By Kelly Taylor,

MontrealAlouettes.com

Montreal – On a perfect summer afternoon under a cloudless sky, Alouettes fans flocked to Percival Molson Stadium to enjoy an exciting 34-34 pre-season tie against the Toronto Argonauts.

Quarterback Marcus Brady, who was supposed to start the game, sustained a minor back injury during warm-up and was unable to play, so Brad Banks stepped in and threw for 142 yards and a touchdown, and rushed for another.

“It was really fun and exciting to play a lot,” said Banks, who was voted Player of the Game. “I felt really good – I felt like I was playing catch with my receivers out there. Lots of good stuff happened tonight.”

Rookies Adrian McPherson and Ricky Santos also each got a turn, throwing for 105 and 120 yards, respectively. McPherson connected with Éric Deslauriers on a 39-yard pass for a touchdown less than a minute before halftime, and Santos passed to Larry Taylor for a much-needed score with just minutes left in the fourth.

As for the fans, they were just happy to be back watching the Als.

Julie Pinsonneau, who was there with her daughter Sara, said she missed the Alouettes in the off-season.

“I was looking forward to the new season, definitely! It’s always fun to come here and watch them play.”

While the game opened up in a rather frightening manner for Alouettes fans – it was 14-0 for Toronto in just under four minutes – fans said they knew they would make a comeback.

“They started off a little shaky, but I know exhibition games are about trying new players,” said fan Marie-Ève Côté. “(The Alouettes) woke up at the end of the first quarter, though, so that was reassuring.”

The game was new head coach Mark Trestman’s first, both for the Als and in the CFL entirely, and by halftime, fans were impressed.

“He looks like a good guy, good coach, a serious guy,” said fan Dan Martinez. “We’ll see how the season plays out, but this looks good so far.”

The Alouettes will play another exhibition game next Thursday in Winnipeg against the Blue Bombers. The season opener will be on June 26, against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.