Final Results
Jan 13, 06 - 19:00

Redmen 3 - Concordia (Carnival Game) 1

Game Report by Earl Zukerman

MONTREAL – A shorthanded goal by sophomore Eric L’Italien at 6:49 of the third period proved to be McGill’s lucky strike on Friday the 13th as McGill handed Concordia a 3-1 defeat in university hockey.

The win allowed the No.2-ranked and undefeated Redmen (12-0-2) to extend their undefeated streak to 15 straight games in league play, including one win last season.

The game, a veritable three-ring circus in front of a raucous Carnival Week crowd of 1,415 at the 950-seat McConnell Arena, featured 101 body-checks, 91 penalty minutes, three player ejections and all four goals scored on special teams.

Sophomore rearguard David Urquhart gave McGill a 1-0 lead on the power play with a shot from the blueline that found its way untouched through a forest of legs at 4:48 of the first period. The Stingers evened the score at 1-1 when Yannick Noiseux netted a power play goal at 14:32.

The deadlock stood up until the final period when L’Italien, a speedy right winger from Ste. Foy, Que., outraced a Stinger defender and took advantage of a loose puck that had been iced the length of the ice as McGill was killing off a penalty.

Senior Doug Orr of Newmarket, Ont., then added the back-breaker with his CIS-leading ninth power-play goal at 17:40 of the final stanza.

Netminder Mathieu Poitras made 18 saves and improved to 9-0-1 as McGill held a 31-19 edge in shots, including a lopsided 17-1 margin in the scoreless second period. The 22-year-old sophomore from Gatineau, Que., continues to lead the CIS in goals-against average (1.39), save percentage (.944) and shutouts (4).

Concordia’s Patrick Lepage, a sophomore from Riviere du Loup, Que., made 28 saves in a losing cause and saw his record drop to 2-7-3.

McGill’s win, combined with Ottawa’s stunning 4-0 victory at UQTR, gave the Redmen a five-point lead over the second-place Patriotes (10-4-1), who were shutout at home for the first time in school history, dating back to 1969. Ottawa sits third in the OUA Far East with an 8-7-1 record, including one overtime loss. Concordia is four points behind Ottawa with a 4-8-3 record, including three overtime losses.

The Stingers play host to UQTR on Sunday at 3 p.m. McGill, which improved to 17-4-2 overall, will face its next test when they play at UQTR on Tuesday, a game that will mark the Patriotes third game in five nights. The Redmen have beaten the Pats in both meetings to date, 4-1 in pre-season play and 2-0 in league action.

McGill is 8-0 on the road and a victory at UQTR would tie a school record set in 1936-37 for the longest win streak on the road.

REDMEN GAME NOTES: Shawn Shewchuk picked up a pair assists and extended his point-scoring streak to 13 consecutive games with 7-15-22 during that span…McGill went 2-for-11 on the power play but failed to connect on a five-minute major and three separate two-man advantages… Concordia was 1-for-6 with the man-advantage… The Redmen have won their last four games against the Stingers and improved to 10-3-2 in the last 15 meetings versus Concordia, which leads the all-time series 86-60-13… McGill lineup scratches included senior Ken Davis, plus rookies David Gasser, Sam Bloom, Benoit Lessard and Daniel Pharand… Players ejected included Concordia’s Bruno Champagne (hit from behind) and Sebastien Courcelles (match penalty for butt-ending), plus McGill rookie defenceman Louis-Simon Allaire (interference from the bench)… McGill has trailed in only three of their 14 OUA games thus far… The Redmen have lost only four of 44 periods played this season, winning 25 and tying 15.

SCORING SUMMARY

FIRST PERIOD:
1. McGill - David Urquhart 5 (S. Shewchuk, M. Leclerc) - 4:48 (PP)
2. Concordia - Yannick Noiseux 6 (F. Faucher, K. Gagne) - 14:32 (PP)

Penalties:
Concordia - P. Seguin (Slash), 4:05
McGill - Y. Tucotte (Trip), 5:53
Concordia - B. Champagne (Check from behind minor, game), 7:15
Concordia - S. Corbeil (Rough), 8:29
McGill - M. Leclerc (Rough), 8:29
Concordia - P. Lacasse (Rough), 9:44
McGill - D. Urquhart (High Stick), 12:35
McGill - Y. Turcotte (Rough), 13:13
Concordia - S. Courcelles (Butt-ending major, match), 18:46

SECOND PERIOD:
(no scoring)

Penalties:
Concordia - Y. Noiseux (Rough double minor), 4:54
McGill - C. Churchill-Smith (Rough), 4:54
Concordia - B. D’Amico (Rough), 4:54
McGill - L. Simon Allaire (Interference from bench minor, game), 4:54
Concordia - T. Blanchard (Rough), 4:54
McGill - T. Kyres (Rough), 4:54
Concordia - P. Lacasse (Hook), 6:36
McGill - B. Martin (High Stick), 8:57
Concordia - P. Seguin (Rough), 12:44
Concordia - J. D’Amico (Slash), 13:25

