Final Results
Oct 17, 06 - 19:00

Redmen 5 - Ottawa 6

Game Report by Earl Zukerman

MONTREAL – Defenceman James Smith’s long shot from the blueline snapped a 5-5 tie at 11:27 of the third period as Ottawa rallied from a 4-1 deficit to upset No.3-ranked McGill 6-5 in men’s university hockey at McConnell Arena, Tuesday.

It was the most goals allowed by a McGill team in 78 league contests, dating back to a 7-2 loss at UQTR on Jan. 31, 2003. It also snapped McGill’s undefeated streak at 10-0-1 in OUA play, dating back to last January as Ottawa handed McGill its first regular-season home-ice loss in almost two years, since a 5-4 setback to RMC on Nov. 13, 2004.

Ben McLeod and Kevin Glode each tallied twice and added an assist for the Gee-Gees, who beat All-Canadian netminder Mathieu Poitras (2-1-0) for more goals than he had ever conceded in his 42 career league starts with the Redmen. Martin Bricault, a third-year goaltender from Laval, Que., who has surrendered 18 goals in three starts, made 39 saves and improved to 2-1-0.

Ottawa connected on four of seven power-play opportunities while McGill was unable to cash in on any of their 10 power-play opportunities, including a pair of 5-on-3 advantages in the second period.

The Gee-Gees, who own a 33-31-7 lifetime road record at McConnell Arena, survived a 44-25 disadvantage in shots on net, including a lopsided 16-1 onslaught by McGill in the first period, when the Redmen took a 3-1 lead on goals by Eric L’Italien, Lucas Madill and captain Benoit Martin.

Madill’s second goal early in the middle period game the Redmen a comfortable 4-1 cushion but the Gee-Gees battled back when McLeod scored twice in 85 seconds before the six-minute mark of the period.

Defenceman Dave Urquhart gave McGill a 5-3 lead after two but Glode tied the game at 5-5 with back-to-back power-play markers at 1:42 and 4:25 of the final period.

Nick Vernelli scored the other Ottawa goal in the first period.

The Gee-Gees (2-1-0) play next at Concordia on Oct. 22 while McGill travels stateside this weekend for non-conference games at Princeton and Yale on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

REDMEN RAP: Mathieu Darche scored twice and added an assist helping the Worcester Sharks to a 6-2 victory over the Lowell Devils in American Hockey League play last Sunday. Darche, the former All-Canadian left winger with McGill, currently leads the league with seven goals in five games for Worcester (2-1-2), a farm team of the San Jose Sharks. He played in Germany last year and was a 20-goal scorer in each of his last four AHL seasons.
Worcester will play at Providence on Friday.

SCORING SUMMARY

FIRST PERIOD:
1. McGill - Eric L’Italien (G. Demers) - 1:35
2. McGill - Lucas Madill (E. L’Italien, S. Shewchuk) - 8:56
3. Ottawa - Nick Vernelli (D. McDonald, B. McLeod) - 10:27 (PP)
4. McGill - Benoit Martin (Y. Turcotte, S. Shewchuk) - 17:23

Penalties:
McGill - S. Shewchuk (Hook), 10:19
Ottawa - K. Glode (Trip), 11:18
Ottawa - P. Gauthier (Rough), 14:29
McGill - M. Leclerc (Hook), 14:53
McGill - K. Morin (Interfere), 17:56

SECOND PERIOD:
5. McGill - Lucas Madill (V. Lambert, T. Kyres) - 3:12
6. Ottawa - Ben McLeod (N. Vernelli, K. Glaude) - 4:23 (PP)
7. Ottawa - Ben McLeod (unassisted) - 5:48
8. McGill - David Urquhart (L. Madill, E. L’Italien) - 18:21

Penalties:
Ottawa - D. McDonald (Hook), 01:01
McGill - D. Urquhart (Hook), 03:44
Ottawa - C. Priolo (Hook), 06:45
Ottawa - J. Smith (Hook), 07:17
Ottawa - N. Vernelli (Hook), 12:27
Ottawa - P. Gauthier (Cross-check), 13:37

THIRD PERIOD:
9. Ottawa - Kevin Glaude (J. Smith, D. McDonald) - 1:42 (PP)
10. Ottawa - Kevin Glaude (D. McDonald) - 5:25 (PP)
11. Ottawa - James Smith (Y. Charron) - 11:27

Penalties:
McGill - S. Shewchuk (Rough), 0:42
McGill - S. Bloom (Interfere), 3:54
Ottawa - P. Gauthier (Hook), 05:59
Ottawa - T. Duncan (Hook), 14:33
McGill - K. Morin (Interfere), 16:24
Ottawa - B. McLeod (Hook), 18:17
Ottawa - P. Bilodeau (Interfere), 20:00

GOALTENDERS:
McGill:
Mathieu Poitras (L, 2-1-0; 19 saves, 6GA; 59:24)
Empty net: (0GA, 0:36)

Ottawa:
Martin Bricaire (W, 39 saves, 5GA; 60:00)

GOALS BY PERIOD
1 2 3 Total
McGill 3 2 0 (5)
UQTR 1 2 3 (6)

SHOTS BY PERIOD
1 2 3 Total
McGill 16 20 8 44
Ottawa 1 10 14 25

PENALTIES (No./Minutes):
Ottawa: 11/22
McGill: 7/14

POWER PLAY (goals/chances):
Ottawa: 4/7
McGill: 0/10

MOLSON CUP 3 STARS:
1. Ben McLeod, Ottawa
2. Lucas Madill, McGill
3. Kevin Glaude, Ottawa

Referee: Francis Charron

Attendance: 512