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With the 2015 CFL Combine (Mar. 27-29) and CFL Draft (TBA) approaching on the offseason calendar, TSN.ca profiles some of the prospects who could be taken this spring. For Alex Mateas, the road to becoming the No. 2 prospect in the Canadian Football League wasnt a long one - in terms of playing football, anyway. The Ottawa native only played the game since tenth grade and it was something that he had to initially get pushed into. I got into football - like a lot of people growing up, I was playing basketball under Rob Smart, Mateas told TSN this week. He was coaching us and it was in a tournament between games that he said I might be able to do something with football. So it was then that I took the advice seriously and I played high school and then club. I just enjoyed it (and) things kept on rolling. Despite his lack of experience, Mateas found that his athletic background in sports like judo (which he practiced for seven years), soccer (his father Traian is a long time coach) and Olympic weightlifting were instrumental to succeeding at NCAA football. I really had a lot of faith in my athletic ability from playing all sports, he explained. So Ive pretty much been lucky from playing all the sports Ive had. Every place that I played I had really good coaches and had the good foundation to be an athlete. Mateas also enjoyed success in weightlifting, making it to the Canadian Junior Nationals. He fell in love with the sport and the training methods he used in it. He was a redshirt freshman at Penn State in 2010, but decided to transfer to Connecticut after one season. One of the reasons for his leaving - his love of weightlifting. The training they do there is just different with a lot of machines and high intensity training, he said. I got a lot bigger but it just wasnt necessarily the training that I liked. So I came to Connecticut - I had previous connections here, John Delahunt (who now plays for the Ottawa Redblacks) was there and I liked the offensive line coach so between that and the weightlifting program I thought that was best for me, that along with playing centre. After sitting out the 2011 season, Mateas finally got back onto the field in 2012, starting four games for the Huskies and appearing in eight games. There was a big transition going into Division I football given his lack of experience, but he weathered the storm thinking it would all work out. It was good, he said. It was a learning experience - pretty much like anything - and it taught me that everyones pretty much even and you just got to go out there, give it your all and have faith in what youve put in before. (You keep) adapting to the speed and kind of learning the game, the line of scrimmage, playing centre and you just keep on working and things work out. Mateas started the last two seasons at Connecticut and was named a captain in his senior season. According to TSNs CFL Draft Analyst Duane Forde, Mateas is considered the one of the most pro-ready prospects in this years Draft. His success has also garnered NFL interest. But no matter which league he plays, Mateas just wants to advance to the next level. I am going to try and do as much as I can in whatever road it takes me to Im happy, he said. You know, if Im playing down there (in the NFL) - great. if Im playing up here (in the CFL) - fantastic. Either way I am playing football and you get paid, he added with a laugh. Interest from NFL teams will weigh on any CFL team (including his hometown Redblacks), as will his choice not to attend the CFL Combine (March 21-23) - an event teams consider vital to vetting potential draft picks. Hes decided to participate in Connecticuts football pro day instead. I would definitely like to take the situation that will give me the best numbers for a pro day, Mateas said. But also creating a relationship with the teams and letting them know what they would be investing in me by taking me in terms of interviews, I would like to take any opportunity to be able to do that because I know thats part of the CFL Combine. Cheap Authentic Air Max 97 . PETERSBURG, Fla. Cheap Air Max 97 Ireland . While plenty of statistics illustrate Torontos turnaround in the second year of manager Ryan Nelsens tenure, stopping goals is not one of them. http://www.cheapairmax97ireland.com/. A fully booked flight forced me to leave two hours later. After a nice meal in which I studied the stats of the Argo win, I prepared to leave the restaurant. As I was gathering my things to leave many large individuals began to walk up and wait for tables. Air Max 97 Ireland Sale . Granato was an assistant for the Pittsburgh Penguins for the last five seasons, and he was