THIRD PERIOD:
3. McGill - Eric L’Italien 4 (C. Churchill-Smith) - 6:49 (SHG)
4. McGill - Doug Orr 9 (S. Shewchuk) - 17:40 (PP)

Penalties:
McGill - D. Urquhart (Hold), 4:52
McGill - M. Leclerc (High Stick), 9:09
Concordia - S. Corbeil (Rough), 14:12
McGill - M. Kovacevic (Rough), 15:48
Concordia - V. Durrau (Rough), 15:48
Concordia - T. Blanchard (Rough), 17:25
Concordia - S. Corbeil (Rough), 18:37
Concordia - D. Legault (Rough), 19:25
McGill - M. Leclerc (Rough), 19:25

GOALS BY PERIOD
Concordia 1 0 0 (1)
McGill 1 0 2 (3)

SHOTS BY PERIOD:
Concordia 10 1 8 (19)
McGill 7 17 7 (31)

PENALTIES (No./minutes):
Concordia: 19/57
McGill: 13/34

POWER PLAYS (goals/chances):
Concordia: 1/6
McGill: 2/11 (plus 1 SHG for)

GOALTENDERS:
Concordia:
Patrick Lepage (L, 2-7-3, 60:00, 3GA, 28 saves)

McGill:
Mathieu Poitras (W, 9-0-1, 60:00, 1GA, 18 saves)

MOLSON CUP 3 STARS:
1. Eric L’Italien, McGill
2. Patrick Lepage, Concordia
3. Mathieu Poitras, McGill

ATTENDANCE: 1,415

-----------------------------------------------

13 proves lucky number for No.2-ranked Redmen Jan 14, 06 Ice Hockey (M)

By RANDY PHILLIPS, The Gazette

==============================
PHOTO CREDIT: PIERRE OBENDRAUF, THE GAZETTE
PHOTO CAPTION: Concordia's Frederic Faucher (23) tangles with McGill's Steven Pearce, yesterday. The Redmen won 3-1 over the Stingers.
==============================

13 proves lucky number for Redmen
------------------------------------------
McGill 3, Concordia 1. Remain unbeaten on L'Italien's goal

With a 13-game season unbeaten streak on the line on Friday the 13th, you couldn't blame those that thought McGill finally might lose one.

No such bad luck.

The No. 2-ranked Redmen remained the only undefeated team in Canadian men's college hockey with a 3-1 win over the Concordia Stingers in a wild one, kicking off the Winter Carnival Week before a raucous capacity crowd of 1,415 at McConnell Arena last night.

Eric L'Italien provided the winner for the Redmen, scoring shorthanded at 6:49 of the third period after the speedy second-year right winger from Ste. Foy outraced two Concordia defenders for the puck at centre ice before breaking in alone on goalie Patrick Lepage.

Fifth-year forward Doug Orr added his Canadian Interuniversity Sport-leading ninth power-play goal of the season at 17:40 of the third.

"That was a tough one," said L'Italien, who had two of his team's four shorthanded goals this season. "We knew it was going to be tough against Concordia. They're a team that is a lot better than their record and we had to work very hard out there tonight."

It was a night for special teams, which contributed all the scoring in a physical game that produced 101 hits and saw referee Marc Muylaert hand out 91 minutes in penalties, including 57 to Concordia. Three players, two Stingers among them, were given game misconducts for a variety of infractions.

"I wasn't totally happy with the way we performed," McGill head coach Martin Raymond said of his team going 2-for-11 with the man advantage."

Left-winger Yannick Noiseaux scored the lone Concordia goal on the power play at 14:32 of the first period.

The Stingers went 1-for-6 on the power play and were outshot 31-19.

McGill improved to 12-0-2 in first place in the OUA Far East Division. The Stingers are last in the four-team division at 4-8-3, including three overtime losses.

"I will say it was an exciting game," Raymond said. "It's the kind of game we're going to see a lot of in this second half of the season."

Defenceman David Urquhart opened the scoring for McGill at 4:48 of the first period with his fifth goal of the season and third on the power play, blasting a low shot from the blue line by Lepage, who was partially screened.

The Stingers, however, kept pressing and made good when Noiseaux beat goalie Mathieu Poitras from close in with three seconds left in an 83-second, two-man power-play advantage.

The Redmen outshot Concordia by whopping 17-1 in a scoreless second period. McGill, with a 25.8 percentage on the power play going into the game, came away with nothing on four opportunities, including a couple of two-man advantages.

The Stingers play host to Trois-Rivieres tomorrow at 3 p.m. McGill visits the Patriotes Tuesday night.

McGill and Concordia return to McConnell Arena next Friday for the annual Corey Cup. Game time is 7 p.m.

rphillips@thegazette.canwest.com

© The Gazette (Montreal) 2006