Unchained Melodie celebrates birthday with righteous game against Yale

(Freshman Melodie Daoust registered her first career hat-trick. Photo by Andrew Dobrowolskyj)

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Rookie Melodie Daoust of Valleyfield, Que., celebrated her 20th birthday with a three-goal, one-assist performance as top-ranked McGill blanked Yale 4-0 in women's exhibition hockey at Ingalls Rink, Saturday.

Netminder Charline Labonte made 19 saves to register her 10th shutout in 25 games overall. It was the third whitewash in four games for Labonte, who has 72 career goose-eggs and improved to 149-13-3 overall in 165 career starts with the Martlets.

Daoust, a physical education freshman who missed the last three games with a hand injury, registered her first career multi-goal game. She tallied a pair of goals, including one on the power play, to give the Martlets a 2-0 lead in the first period. She then completed a natural hat-trick when left all alone low in the right circle and wristed one past senior Genny Ladiges at the 7:38 mark of the second.

Daoust also set up senior forward Ann-Sophie Bettez to round out the scoring at 7:19 of the third period and put the game out of reach.

"It was great to have Melodie back in the line-up," said Peter Smith, head coach of the Martlets. "She brought lots of get-up-and-go, had five shots on net and created numerous scoring chances."

Junior Erin Callahan got the start in goal for Yale, her first action of the season. She stopped nine of 11 shots in one period of action, then gave way to Ladiges who stopped 21 of 23 shots over the final two stanzas.

McGill had a 34-19 edge in shots and went 1-for-3 on the power play while snuffing out both shorthanded situations.

"We were pretty good today," said Smith in a bit of an understatement. "We were moving our legs well and Yale had a tough time adjusting to our speed and transition game."

The game featured a mini-reunion for the Murray family, as Yale freshman defenceman Madi Murray squared off against her older sister Logan, a sophomore forward who was part of the Martlets' CIS national championship run last year.

Yale, which dropped to 1-15-0 overall, has 13 games left, all ECAC regular season affairs. The Bulldogs host Clarkson and St. Lawrence next weekend.

McGill, which improved to 17-5-1 overall, including a 10-1 record in the Quebec conference, will resume league play at Concordia (3-8-0) on Jan. 13.

SOURCE:

Earl Zukerman

McGill Athletics & Recreation

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McGill Martlets 4, Yale Bulldogs 0

(Jan 07, 2012)

Hockey Game Box Score (Final)
McGill Martlets vs Yale Bulldogs (Jan 07, 2012 at New Haven, CT)