The Redmen entered McConnell Arena this weekend looking to bounce back after a disappointing loss against the UQTR Patriotes. They did so in an exhilarating fashion, dominating both the University of Toronto Varsity Blues and the Nipissing Lakers in back-to-back contests that had McGill fans cheering through the weekend.
After defeating the Blues 3-2 in a shootout the night before, the Redmen skated into Saturday’s game against the Lakers with the intention of defending their home ice once again. They didn’t disappoint, prevailing 4-3.
McGill started the game blazing, attacking Nipissing’s defence by moving the puck and executing on second-chance opportunities. Despite Laker goalie Daniel Spence’s stellar play, first-year centre Mathieu Pompei finally converted McGill’s offensive efforts into a goal, with about five minutes left in the first. The Redmen ended the period with an astonishing 24-4 shots-on-goal advantage, silencing any worries that they may be drained by their previous night’s contest against Toronto.
“Players are used to playing [many] games… and we practice every day to get used to playing with fatigue. I don’t think [that exhaustion] was a factor today,” assistant captain Marc-Olivier Vachon said after the game.
Unfortunately, when the Redmen entered the second frame, they seemed like a different team than the one that closed out the first period. The contest settled into a back-and-forth match, with McGill’s play taking a backseat to Nipissing’s increased offensive pressure. Lakers’ Grant Toulmin scored off of a rebound shot nine minutes into the period, and Kevin Rebelo recorded another quick goal a minute later to put Nipissing ahead, 2-1. McGill ended the period looking disoriented, prompting Redmen Head Coach Kelly Nobes to refocus his group.
“Our coach told us the statistics that we had the first period, how we outshot [Nipissing] and outplayed them, and how we didn’t bring that into the second,” freshman left-winger Trevor Braun said. “We [knew] what to do, we just [had] to pull it together … and win that game.”
Riding their momentum from the second period, the Lakers opened the last frame looking to continue their physical play. Nipissing’s Vern Cooper added to their goal total, which extended the team’s lead to two, and consequently sparked an increase in scrappy play between the teams. However, the Redmen furiously rallied back on offence, with Braun leading the way. He scored his first CIS goal midway through the third, and tallied another just two minutes later, thanks to a 25-foot rocket to tie the game at 3-3. The Redmen and the crowd were ignited. McGill capped off the comeback after Pompei capitalized on the powerplay with only three minutes left in the game. The Redmen stalled Nipissing’s attack in the final stretch, and sealed their one-goal victory.
The Redmen have played well lately, going 8-2 in their last 10 games after starting the season 0-3. The team’s improved chemistry and the further development of the roster stand testament to this turnaround. McGill has had continued injury troubles in the early goings, and have played without co-captains Marc-Andre Daneau and Patrick Belzile, as well as first-year defenseman Jean-Philippe Mathieu. However, Coach Nobes is confident that his team will continue to improve and play well.
“We have pretty good depth, so I wouldn’t say that [injuries] have affected our approach,” he said. “You know, certainly, not having our captains in the lineup is not something that any team wants. And the other guys have had to step-up into that leadership role. [Hopefully] we’ll get some guys back next weekend, and for sure after Christmas.”
The McGill Redmen will hit the ice looking to continue their winning streak when they take on the Ryerson Rams at the Maple Leaf Gardens on Nov. 30.