also part of Team USAs staff at the 2014 Olympics. Cheap Air Max 97 Wholesale . According to the sportsbook BoDog, the Stampeders are 8/5 favourites to take home the Grey Cup at Mosaic Stadium in Regina on November 24.SUNRISE, Fla. -- The Vancouver Canucks were not surprised that their game against former goalie Roberto Luongo came down to a shootout. Nicklas Jensen scored in the first period and added the only goal in the shootout and the Canucks earned a 4-3 victory over Luongo and the Florida Panthers on Sunday. "Its fitting that it goes down to a shootout against him," said Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieksa. "He (Luongo) and Eddie (Lack) were joking about having it end in a 0-0 tie and just calling it a game, but we had other plans." Alex Burrows had a goal and two assists and Dan Hamhuis also scored for the Canucks. Eddie Lack made 26 saves. Jimmy Hayes scored two power-play goals for the Panthers. Vincent Trocheck also scored and Luongo stopped 29 shots. Luongo faced his former team just 12 days after being traded from the Canucks to the Panthers on March 4. Luongo is 2-3 since joining the Panthers. Lack stopped all three shots in the shootout and won against Luongo, his former teammate. "I challenged him to a goalie fight when we chatted before the game but he didnt want to go," Lack joked. "It was strange to see him at the other end of the ice, but Im sure he felt the same way looking down at our end. It was a huge win for us. Every win is important right now." Luongo was dealt along with forward Steven Anthony to Florida in exchange for goalie Jacob Markstrom and forward Shawn Matthias. This is Luongos second stint with the Panthers, whom he played for from 2000-06. Luongo was glad to get the much anticipated game out of the way. "It was a fun night to be part of. Either way Im fine with it," Luongo said. "I was looking forward to playing against the boys. Now that its done you just focus on the rest of the season and into next year." Luongo holds no ill feelings toward his former teammate and fellow goaltender. The Canucks won for just the fourth time in 17 games and are 3-4 since they traded Luongo. "I wanted him to play well given whats been going on since Ive been gone," Luongo said. "I was happy for him, especially that he was able to make some big saves in OT there for their team." Jensens shootout goal hit the crossbar and bounced down behind the goal line. "I talked to some of thhe guys and they told me to go upstairs and it went it," Jensen said.dddddddddddd The Canucks are 5-7 in shootouts this season. "Thats just the way its been," Canucks coach John Tortorella said. "Weve been on the other side of these things. Good for Eddie Lack, and Jensen. Its not Picasso, thats for sure, but its nice to grind away and scratch and claw and get the two points." It seemed as if the Canucks were going to win in regulation, but Hayes tied the game at 3 on his second goal during a power play with 1:35 left. Brian Campbells shot was deflected by Hayes, blocked by Lack, then Hayes was able to poke in his own rebound. Trailing 2-1, the Panthers tied it at 2 on Trochecks goal at 4:19 of the third. Trocheck brought the puck around the back of the net and was able to sneak it past Lack on the wraparound. It wasnt long before the Canucks regained the lead. Burrows was able to stuff in a rebound on the power play to make the score 3-2 at 5:34. The Panthers nearly tied it at 10:47 of the third but a shot by Colby Robak was kicked out of the crease by Bieksa. "It was probably harder on Louie than it was on anybody else because he sees his new team in front of him and his old team standing there across the way." Panthers coach Peter Horacheck said. "I?think that he handled it pretty well." A quiet first period ended with three goals scored in the final 3 1/2 minutes, two by Vancouver. The Panthers went ahead 1-0 on a power-play goal by Hayes. Tom Gilbert shot from the slot and Hayes deflected it off his stick at 16:28. It was the eighth power-play goal in the past 12 games for the Panthers. The Canucks scored twice in less than a minute. Hamhuis shot from the point glanced off the skate of defenceman Robak and into the net to tie it at 1 at 17:42. Jensen fired a one-timer from the high slot that beat Luongo on the glove side to make it 2-1 at 18:35. It was Jensens second NHL goal. His first came in Fridays 4-3 loss at Washington. NOTES: Panthers C Jonathan Huberdeau left the game with an upper-body injury in the first period and didnt return. ... F Sean Bergenheim missed his third consecutive game with a lower-body injury. ... The Canucks are 4-12-1 in their past 17 games and have allowed 28 goals in their past eight games. ' ' '