The 2020 Law Games transformed into a breakout campaign for Osgoode
Earlier this month, 44 of Osgoode Hall’s finest descended upon Montreal for the 2020 Law Games hosted by the Université de Montréal. Over 5 days, the Osgoode Law Games team competed against 17 other law schools across Canada in a multitude of sports ranging from volleyball to capture the flag to inner tube water polo. Your lovable Ozzies put up a valiant effort, playing through numerous injuries including a few broken bones while hopped up on Advil and Benadryl, and when it was all said and done, came away with their most decorated Law Games in school history.
The stars of the week were Osgoode’s basketball team, who went undefeated and cruised past their opponents to a Gold Medal. Although it was still technically winter break, Keneca Pingue-Giles made sure class was in session for everyone else on the court, taking Laval and Dalhousie to school in all areas of the game, and got some clutch contributions from Harkirt Singh along the way.
Osgoode’s dodgeball team also had an incredible week, going on a Cinderella-like run to a Silver Medal by running the table and taking down hated rival Sherbrooke in comeback fashion. Unfortunately, this squad of Average Joes would not get the fairytale ending to their true underdog story, as they were defeated by a Globo Gym-like Western side in the final.
Osgoode was shut out in field sports, but it didn’t stop them from leaving a lasting impact on the crowd in Montreal. The flag football team got the day rolling on the back of dominating defensive performances against UdeM and a 26-0 annihilation of UQAM. The emphatic victory featured a pick-six by Nolan Cattell, whose return broke the UQAM QB’s ankles so badly that he face planted and was sidelined for the rest of the day with a bruised ego.
The soccer team capped it all off with an unbeaten record propelled by “Magic” Max Ledger, whose mesmerizing moves and clinical finishing ability left defenders dazed and kept the Saskatchewan goalkeeper busy fishing the ball out of the back of the net. A bounce here or there and it could have been an even better week for Osgoode. Due to the format of the Games (set up by Montreal), only 4 of the 18 schools in each competition advance to the playoffs, and Osgoode was unluckily eliminated on tiebreak in several sports, including soccer, flag football and volleyball.
However, as was made clear to the Montreal Delta staff that week, our fearless Osgoode heroes would not go quietly into the cold winter night, taking home Gold in the lip dub video competition thanks to the brilliant editing of Karin Kazakevich. The video featured some “absolutely savage” chirps that left no school unscathed, and had others looking like bigger cowards than Papa Doc at the end of 8 Mile.
After not only demonstrating outstanding sportsmanship but also embarrassing their opponents on the field, Osgoode heads into the 2021 Games led by new captains Brad MacKay and Brittany Town with a target on their back like they’ve never had before, poised to contend for the overall Law Games title.