Final Results
Feb 22, 08 - 19:00

Redmen 2 - Queen's (OUA East semifinal) 0
OUA East Best-of-three Semifinals -- Non-conference Game

Game Report by Earl Zukerman

REDMEN CONQUER QUEEN’S, TO PLAY PATS IN CONFERENCE FINAL

MONTREAL – Benoit Arsenault scored a shorthanded game-winner and goaltender Mathieu Poitras had an assist and posted McGill’s third-lifetime playoff shutout as the No-10-ranked Redmen conquered Queen’s 2-0 at McConnell Arena, Friday.

The win gave the Redmen a two-game sweep over their long-time rivals and sets up a much-awaited OUA East conference final showdown with UQTR. That best-of-three affair is slated to open in Trois-Rivieres on Wednesday (7p.m.), with a return engagement at McConnell Arena on Friday (7 p.m.). If a rubber match is needed, it will be at UQTR on Sunday,

McGill’s win over the Golden Gaels-- their 11th consecutive victory and the 51st over the last 56 meetings -- closed the book on avenging their only previous playoff rendezvous versus Queen’s, an 8-2 setback for the league championship on March 7, 1910. The Redmen lead the all-time series with a 104-50-2 record dating back 1895.

Arsenault, a sophomore centre from Rimouski, Que., converted a pass from Guillaume Demers at 16:06 of the opening period to give the Redmen their third shorthanded marker in as many playoff games. Arsenault leads the Redmen in playoff scoring with three goals and six points in four contests.

Sam Bloom, a junior forward from Toronto, tallied the insurance goal with his third of the post-season at 3:20 of the middle period.

Poitras, an engineering senior from Gatineau, Que., made 23 saves as the Redmen had a 44-23 margin in shots. It was the first McGill shutout in the playoffs since last spring, when Jean-Michel Filiatrault blanked Concordia in a conference quarterfinal. The only other playoff whitewash in school history (99 games) was in 1998, when Jarrod Daniel blanked Concordia in an OUA East semifinal.

REDMEN RAP: The Redmen tied a team record with their fourth consecutive playoff victory match the 2006 post-season when McGill swept both Ottawa and UQTR en route to capturing their first division title since 1946… The Redmen will be meeting UQTR for the 13th time in playoffs. The Pats have won 11 of the previous 12 post-season series but McGill won the last one… The Redmen have a 10-2-1 home-ice record in their last 13 games versus the Pats…This season, McGill has won three of five meetings, including a non-conference confrontation... Eleven different Redmen have scored goals in just four playoff games to date.

OUA EAST SEMIFINAL (Game 2)

SCORING SUMMARY

QNS: Queen’s 0 at McGill 2

- Feb 22, 2008 -

FIRST PERIOD:

Scoring -
1. McGill, Benoit Arsenault (3) (G. Demers) 16:06 (SH)

Penalties -
QNS: T. Sutter (holding) 5:43,
McG:S. Shewchuk (interference) 14:54,
QNS: B. Burke (tripping) 19:03,
McG: BENCH (Served by E. Vossen) (leaving player bench) 20:00

SECOND PERIOD:

Scoring -
2. McGill, Sam Bloom (3) (V. Lambert, M. Poitras) 3:20

Penalties -
QNS: P. Doyle (roughing) 4:29,
McG: Y. Turcotte (holding opp. stick) 4:29,
QNS: J. Ovens (interference) 5:39,
McG: C. Churchill-Smith (roughing) 19:50

THIRD PERIOD:

(No Scoring)

Penalties -
McG: S. Bloom (slashing) 7:17,
QNS: BENCH (Served by P. Doyle) (too many men) 11:41,
McG: McG: E. L’Italien (holding) 18:26,
QNS: J. Ovens (high sticking, roughing) 18:41,
McG: K. Morin (roughing) 18:41

SHOTS BY PERIOD:
QNS: 8 8 7 -- 23
MCG 16 15 13 -- 44

GOALS BY PERIOD:
QNS: 0 0 0 -- 0
MCG 1 1 0 -- 2

POWER PLAY (Goals / Chances):
QNS 0-5.
McG 0-4 (+1 SHG for)

