Why Gee-Gees, police were both happy after Panda Game

9 hours ago 11

University of Ottawa Gee-Gees players, staff and fans flood the field at TD Place to celebrate a 35-32 win over the Carleton Ravens in the Panda Game on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026.

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Fans on each side of the TD Place stadium held their breath in the last three minutes of the 57th Panda Game on Sunday.

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But it was with one-and-a-half minutes left on the clock — before the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees officially got the green light to take the Pedro the panda trophy home — that Logan Ivardi and his group of uOttawa friends started celebrating a win for their university.

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The Carleton University Ravens football team had tied the game 32-32 with less than five minutes to play in the fourth quarter, but the Gee-Gees went ahead again, booting a field goal with only 64 seconds remaining to make it a 35-32 final.

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University of Ottawa Gee-Gees players pose for a team photograph with the Panda Game trophy at TD Place after defeating the Carleton Ravens 35-32 on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026.

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It was only a year ago that the Ravens had snapped the Gee-Gees’ six-year Panda Game winning streak.

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“We knew there was absolutely no way they were coming back, (so) we started celebrating early,” Ivardi said.

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The Gee-Gees have won 39 of the 57 games.

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It was an overcast Sunday afternoon at TD Place, a stark contrast from the conditions last year when it was sunny and 28 C.

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There was certainly no lack of energy in the stands Sunday, and after the game the masses from both sides of the stadium flooded the football field.

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Police on scene, however, said Sunday’s Panda Game was relatively peaceful compared to some previous years.

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“(Thousands of people) were here and, generally, most of the kids have been friendly and thankful (of the police presence),” Ottawa Police Service staff Sgt. Andrew Pidcock said as he stood at the tip of a long line of officers barricading fans leaving the stadium from traffic on the street.

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As of 3:30 p.m., there hadn’t been any major incidents of concern for police, he said.

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Pidcock said he attributes the after-game civility to a scheduling change. The game used to take place on Saturdays, but it was moved to Sunday in 2023.

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“Of course you could party a little harder on a Saturday, and students have class on Monday,” Pidcock said.

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Alexander Boily, who had played on the Ravens’ football team for the last four years, was on the sidelines as a fan this year. Boily, who dealt with multiple head and shoulder injuries over the years, was forced to hang up the cleats.

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“It’s hard to watch when your guys fight really hard and come off short,” Boily said after the game.

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“Just speaking about last year, it was a surreal moment for sure,” he said of the Carleton Panda Game victory. (But) the energy was still there from the team and the fans, and they were fighting and they had their chance to win, but it was a couple of plays short from another championship.

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“This being my first one I got to watch from the sidelines, it hurt a lot for sure,” Boily said.

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The Gee-Gees and their fans, on the other hand, lingered longer to celebrate their win.

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“We are absolutely enjoying the moment right now,” uOttawa second-year student Ivardi said.

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“Especially after last year’s (loss against the Ravens) it was my first year at school and we lost our huge winning streak, and we were super excited (this year) to come back and it did not disappoint.”

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The Carleton Ravens take on the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees in the annual Panda Game at TD Place in Ottawa on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. Gee-Gee Robin Collioud jumps to catch the ball as Raven Jake Henderson wraps up his legs.

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The Carleton Ravens take on the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees in the annual Panda Game at TD Place in Ottawa on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. The Gee-Gees' Souleymane Camara runs with the ball Sunday.

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The Carleton Ravens take on the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees in the annual Panda Game at TD Place in Ottawa on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. Raven Dante Spadaccini gets wrapped up by Gee-Gees tacklers.

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The Carleton Ravens take on the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees in the annual Panda Game at TD Place in Ottawa on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. Raven Matthew Morin runs with the ball Sunday.

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University of Ottawa Gee-Gees fans react to the action during the annual Panda Game against the Carleton Ravens at TD Place in Ottawa on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026.

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Carleton Ravens fans react to the action during the annual Panda Game against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees at TD Place in Ottawa on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026.

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The Carleton Ravens take on the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees in the annual Panda Game at TD Place in Ottawa on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. Gee-Gee Denny Ferdinand runs with the ball Sunday.

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The Carleton Ravens take on the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees in the annual Panda Game at TD Place in Ottawa on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026.

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The Carleton Ravens take on the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees in the annual Panda Game at TD Place in Ottawa on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. Gee-Gee Souleymane Camara runs with the ball Sunday.

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