The McGill Redmen claimed first place in the CUFLA East division on Thursday night after defeating the Bishop’s Gaiters 12-10 at Molson Stadium. After losing by a single goal in their previous matchup against Bishop’s (8-1), McGill (9-1) handed the previously undefeated Gaiters their first loss of the season.

McGill held the lead for the entire match, and team captain Ryan Besse added back-to-back insurance goals in the fourth quarter to solidify McGill’s position as the top team in the East.

The teams are bitter rivals, and their games often consist of physical play. This contest was no different. After coming out of the gate slowly in the teams’ previous meeting, McGill came out firing in this one, scoring five unanswered goals in the first quarter. McGill utilized its fast-break effectively by dictating the pace and surprising Bishop’s, who managed to generate little offence in the opening frame. Besse, who entered the game two points shy of becoming McGill’s all-time points leader, netted McGill’s first goal of the game, and the first of his team-high five in the match. Fourth-year Jishan Sharples, who proved to be lethal from in close, scored two of his three goals in the first quarter. In the game, Sharples set his own record by notching his 100th career point as a Redmen.

Besse opened the following quarter in style by scoring his record breaking point on a diving powerplay goal. Bishop’s managed to gain some ground on McGill in the quarter by netting three goals, cutting McGill’s lead to 7-4. Head Coach Tim Murdoch praised Besse’s effort after the game.

“Besse had an incredible game, despite playing both midfield and attack,” Murdoch explained. “He scored five impressive goals against the stingiest defence in Canada.”

However, Murdoch was quick to note that the team’s success in this game and the season as whole has certainly been more than a one-man effort.  Senior leadership has been the standout element of this year’s squad.

“Our biggest strength [this season] has been strong leadership from senior [members] Ryan Besse, Kyle Robinson, Jishan Sharples, and Jon Rathauser,” Murdoch said.

He also had high praise for his coaching staff, noting that they are responsible for teaching the younger members of team.

“[Our coaching staff] mentored our talented, young offence, and were the masterminds behind [our] league-leading offence.”

Bishop’s took control of the scoring in the third, tallying four goals against McGill. Two of these goals occurred on the powerplay, as McGill fell victim to some undisciplined, physical play early on in the quarter. Nevertheless, the Redmen headed into the final frame up 10-8.

Much of McGill’s success came from its ability to limit the Gaiters’ possession of the ball. This can be largely attributed to the work of faceoff specialist Brandon McLean, who secured 14 of 18 faceoffs for the Redmen.

Besse notched two goals to open the final quarter of play, cushioning McGill’s lead to four. From there, Bishop’s added another midway through the frame, but couldn’t seem to muster enough offensive chances to get back into the game. The Gaiters added a late tally, but it proved insufficient.

Moving forward into the playoffs, Coach Murdoch gave some insight into what the team needs to do in order to bring a national lacrosse championship back to McGill.

“[We need to] stay healthy, stay motivated over the next two weeks, and [not] overlook the ability of any team in our league to outplay us if we are not mentally prepared,” he said.

As the top-seeded team in the East division, McGill will face the Carleton Ravens in its playoff opener on Oct. 27 at Molson Stadium.

Photos by Mike King.