Poirier-McKiggan, Russell, Pilichos and Beals named to East-West Bowl

(TORONTO, ON) - The table is set for the 2023 East-West Bowl, U SPORTS announced on Tuesday the official rosters for Canadian universities' top football showcase.

Four Axemen were named to the East Team Roster including Julien Poirier-McKiggan (REC), Will Russell (DL), Emmanuel Beals (DB) and Nick Pilichos (OL).

The 2023 U SPORTS football prospects game is set for Saturday, May 13 at 4 p.m. ET at McMaster University's Ron Joyce Field in Hamilton.

This is the second straight year that the event has been at McMaster (and the third time overall), and this year marks the 20th anniversary of the annual all-star contest, which was launched in 2003.

The East-West Bowl showcases – for the most part – players who will be eligible for the following year's CFL draft.

The East side is comprised primarily of student-athletes representing schools from the AUS and RSEQ conferences, as well as Carleton, Ottawa, Queen's, and York. The West contingent is primarily made up of players from Canada West and the remaining OUA universities. Note that some adjustments have been made to balance out the two sides.

The West prevailed in last year's game 11-8, to stretch their lead in the series to 12-6 overall. The West has won the past five games, with the last win by the East in 2015.

The two teams' coaching staffs will be announced, along with any updates to the team rosters, on Friday, May 12.

2023 EAST-WEST BOWL ROSTERS
EAST TEAM

Pos., Name, University, HT, WT, Hometown

Offence

QB, Thomas Bolduc, Laval, 6-3, 205, Sherbrooke, Que.
QB, Anthony Robichaud, Sherbrooke, 6-3, 195, Sainte-Julie, Que.
RB, David Chaloux, Bishop's, 5-10, 190, Joliette, Que.
RB, Natan Girouard-Langlois, Montréal, 6-1, 247, Drummondville, Que.
RB, Gideone Kremier, Simon Fraser University, 6-0, 180, Victoria, B.C.
RB, Paul-Antoine Ouellette, Montréal, 6-4, 240, Montreal, Que.
REC, Fredérik Antoine, Laval, 6-1, 215, Quebec City, Que.
REC, Carl Chabot, Montréal, 5-7, 173, Blainville, Que.
REC, Sam Davenport, Simon Fraser University, 6-1, 185, Abbotsford, B.C.
REC, Nicholas Gendron, Ottawa, 6-1, 195, Gatineau, Que.
REC, William Langlais, McGill, 6-3, 206, Chicoutimi, Que.
REC, Kevin Morin, Sherbrooke, 6-0, 175, Bécancour, Que.
REC, Alfred Olay, York, 5-8, 165, Courtice, Ont.
REC, Anthony Paul-Hus, Concordia, 6-4, 225, St. Bonaventure, Que.
REC, Nykolas Pierre-Masse, Bishop's, 5-10, 185, Laval, Que.
REC, Julien Poirier-McKiggan, Acadia, 5-10, 185, Halifax, N.S.
REC, Liam Stewart, Saint Mary's, 6-0, 205, Port Coquitlam, B.C.
OL, Evan Anseeuw, York, 6-4, 290, Walsingham, Ont.
OL, Nathaniel Dumoulin-Duguay, Laval, 6-3, 287, Rimouski, Que.
OL, Tristan Fortin, Ottawa, 6-4, 275, Roberval, Que.
OL, Jas Khaira, Queen's, 6-5, 285, Brampton, Ont.
OL, Patrick Lavoie, Carleton, 6-5, 327, Gatineau, Que.
OL, Nick Pilichos, Acadia, 6-4, 277, Bedford, N.S.
OL, Caleb Purdy, Saint Mary's, 6-6, 275, Dartmouth, N.S.
OL, Michael Vlahogiannis, McGill, 6-4, 300, Town of Mount Royal, Que.
Defence

DL, Nathan Brennan, York, 6-3, 310, Beamsville, Ont.
DL, Nassib Hassouna, McGill, 6-1, 225, Verdun, Que.
DL, Jason Janvier-Messier, York, 6-3, 230, Beloeil, Que.
DL, Scott Murray, Guelph, 6-2, 230, Mississauga, Ont.
DL, Darien Newell, Queen's, 6-2, 265, Brampton, Ont.
DL, Kristian Stewart, Guelph, 6-5, 230, Hamilton, Ont.
DL, Dennis Robler, Mount Allison, 6-2, 240, Scarborough, Ont.
DL, Will Russell, Acadia, 6-3, 257, Quispamsis, N.B.
LB, Ramsey Derbas, Saskatchewan, 6-2, 215, Saskatoon, Sask.
LB, Isaiah Okoli, Saint Mary's, 6-1, 220, Surrey, B.C.
LB, Zach Phillion, Concordia, 6-2, 220, Buffalo, N.Y.
LB, Jay Turnsek, STFX, 5-10, 198, North Bay, Ont.
LB, Malik Yusuf, Carleton, 6-0, 200, Ottawa, Ont.
DB, Emmanuel Beals, Acadia, 5-11, 188, Ajax, Ont.
DB, Cristophe Beaulieu, Laval, 6-2, 187, Blainville, Que.
DB, Daniel Bell, Mount Allison, 6-2, 215, Saint John, N.B.
DB, Ahmadou Boubacar, Concordia, 6-2, 190, Niamey, Niger
DB, Alexandre-Karl Boudreau, Sherbrooke, 5-10, 185, Gatineau, Que.
DB, Eric Cumberbatch, Ottawa, 6-3, 185, Alexandria, Ont.
DB, Jerrell Cummings, Simon Fraser University, 5-10, 185, Vancouver, B.C.
DB, Louis Lavaud, Carleton, 6-0, 183, Pierrefonds, Que.
DB, Brandyn Martin, STFX, 6-0, 204, Melfort, Sask.
DB, Keegan Vanek, Queen's, 5-10, 196, London, Ont.
Special Teams

K/P, Vincent Blanchard, Laval, 6-1, 194, Quebec City, Que.

