Final Results
Feb 25, 09 - 19:00

Redmen 3 - Toronto 2
OUA East Best-of-three Semifinals -- Non-conference Game

Game Report by Earl Zukerman

MONTREAL – Sophomore Guillaume Doucet of Montreal scored the game-winner at 16:16 of the final period as McGill rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Varsity Blues to win the opener of their OUA Eastern Conference best-of-three semifinal series at McConnell Arena, Wednesday.

Toronto dominated the first period, taking advantage of five McGill penalties to outshoot the Redmen 12-6 but neither team was able to score.

The Blues struck first when Byron Elliott connected on a power play at 1:08 of the middle period. McGill roared back on power play markers at 3:54 and 7:26, respectively, by rookie rearguard Marc-André Dorion of St. Hubert, Que., and freshman Alex Picard-Hooper of Boucherville, Que.

Picard-Hooper, who skated for St. John in the QMJHL, is tied for the OUA playoff scoring lead with four goals and six points in four post-season contests.

Doucet’s third-period tally put McGill ahead 3-1 but the Varsity Blues pulled netminder Russ Brownell in the final minute and Joe Rand connected with a power play goal at 19:22.

McGill outshot the Varsity Blues 32-19 as freshman goaltender Kevin Desfossés improved to 3-1 in post-season play.

“We didn’t have a good start,” conceded McGill head coach Martin Raymond. “But we came back with a strong effort the rest of the way and I was very happy to come away with the result we got tonight.”

Referee Gavin White ended up issue 52 minutes in penalties, including another checking-from-behind infraction to senior Sam Bloom, who was tossed early in the third period and will miss Game 2 of the series with an automatic suspension. It was an especially trying soiree for Bloom, McGill’s second leading scorer, who had an apparent power play goal called back midway through the second stanza. The goal judge, who was assigned from Hockey Quebec, signaled the goal but the on-ice officials huddled and overruled the call, ruling that the puck had hit the goal post.

The Redmen ended up going 2-for-9 on the power play, while Toronto, which had the fourth-best PP success rate (20.4) in the 18-team league, connected on 2-of-10, including a two-man advantage.

Game 2 of the series shifts to Varsity Arena in Toronto on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. If a third game is needed, it is scheduled for Sunday night in Toronto.
REDMEN RAP: The Redmen are 3-1 in post-season play and 23-13-2 on the season overall… The Game 1 victory was McGill’s 100th lifetime home matchup against U of T and the Redmen now have a 43-53-4 home record against the Varsity Blues… McGill is 33-61-9 lifetime at U of T -- but 4-2 in the last six games at Varsity Arena -- and 1-5-2 when playing the Blues on neutral sites…

SCORING SUMMARY:

Toronto 2 at McGill 3

(OUA East Semifinal, Game 1; Feb 25, 2009 @ McConnell Arena)

FIRST PERIOD:
(No Scoring).

Penalties-
Duffy Tor (interference), 3:23;
Marcotte-Legare Mcg (tripping), 6:58;
Picard-Hooper Mcg (hooking), 9:10;
Verrault-Paul Mcg (elbowing), 12:07;
Martiniuk Tor (interference), 14:51;
Verrilli Mcg (inter. on goaltender), 17:12;
Langelier-Parent Mcg (high sticking), 19:15.

SECOND PERIOD:
1, Toronto, Byron Elliott 1 (Snetsinger, Ventura), 1:08 (pp).
2, McGill, Marc-Andre Dorion 2 (Bloom, Picard-Hooper), 3:54 (pp).
3, McGill, Alex Picard-Hooper 4 (Bloom, Kovacevic), 7:26 (pp).

Penalties-
Morin Mcg (cross checking), 0:19;
Nagribianko Tor (hooking), 3:00;
Kliewer Tor (tripping), 6:22;
Duffy Tor (interference), 9:04;
Devine Tor (roughing), 12:05.

THIRD PERIOD:
4, McGill, Guillaume Doucet 1 (M. Kovacevic, B. Gazdic), 16:16.
5, Toronto, Joe Rand 1 (Snetsinger, Ventura), 19:22 (pp).

Penalties-
Bloom Mcg (checking from behind, GM-50), 2:30;
Kliewer Tor (hooking), 6:15;
Vossen Mcg (interference), 12:08;
Sherrard Tor (tripping), 13:28;
Duffy Tor (roughing), 15:02;
Verrault-Paul Mcg (slashing), 15:02;
Elliott Tor (interference), 17:21;
Turcotte Mcg (high sticking, unsportsmanlike cnd.), 17:59.

SHOTS BY PERIOD:
Toronto 12 - 4 - 3 -- 19.
McGill 6 - 15 - 11 -- 32.

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

POWER PLAY CONVERSIONS:
Toronto 2 / 10;
McGill 2 / 9.

PENALTIES (No/Mins):
Toronto 10/20;
McGill 12/32.

GOALTENDERS:
Toronto,
Russ Brownell [L, 0-1-0, 32 shots-29 saves, 58:35];
EMPTY-NET (1:25, 0 goals).

McGill,
Kevin Desfosses [W, 3-1-0, 19 shots-17 saves, 60:00).

Attendance: 404

Referee: Gavin White.

MOLSON CUP THREE GAME STARS:
1. Alex Picard-Hooper, McGill
2. Marko Kovacevic, McGill
3. Marc-Andre Dorion

McGILL LINEUP:
----------------------
FORWARD:
Lambert, Verrault-Paul, L’Italien
Kovacevic, Picard-Hooper, Bloom
Doucet, Marcotte, Daneau
Vossen, Langelier-Parent, Verrilli

DEFENCE:
Morin, Stilling
Turcotte, Dorion
Valente , Gazdic

GOAL:
Desfosses

McGILL LINEUP SCRATCHES:
------------------------------------------
G: Danny Mireault (dressed but DNP)
G: Hubert Morin
G: Jake Jarvis
D: Spencer Brennan (injd)
D: Ben Morse
D: Glenn Tindle
F: Benoit Arsenault (injd)
F: Andrew Wright (injd)
F: Tim Drager