The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men’s lacrosse team ended their 2008 Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association (CUFLA) season on the road with two losses. The Blues fell to the undefeated Trent Excalibur 13-4 on Saturday, October 18 and the Carleton Ravens 7-6 on Sunday, October 19th.

Plagued by injury, the Blues could only field 16 players for the game in Peterborough. Trent built a 2-0 lead after one quarter. Trent would add two more in the second before Toronto could answer. The Blues tallied three goals before the half expired to cut the lead to 4-3. Mikael Chullen (Toronto, Ont.) scored his first of two goals with singles coming from first year player Andrew Kerr (Clarington, Ont.) and second year middle Kevin Sloan (Mississauga, Ont.).

The home team was just too much in the second half. Toronto’s manpower shortage took its toll as Trent pulled away to an eventual 13-4 win.

With even fewer players on Sunday, the Blues put forth a valiant effort against the Carleton Ravens. The host opened up the scoring two minutes into the game but Toronto answered with a goal by attacker James Forbes (Campbellville, Ont.). The Ravens went ahead again but Beau Bassett (Nassau, BAH) would tie things up in his last game for the Blues just before the end of the first quarter.

Toronto took the lead in the second quarter as both Forbes and Bassett tallied their second goals of the game and the Blues led 4-3 at the half.

The third quarter has been a nemesis for Toronto all season and this game would prove to be no different. Carleton scored four unanswered goals to take control of the game and pulled ahead 7-4. The Blues fought back with an opportunistic goal by Kerr. Anthio Yuen (Vancouver, B.C.) would score with 1:45 left in the game to make it a one goal game.

After Carleton got possession on the ensuing draw, Toronto defenders double-teamed the ball and forced a turnover. After calling a time out, the Blues worked the ball for a last shot but unfortunately could not tie the score and fell 7-6 to the Ravens.

Goalie Jon Carlo Bairos (Etobicoke, Ont.) played an excellent game in net for the Blues.