WEST TEAM

Pos, Name, University, Ht., Wt., Hometown

Offence

QB, Evan Hillock, Western, 6-3, 205, Hamilton, Ont.
QB, Kinsale Philip, Toronto, 6-0, 200, New Westminster, B.C.
RB, Craig Coleman, Western, 6-3, 230, St. Thomas, Ont.
RB, Brad Hladik, UBC, 6-4, 235, Vernon, B.C.
RB, Christopher John, Windsor, 5-10, 225, Toronto, Ont.
RB, Tanner Nelmes, Laurier, 6-0, 213, Guelph, Ont.
RB, Matthew Peterson, Alberta, 5-10, 201, Brooks, Alta.
REC, Cody Barton, Mount Allison, 6-2, 215, Lower Coverdale, N.B.
REC, Jackson Cooling, McMaster, 5-7, 160, Burlington, Ont.
REC, AK Gassama, Manitoba, 5-11, 170, Winnipeg, Man.
REC, Nigel LeGood, Toronto, 6-1, 195, Kingston, Ont.
REC, D'Sean Mimbs, Regina, 6-1, 180, Regina, Sask.
REC, Kaine Stevenson, Guelph, 6-0, 203, Windsor, Ont.
REC, Justin Succar, Waterloo, 5-9, 175, Welland, Ont.
REC, Birhanu Yitna, Manitoba, 6-0, n/a, Winnipeg, Man.
OL, Alex Berwick, Western, 6-3, 325, Ottawa, Ont.
OL, John Bosse, Calgary, 6-6, 320, Calgary, Alta.
OL, Austin Haas, Saskatchewan, 6-4, 300, Saskatoon, Sask.
OL, Cooper Hamilton, Laurier, 6-7, 285, Innisfil, Ont.
OL, Ethan Kalra, Waterloo, 6-3, 291, Acton, Ont.
OL, Jaxon Morkin, Windsor, 6-3, 290, Tecumseh, Ont.
OL, Daniel Shin, Alberta, 6-4, 270, Edmonton, Alta.
OL, Daniel Townsend, Calgary, 6-6, 375, Calgary, Alta.
OL, Anu Una, Windsor, 6-3, 300, Toronto, Ont.
Defence

DL, Luke Brubacher, Laurier, 6-6, 250, Listowel, Ont.
DL, Keenan Dell, Toronto, 6-2, 290, Saskatoon, Sask.
DL, Trevon Halstead, Waterloo, 6-1, 275, Brampton, Ont.
DL, Tyson Hergott, Waterloo, 6-3, 255, Waterloo, Ont.
DL, Owen Hubert, McMaster, 6-4, 255, Hamilton, Ont.
DL, George Idoko, Saskatchewan, 6-3, 210, Calgary, Alta.
DL, Mitch Price, McMaster, 6-1, 305, Caledon, Ont.
DL, Curtis Woodmansey, Guelph, 6-3, 291, Toronto, Ont.
LB, Ryan Baker, UBC, 6-2, 220, North Vancouver, B.C.
LB, Lourenz Bowers-Kane, Western, 5-11, 200, Dartmouth, N.S.
LB, Cameron Mah, Regina, 5-11, 215, Regina, Sask.
LB, Max Nixon, Western, 6-0, 220, Dorchester, Ont.
LB, Mitchell Townsend, UBC, 6-4, 235, North Vancouver, B.C.
LB, Nick Wiebe, Saskatchewan, 6-3, 240, Okotoks, Alta.
DB, DeEmetrius Masuka, McMaster, 6-2, 220, Hamilton, Ont.
DB, Stephen Adamopoulos, Manitoba, 6-4, n/a, Winnipeg, Man.
DB, Richard Aduboffour, Western, 6-3, 200, Toronto, Ont.
DB, Ayo Ajayi, Laurier, 6-0, 185, Brampton, Ont.
DB, Devonte Ballantyne, McMaster, 5-11, 190, Strathroy, Ont.
DB, Ryan Collins, Toronto, 6-6, 225, Hamilton, Ont.
DB, Nick Conway, Manitoba, 5-10, n/a, Winnipeg, Man.
DB, Jonathan Giustini, Alberta, 6-0, 200, Calgary, Alta.
DB, Jackson Sombach, Regina, 5-9, 195, Regina, Sask.
DB, Kevin Victome, Ottawa, 6-0, 170, Ottawa, Ont.
Special Teams

K/P, Ben Hadley, STFX, 6-2, 193, Halifax, N.S.