There isn’t much left on the Université de Montréal Carabins football program’s wish list.
In the past decade, the club has won the Vanier Cup twice, triumphed in four Canadian semi-finals and won the Dunsmore Cup five times, including twice at home.
Thierry Laforce / QMI Agency
However, the Blues have never won back-to-back Canadian championships. That is now her goal.
“That was the topic of our first team meeting after the game [de la Coupe Vanier], revealed ball carrier Lucas Bertet-Dembele. “This is important to us and we are ready to get back to work next week.”
Typically, a college football program experiences a slight decline after a win. This is often due to the departure of several veterans who have completed their school careers. Of the carabiners, only two starters will not officially return for the time being.
These are the defensive backs Kaylyn St-Cyr and Bruno Lagacé. Pass receiver Carl Chabot could also retire from football, although he still has one year of eligibility left. The attacking team’s Swiss army knife has not yet made its decision.
An unplanned return
The Carabins will also count on the return of standout receiver Hassane Dosso. This was not at all in the plans of the Frenchman, who planned to make himself available for the next Canadian Football League draft.
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However, a serious injury in the last game of the regular season put a stop to his plans. The athlete suffered a compound fracture in one leg, which left terrible memories for some spectators who attended the game against the Concordia Stingers on October 28 at CEPSUM.
“The plan was to make the jump to the professionals next year. I’ll finally be back with the Carabins for another year.”
Dosso also made it no secret that he found it difficult to remain on the sidelines during the Carabins’ four playoff games in 2023.
“It was mentally difficult,” he said. However, I was able to put that aside a little bit by being there for my teammates.”
Photo credit: Courtesy of University of Montreal Carabins
The victory celebration also eased the 24-year-old’s disappointment. He is also very motivated to contribute to the first “back-to-back” in the history of the Carabins.
– This Thursday the Carabins hosted a party at CEPSUM to give fans and the university community the opportunity to celebrate with the Vanier Cup.
Thierry Laforce / QMI Agency
Thierry Laforce / QMI Agency
Thierry Laforce / QMI Agency