Redmen Hockey at Lakehead (OUA Queen's Cup final @ Thunder Bay, Ont)
Won 3-1 at Lakehead
Fort William Gardens
The kids are all Wright as Redmen cop Queen's Cup championship
Mar. 13, 2010
(Evan Vossen hoists Queen's Cup for second time in three seasons. PHOTO COURTESY
OF THE THUNDER BAY SOURCE)
THUNDER BAY, Ont. - Andrew Wright of Toronto scored twice, including the winner
as visiting McGill skated to a 3-1 triumph over Lakehead University and captured
the OUA men's hockey league championship game in Thunder Bay, Saturday night.
It marked McGill's second Queen's Cup victory in three years after last winning
the elusive trophy in 1946. A sell-out crowd of 3,735 at Fort William Gardens
was silenced for most of the contest as McGill avenged their 2006 defeat to
Lakehead in that year's OUA title game. The Redmen have now won 15 Queen's Cup
titles in school history, the second-highest total in the OUA, dating back to
the inaugural championship in 1903.
"We hadn't seen Lakehead this season and they came at us a little harder
than expected, so we were a little cautious at the start," said first-year
McGill head coach Jim Webster, who replaced Martin Raymond on an interim basis
after Raymond accepted an offer from the Montreal Canadiens to serve as an assistant
coach with their American Hockey League affiliate in Hamilton.
Webster has quietly guided the Redmen to an impressive 34-12-1 record overall
breaking the single-season school record for wins (33) set in 2007-08, when
the Redmen played one fewer contest.
"After about the 10-minute mark we knew that we could skate with them.
I was especially pleased by our defensive corps tonight," added Webster,
a former McGill captain and team MVP back in 1971-72. "Their ability to
move the puck out of pressure, time and time again, was the difference."
Wright, a winger on McGill's "super sophomore line" was named the
Harrow Sports player of the game. He opened the scoring on the power-play at
7:10 of the first period, then made it 2-1 some 11 minutes later. His second
marker sandwiched a Lakehead goal by Kris Hogg of Sicamous, B.C., who had knotted
the score at 1-1.
Both of Wright's goals were set up by high-scoring linemates, Francis Verreault-Paul,
a sniper from the Innu town of Mashteuiatsh, Que., and Alexandre Picard-Hooper,
a smooth, play-making centre from Boucherville, Que.
If their high-flying offence quieted the crowd, Evan Vossen of Swift Current,
Sask., completely silenced them when he added an insurance goal at 17:58 of
the middle stanza.
The teams played a scoreless third period, aided and abetted by Redmen goalie
Hubert Morin, another sophomore who held down the fort when the Thunderwolves
outshot McGill 12-5. Lakehead finished with a slight 27-26 edge in shots but
the 22-year-old engineering major from St. Georges de Beauce, Que., was solid,
improving his post-season record to 7-1.
Lakehead netminder Alex Dupuis of Thunder Bay, Ont., stopped 23 shots and suffered
his first playoff setback, dropping to 6-1.
PATS USE NINTH LIVE: In the OUA's bronze medal game at Trois-Rivieres Friday,
the UQTR Patriotes pulled their goaltender and rallied for three last-minute
goals in a 31-second span -- at 18:29, 18:49 and 19:00 of the third period --
to shock the visiting Western Mustangs 5-4 and secure the conference's final
wild-card berth at the CIS Cavendish University Cup championship, which runs
Mar. 25-28 at Thunder Bay.
CRYSTAL BALL: McGill, as OUA champions, could go into the Nationals as the
No.1-seed if Alberta loses the Canada West final, a best-of-five series with
Manitoba that is knotted at 1-1. The top three seeds have to be the three league
champions. Should Alberta win their series, they would assume the top seed and
McGill would be second, based on the final Top 10 ranking issued last month
by the CIS, which had McGill ranked higher than either of the two Atlantic finalists
(Saint Mary's or StFX).
The six-team tourney features two pools, with the No.1 seed in a group alongside
No.4 and No.6, most likely Lakehead and UQTR, respectively. The other pool would
have the second and third-seeded teams, featuring the yet to be determined Atlantic
conference champion, along with No.5, which would probably be Manitoba if they
lose the Canada West final to Alberta.
SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman, McGill Athletics & Recreation (514) 398-7012
SCORING SUMMARY
McGill 3 at Lakehead 1
(Mar 13, 2010 - Queen's Cup league championship @ Fort William Gardens)
1st Period-
1, McGill, Andew Wright 3 (Picard-Hooper, Verreault-Paul), 7:10 (pp).
2, Lakehead, Kris Hogg 4 (Dobben, McPherson), 9:57 (pp).
3, McGill, Andew Wright 4 (Verreault-Paul, Picard-Hooper), 18:21.
Penalties-
Smith Lkhd (hooking), 6:12;
Daneau Mcg (tripping), 9:14;
Longpre-Poirier Mcg (slashing), 13:47;
Rioux Mcg (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 13:47;
Alphonso Lkhd (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 13:47;
Hogg Lkhd (high sticking), 13:47.
2nd Period-
4, McGill, Evan Vossen 5 (Doucet, Marcotte-Legare), 17:58.
Penalties-
Picard-Hooper Mcg (slashing), 0:24;
Rioux Mcg (interference), 6:54;
Soares Lkhd (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 15:07.
3rd Period-
(no scoring).
Penalties-
Dias Lkhd (cross checking), 6:58;
Dorion Mcg (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 19:47;
Maunu Lkhd (elbowing), 19:47;
Gazdic Mcg (cross checking), 19:58;
Smith Lkhd (cross checking), 19:58;
Speer Lkhd (slashing), 19:58.
GOALS BY PERIOD:
McGill 2-1-0 -- 3
Lakehead 1-0-0 -- 1
Shots on Goal-
McGill 10-11-5 -- 26.
Lakehead 8-7-12 -- 27.
Power Play Opportunities-
McGill 1 of 4;
Lakehead 1 of 3.
Penalties (No./Mins.):
McGill 7/14;
Lakehead 8/16.
Goalies-
McGill, Hubert Morin (W, 7-1-0, 27 shots-26 saves, 60:00).
Lakehead, Alex Dupuis (L, 6-1-0, 26 shots-23 saves, 60:00).
Attendance: 3,735
Start: 7:30 PM
End: 10:03 PM
Length:2:33
Referee-Kevin Umansky.
MOLSON CUP THREE STARS:
1. Andrew Wright, McGill
2. Marc-Andre Dorion, McGill
3. Hubert Morin, McGill
