MONTREAL - The Vanier Cup game will be a special day for former CFL fullback Michael Soles.The former Edmonton Eskimo and Montreal Alouette will act as co-honorary president with ex-Governor General Adrienne Clarkson of the game on Saturday between the University of Montreal Carabins and the McMaster Marauders.He can expect a warm ovation from the crowd of more than 20,000 at Percival Molson Stadium at McGill University, as much for his stellar football career as for the nine-year battle he is still waging with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrigs disease.Before his CFL career, Soles starred for the McGill Redmen when they won their last Vanier Cup in 1987, an upset 47-11 victory over the University of British Columbia. The Pointe-Claire, Que., native rushed for 203 yards and a two touchdowns that day and was named the games MVP.On Thursday, a large group of family and former McGill teammates and coaches got together to announce a endowment in Soles name to provide scholarships to Redmen recruits.Soles, 48, watched from the front row. He was able to get up from his wheelchair to pose for pictures and can still speak in a whisper, but he let others to the talking.Hes had symptoms for nine years and it became more evident in the last couple of years, so we felt it would be good timing to have something at the same time as the Vanier Cup, said Wayne McRae, a co-captain of the 1987 Redmen who was Soles partner in a financial management company.It gave it more of a sense of urgency. Its still at a point where Mike can participate and be here for it, which is fortunate.McRae and four other members of the 1987 team started the fund-raising campaign. Their goal was $80,000, but they hauled out a oversized ceremonial cheque for $209,323.85, nearly triple their target. The sum was gathered from 249 donors.The endowment, called the Michael Soles Football Award, is expected to earn enough to fund up to three recruits per year.Soles was released from a five-month stint in hospital in September and now lives with his mother, getting regular visits from nurses. His wife Catherine and his three children live nearby.His old teammates are impressed with how he has kept smiling while he fights the disease.Even his doctors say one of the main reasons hes been such a poster boy for this thing is because of his attitude, said McRae. He remains positive.I worked with Mike every day and I never heard this guy complain about anything. Never once.Soles wife said that since he got out of the hospital he has his appetite back and still has his sense of humour.He doesnt want pity, she said. Hes living it with the most grace and determination Ive ever seen. We joked that its like an eternal football game and he wont give up. Its great.It was much the same with former Alouettes defensive back Tony Proudfoot, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2007 and died in 2010. Proudfoot launched a foundation to raise funds to fight ALS. Another Alouette from the 1970s, defensive back Larry Uteck, also died from the disease.Soles was a solid fullback for 11 CFL seasons. He played from 1989 to 1995 in Edmonton, winning a Grey Cup in 1993, then moved to Montreal for his final four seasons when the Alouettes returned from a 10-year hiatus in 1996.After football, he went into wealth management. When Larry Smith left as president of the Alouettes in 2011, many thought business savvy, bilingual and popular Soles would be the perfect replacement and were surprised to find he wasnt interested.It was only in the past two years that it became known that he was suffering from ALS.I didnt believe it at first because he kept it pretty private for a long time, said Charlie Baillie, the coach of the 1987 Redmen. Even when he was having some problems, he would never talk about it.Hes still got that smile. Still got the good looks. Its just his bodys not responding, unfortunately. Its very sad.In his CFL career, Soles rushed 579 times for 3,007 yards and 20 touchdowns, adding 326 catches for 3,500 yards and another 25 TDs. Nick Foles Womens Jersey . You can watch all the action on TSN and TSN GO beginning at 8:30pm et/5:30pm pt. Minnesota dropped the first two tests of this best-of-seven set at Chicagos United Center and was outscored by a combined 9-3 margin in those setbacks. 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Harris has played in six games since joining the Argos in 2012, completing 17-of-35 passes for 256 yards and one touchdown.The Columbus Blue Jackets will take another shot at the earning the first playoff win in team history on Saturday when they visit the Pittsburgh Penguins at CONSOL Energy Center for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. The Blue Jackets are in the postseason for just the second time in 13 seasons since entering the league as an expansion club in 2000-01. Columbus also qualified for the 2009 playoffs, but was swept by Detroit in four games during the opening round. Columbus actually held a 3-1 lead over Pittsburgh in Game 1 of this best-of- seven series on Wednesday, but the Penguins scored the games final three goals to claim a 4-3 decision and drop the Blue Jackets to 0-5 all-time in postseason contests. Brandon Sutter scored the game-winner for Pittsburgh 8:18 into the third period after his team struggled in the early going. The Blue Jackets built a 3-1 advantage under a minute into the second period, but Pittsburgh, which finished tied for the NHLs top power-play unit in the regular season, netted a pair of power-play goals 45 seconds apart to tie the game less than 2 1/2 minutes into the middle stanza. The Penguins finished 2-for-3 on the power play, while Columbus converted just one of four opportunities with the man advantage. Sutter supplied the winner with a wrister from the right circle, while Marc- Andre Fleury made nine of his 31 saves over the final 20 minutes to help the Pens draw first blood in the series. "The more shots came, the more comfortable I felt," said Fleury, who was making his first postseason start since being pulled in the opening round of Pittsburghs run to the Eastern Conference Finals last spring. "It just feels great to win that one." Beau Bennett and Matt Niskanen each notched a goal and an assist, while Jussi Jokinen also lit the lamp for the Metropolitan Division champion Penguins, who went 5-0-0 against Columbus during the regular season.dddddddddddd Evgeni Malkin, who sat out Pittsburghs final 11 games with a sprained foot, added a pair of assists, while captain Sidney Crosby picked up a helper in the triumph. Jack Johnson collected a goal and an assist for Columbus, while Derek MacKenzie and Mark Letestu tallied a goal apiece. Sergei Bobrovsky, last seasons Vezina Trophy winner, stopped 28 shots in the setback. "Theres going to be ups and downs throughout a playoff series and theyve only won one game, theyve gotta win four," Johnson said of his team coming back for Game 2 after blowing a two-goal lead. "Its a war of attrition and you cant get down about this." Columbus played Game 1 without forwards Nick Foligno, Nathan Horton and R.J. Umberger, but at least one of those guys will be in the lineup on Saturday as Umberger expects to play for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury on April 6. Foligno will miss Game 2. The team is hopeful that he will be ready for Game 3. A native of the Pittsburgh area, Umberger is eager to skate in another postseason tilt in the Steel City. The 31-year-old did face the Penguins in the 2008 playoffs at the Igloo while still a member of the Philadelphia Flyers. "I grew up going to these playoff games, this was my childhood and earlier in my career I got a chance to play in Mellon Arena," Umberger said. "The atmosphere was great (in Game 1) and Im anxious and really excited to get in there." Foligno originally had been ruled out for Game 2, but he was able to practice on Thursday and is now considered questionable for Saturdays tilt. Horton, meanwhile, will be sidelined until at least the middle of May following abdominal surgery. The series will shift to Columbus following tonights battle. Game 3 is scheduled for Monday at Nationwide Arena and the Blue Jackets also will host Game 4 on Wednesday. ' ' '