Final Results
Nov 23, 07 - 19:00

Redmen 3 - Toronto 2

Game Report by Earl Zukerman

MONTREAL -- Steven Pearce, a junior defenceman from Fredericton, N.B., fired a game-winning 60-foot slapshot from the blueline midway through the third period as McGill rallied for a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Toronto in men’s university hockey before a crowd of 712 spectators at McConnell Arena, Saturday.

It was the seventh straight victory for the Redmen, matching their longest win streak since they reeled off seven in 2005 (Jan. 22-Feb. 13). The team record for most consecutive league wins in a season occurred way +back in 1936-37 when they went undefeated at 10-0.

The Varsity Blues took a 1-0 lead on Anthony Pallotta’s goal at 9:45 of the opening period but McGill bounced back on the scoreboard at 11:52 and 18:15, respectively, from veterans Guillaume Demers and Sam Bloom.

Toronto set the stage for Pierce’s heroics when Mark Heatley, a brother NHL sniper Dany Heatley, found the top corner on a power play at 5:15 of the middle stanza to make it 2-2.

McGill, which outshot the Varsity Blues 44-33, continued to shine on the power play, clicking three times in nine chances. It marked the fourth consecutive game with at least three PP markers for the Redmen, who have tallied 20 of their 42 goals this season in man-advantage situations.

Goaltender Mathieu Poitras, a senior from Gatineau, Que., making his eighth straight start, was credited with 30 saves for the win. He improved to 8-2-0 in OUA play this year and has an overall career record of 70-29-6 in a McGill jersey.

Varsity Blues rookie netminder Andrew Martin made 41 saves in a losing cause and fell to 4-5-1.

McGill (8-3-1) moved into a second-place tie with Concordia (8-4-1) in the OUA Far East, two points back of UQTR (9-3-1) with a game in hand. The loss dropped Toronto to 4-8-1 in the OUA Mid East. McGill will host Ryerson on Saturday at 7 p.m. The Redmen are 30-5-1 lifetime against the Rams, including a current 11-game win streak… Ryerson sits fourth in the OUA Mid East, two points back of Toronto, with a 2-6-3 record.

GAME NOTES: The McGill-Toronto rivalry is the fifth-oldest in hockey history and dates back to 1899… Toronto leads the all-time series with a 117-75-15 record but McGill is 16-5-4 in the last 25 meetings…. Blues coach Darren Lowe, a former Canadian Olympian, was clipped in the forehead by an errant puck in the third period… He left the bench to get stitched up by McGill team physician Kathryn Sun with 12:57 remaining in the game and the score tied at 2-2. By the time he returned, his team was trailing 3-2… In the last five games, the McGill PP has clicked at a 34.1 per cent success rate with 15 goals in 44 attempts... Over the last nine games, the Redmen penalty-killing unit has snuffed out 59 of the last 62 situations, a 95.2 success rate.

- Nov 23, 2007 -

SCORING SUMMARY

Toronto 2 at McGill 3

FIRST PERIOD:
Scoring -
1. Toronto, A. Pallotta (7) (M. Heatley, E. Snetsinger) 9:45
2. McGill, G. Demers (4) (E. L’Italien, G. Doucet) 11:52 (PP)
3. McGill, S. Bloom (4) (S. Shewchuk, L. Allaire) 18:15 (PP)

Penalties -
B. Sherrard Toro (holding) 4:00,
K. Morin Mcg (holding) 4:23,
J. Sarraino Toro (hooking) 7:45,
D. Simich Toro (tripping) 10:26,
J. Burgess Mcg (boarding) 12:20,
S. Duffy Toro (holding) 17:20,
Y.Turcotte Mcg (interference) 19:57

SECOND PERIOD:
Scoring -
4. Toronto, M. Heatley (10) (E. Snetsinger, A. Pallotta) 5:15 (PP)

Penalties -
G. Doucet Mcg (hooking) 4:41,
D. Brewer Toro (elbowing) 9:23

THIRD PERIOD:
Scoring -
5. McGill, S. Pearce (2) (K. Morin, S. Courcelles) 9:43 (PP)

Penalties -
S. Courcelles Mcg (holding) 0:18,
L. Verrilli Mcg (checking from behind minor, GM 50) 4:20,
M. Kovacevic Mcg (slashing) 7:35,
M. Heatley Toro (roughing) 7:49,
S. Duffy Toro (cross checking) 8:38,
E. L’Italien Mcg (cross checking) 8:55,
A. Pallotta Toro (spearing dble minor) 13:44,
K. Morin Mcg (tripping) 17:55

GOALTENDERS:
Toronto
Martin [L], 4-5-1, 58:26, SV:41, GA:3

McGill
Poitras [W], 8-2-0, 60:00, SV:31, GA:2

SHOTS BY PERIOD:
Toronto: 9 8 16 -- 33
McGill: 18 13 13 -- 44

GOALS BY PERIOD:
Toronto: 1 1 0 -- 2
McGill: 2 0 1 -- 3

POWER PLAY CONVERSION:
Toronto 1-9.
McGill 3-9.

PENALTIES (No./Mins.):
Toronto 9-18.
McGill 10-26.

Start : 7:00 PM

End : 9:22 PM

Attendance : 712

Referee: Jonathan Trudel

MOLSON CUP THREE STARS:
--------------------------
1. Mathieu Poitras, McGill
2. Steven Pearce, McGill
3. Andrew Martin, Toronto

McGILL LINEUP SCRATCHES:
--------------------------------
G Jake Jarvis (dressed but DNP)
G Jean-Michel Filiatrault (injd)
D Erik Stilling (injd)
D David Urquhart (injd)
F Charles Gauthier (injd)
F Mathieu Leclerc (injd)
F Simon Marcotte (injd)

SOURCE:

Earl Zukerman
Communications Officer & Webmaster
Dept. of Athletics
McGill University
475 Pine Avenue W.
Montreal, QC
H2W IS4
514-398-7012
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca
www.athletics.mcgill.ca