PENALTIES (No./Mins):
QNS: 7/14
MCG 7/14

Goaltenders
QNS
Ryan Gibb [L], 0-2-0, 58:36, SV: 42, GA: 2
Empty-net: 0GA, 1:24

McG
Mathieu Poitras [W] 4-0-0, 60:00 SV: 23 GA: 0, SHO

Start : 7:00 PM

End : 9:13 PM

Attendance : 416

Referee: Nicolas Dutil

MOLSON CUP THREE STARS:
---------------------------------
1. Sam Bloom, McGill
2. Vincent Lambert, McGill
3. Mathieu Poitras, McGill

McGILL LINEUP SCRATCHES:
---------------------------------
G: Jean-Michel Filiatrault (dressed but DNP)
G: Jake Jarvis
D: Erik Stilling (shoulder)
F: Simon Marcotte
F: Leonard Verrilli
F: Charles Gauthier (concussion)
F: Jeremy Burgess

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Redmen-Pats hockey clash looms Feb 23, 08 Ice Hockey (M)

By RANDY PHILLIPS, The Gazette

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Redmen-Pats hockey clash looms;
After 5 years, Shewchuk says leaving will be tough
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The 10th-ranked McGill Redmen handed the Queen's Golden Gaels a 2-0 loss at McConnell Arena last night to sweep their OUA Eastern Conference men's hockey best-of-three semifinal.

Goalie Mathieu Poitras made 23 saves to post his first shutout of the playoffs, while the Redmen scoring was provided by Benoit Arsenault's shorthanded marker in the first period, and Sam Bloom in the second.

The Trois Rivières Patriotes are up next and are all that stands in McGill's way to reach the OUA championship for the Queen's Cup.

The Patriotes defeated the Gee-Gees 6-4 in Ottawa last night to win their semifinal. Trois Rivières will entertain McGill in the first game of another best-of-three series Wednesday.

Shawn Shewchuk is focused on helping McGill go far in the playoffs, but away from the rink he thinks about what his five seasons in a Redmen uniform have meant to him and what is coming to an end.

"Thinking about this being my last year has kept me motivated all year," Shewchuk said before last night's win.

"At the same time, I know what I'm going to miss most are guys on this team," he said. "They're good guys. It's going to be hard to leave them."

The 25-year-old left wing from Lloydminster, Alta., will play his last home game for McGill next Friday when the Redmen host the Patriotes in Game 2 of the Eastern final.

"I don't think I'll ever meet a group of 25 guys who are just such great human beings," Shewchuk said of his teammates. "All the guys here have the same thing in common: They know in order to achieve anything, they have to work for it.

"And they respect other people who work hard as well," he added.

Shewchuk and centre Mathieu Leclerc from Quebec City are fifth-year players, and with no CIS eligibility left, will not be back for another season.

Shewchuk is graduating in engineering and plans to start an MBA program at McMaster in Hamilton, Ont., the university his girlfriend, Christian Dawkins, attends. Dawkins formerly attended McGill and the two met when Shewchuk was in his third season with the Redmen. They've planned a six-week trip this summer to China, Vietnam and Cambodia.

"Maybe I'll try some sports (at McMaster)," Shewchuk said. "I'll definitely take a few years off from hockey."

Martlets sweep, too: National team member Cathy Chartrand, Vicky Wells and Lisa Zane scored two goals apiece as the No. 1-ranked McGill Martlets skated to an 8-1 win over the Concordia Stingers at Ed Meagher Arena for a two-game sweep of the women's Quebec conference best-of-three semifinal. McGill which outshot Concordia 55-9.

Stingers top Bishop's: Point-guard Damian Buckley led all scorers with 29 points as the Concordia Stingers won their last regular-season basketball game 86-80 over Bishop's. It was the last game for Eddie Pomykala as Gaiters head coach after 24 years. Andre Johnny added 18 for the Stingers, while Bishop's got 17 from Andrew Wright. The Stingers visit McGill tomorrow in the last game of the regular season.

rphillips@thegazette.canwest.com
© The Gazette (Montreal) 2008