Lions roar loudest in shootout at McConnell Arena

By Earl Zukerman

MONTREAL – Jesse Grespan of Toronto tallied twice and Nathaniel Brooks of Markham, Ont., scored a power play marker and netted the only goal in a post-overtime shootout as visiting York edged McGill 4-3 in men’s university hockey, Friday.

It was only the second ever victory for the Lions at McConnell Arena, where McGill has a 7-2-3 lifetime record against York since the teams began playing each other in 1981.

McGill veteran Sam Bloom of Toronto tied the game at 1-1 late in the first period but York regained the lead at the midway mark the second stanza with a pair of goals in a two-minute, 18-second span. The Redmen rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the final 10 minutes of regulation time with goals from Montreal native Guillaume Doucet (at 10:49) and rearguard Ben Gazdic of Toronto, who notched his first of the season, on the power play, at 15:20.

McGill dominated the game and outshot York 36-15, including a 10-1 margin in the third period, but were stymied time and time again by goaltender David Davenport, an imposing 6-foot-3, 195-pound rookie from Newmarket, Ont. He helped the Lions kill of a late penalty in the five-minute overtime session, then came up with key saves in the shootout off Marko Kovacevic, Doucet and rookie blueliner Marc-André Dorion. Sniper Alexandre Picard-Hooper, who was McGill’s fourth shooter, appeared to have Davenport beaten but fired wide on his attempt. Davenport then made an acrobatic glove save on the final shot and had to be helped off the ice after suffering an apparent muscle pull.

McGill’s Kevin Desfossés, a 20-year-old rookie from Beauport, Que., took the loss in his CIS debut. The 5-foot-11, 175-pounder joined the Redmen last week. An all-star netminder in the QMJHL last year, Desfossés led the Quebec Remparts to the 2007 Memorial Cup. He had initially been recruited by McGill head coach Martin Raymond last summer but wanted to give pro hockey a shot. After playing nine games for Port Huron in the International Hockey League last fall, Desfossés decided to return to McGill, where he is studying commerce. He was eligible to compete in the CIS without sitting out a year as he was under the CIS age rule (21) for hockey players.

York (9-8-2) plays at Concordia on Saturday while McGill (7-6-2) will host the University of Ontario Institute of Technology on Saturday in the annual faculty of management Winter Carnival game.

REDMEN RAP: McGill will be missing the services of rookie right-winger Francis Verrault-Paul for the next few games. The 5-foot-9, 169-pound sparkplug was ejected late in the first period after receiving a fighting major with an aggressor penalty. He was fifth on the team in scoring with 7-3-10 in 13 contests.

SCORING SUMMARY

York 4 at McGill 3 (OTS)

(Jan 9, 2009 at McConnell Arena)

FIRST PERIOD:
Scoring -
1. York, Jesse Grespan (10) 15:39
2. McGill, Sam Bloom (6) (K. Morin, A. Picard-Hooper) 17:56

Penalties -
C. Preston Yor (roughing) 4:59,
Y. Turcotte Mcg (elbowing) 12:20,
S. Restoule Yor (tripping) 14:53,
Y. Turcotte Mcg (inter. on goaltender) 14:53,
C. Korte Yor (10-minute misconduct) 18:29,
C. Preston Yor (roughing) 18:29,
Y. Turcotte Mcg (10-minute misconduct) 18:29,
F. Verrault-Paul Mcg (aggressor minor, fighting major, GM-30) 18:29

SECOND PERIOD:
Scoring -
3. York, Jesse Grespan (11) (M. Thomson, N. Brooks) 9:25 (PP)
4. York, Nathaniel Brooks (5) 11:43

Penalties -
J. Matheson Yor (holding) 5:17,
M. Langelier-Parent Mcg (high sticking) 8:16,
R. Groom Yor (boarding) 12:05,
N. Brooks Yor (roughing) 14:54,
K. Morin Mcg (roughing) 14:54,
N. Brooks Yor (hooking) 17:56

THIRD PERIOD:
Scoring -
5. McGill, Guillaume Doucet (5) (M.A. Dorion, S. Marcotte-Legare) 10:49
6. McGill, Ben Gazdic (1) (E. L’Italien, M. Kovacevic) 15:20 (PP)

Penalties -
R. Groom Yor (interference) 4:36,
M. Dorion Mcg (interference) 7:36,
D. Torres Yor (high sticking) 13:48

OVERTIME (5-minute period):
(No Scoring)

Penalties -
M. Thomson Yor (slashing) 4:11

Shootout
Round 1 - YOR - Jesse Grespan - saved
Round 1 - MCG - Marko Kovacevic - saved
Round 2 - YOR - Scott Restoule - saved
Round 2 - MCG - Guillaume Doucet - saved
Round 3 - YOR - Tyler Harrison - missed
Round 3 - MCG - Alexandre Picard-Hooper - missed
Round 4 - YOR - Nathaniel Brooks - GOAL
Round 4 - MCG - Marc-Andre Dorion - saved

SHOTS BY PERIOD:
YOR: 5 - 8 - 1 - 0 - 1 -- 15
MCG: 12 - 11 - 10 - 3 - 0 -- 36

GOALS BY PERIOD:
YOR: 1 - 2 - 0 - 0 - 1 -- 4
MCG: 1 - 0 - 2 - 0 - 0 -- 3

POWER PLAY CONVERSION:
York 1-4.
McGill 1-7.

PENALTIES (No/Mins):
York 11-30.
McGill 9-37.

GOALTENDERS:

York
David Davenport [W, 5-6-0], 65:00, SV: 33, GA: 3

McGill
Kevin Desfosses [L 0-1-0], 65:00, SV: 11, GA: 3


Start: 7:01 PM
End: 9:18 PM
Attendance: 437
Referee: Jonathan Trudel

MOLSON CUP THREE STARS:
1. Jesse Grespan, York
2. Ken Morin, McGill
3. Nathaniel Brooks, York

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


SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Communications Officer & Webmaster
Dept. of Athletics
McGill University
475 Pine Avenue W.
Montreal, Que. H2W 1S4

(514) 398-7012 (tel.)
(514) 398-1956 (fax)
earl.zukerman [at] mcgill.ca
www.athletics.mcgill.ca