighs on Saturday's results. In order to host a game in Ottawa, the Gee-Gees are required to win against the Lancers and the McMaster Marauders, also 4-3, would have to fall short against the Carleton Ravens (0-7) on Saturday.

Although Ottawa is concerned about playoff positioning, the game at hand takes precedence. "A 5-3 record would be much more agreeable for me and for the players than 4-4," said Gee-Gees head coach Jamie Barresi. "This would be a major bounce-back and give us a good spring board going into the playoffs."

Looking back, the Gee-Gees have lost the last two games played against the Lancers. In 2012, they faced an upsetting 18-63 loss in Windsor and another in Ottawa at the 2011 quarterfinal (33-50). Windsor comes into the game ranked no. 10 in country and nearly topped undefeated Guelph in week two of OUA action. Both squads have had an extra week to prepare for the season's finale, sharing a bye week over Thanksgiving Weekend.

Prior to the break, Windsor had a three-game winning streak broken by Western. Evan Pszczonak has become Windsor's top receiver this season, as the fourth-year senior is fifth in the nation with 97.2 reception yards per game. Pszczonak has five touchdown catches this season for the Lancers, who have also enhanced their ground attack from last season, averaging 188.7 rushing yards per game. Running back Mitch Dender is averaging 68.0 yards per game thus far for Windsor, while Gilbert Stewart has added 44.3 yards per game. Kennedy continues to be a running threat, picking up close to 53 yards per contest.

For Ottawa, passing has been a strong suit all season long. The team is now ranked first in the CIS with 194 completed passes and first with 22 receiving touchdowns, totalling up to 373 yards per game which ranks second in the nation. Balancing out the aerial attack, Brendan Gillanders currently ranks ninth in the CIS with 92.6 rushing yards per game.

Windsor ranks fourth in the country for sacks with 28, led by fourth-year lineman Tai Pham who has 7.5.

The final game of the regular season is set to kickoff at 1 p.m. at Gee-Gees Field. The matchup will also be aired live on SSN Canada.