OUA M-HOCKEY ROUNDUP: NO. 10 WOLVES DOWN NO. 3 GOLDEN HAWKS IN DOUBLE OT
February 26, 2009
THUNDER BAY, Ont. - The No. 10 nationally-ranked Lakehead Thunderwolves men's hockey team opened up its OUA West best-of-three semi-final playoff series with a thrilling 4-3 double overtime win over the No. 3 Laurier Golden Hawks Wednesday night at the Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay.
The rivalry between the OUA Far West rival Wolves and Hawks has become one of the best in the CIS and Wednesday was no exception as the game featured some pretty goals, excellent goaltending, and huge hits.
The Hawks had three one-goal leads in the game but the Wolves always answered and Lakehead did not take the lead until sophomore defenceman Mitch Maunu (Thunder Bay, Ont.) scored at 5:33 of the second overtime with a wrist shot from the high slot area.
Lakehead now has a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series that now heads to Waterloo for Game 2 and possibly Game 3 this weekend. The Wolves now have a 3-0 playoff record, an overall OUA record of 21-8-1-1 (18-8-1-1 regular season) and 27-11-1-1 overall.
Laurier finished with the best record in the OUA West and go to 0-1 in the playoffs and 22-5-1-1 in overall OUA play.
Lakehead's defence was on fire offensively and fifth-year senior Drew Kivell (Lakeside, Ont.) notched a pair of goals to go with Maunu's game-winner. Kivell perhaps played his best game in a Lakehead uniform, adding big hits and blocks to his two-goal effort. He stopped one hard Laurier point shot with a block off his face. The Wolves other goal came from Brock McPherson (Brampton, Ont.). Dan Speer (Thunder Bay, Ont.) also played a great game notching two assists.
Laurier's goals came from Jean-Michel Rizk (Dunham, Que.), Chad Kennedy (Mississauga, Ont.), and Luke Girard (Mississauga, Ont.). Mark Voakes (St. Thomas, Ont.) added two assists.
Lakehead netminder Chris Whitley (Oshawa, Ont.) played an excellent game stopping 36 Laurier shots and making a number of big stops throughout the game. Whitley has won his fifth straight game against a CIS Top 10 team and his third straight of the playoffs. With Wednesday's win, Whitley set two new Lakehead goaltending career records with overall wins at 82 and playoff wins at 16.
Laurier netminder Jeff MacDougald (Shallow Lake, Ont.) also played very well, turning aside 30 Lakehead shots and making a number of great saves in the game.
Both teams had numerous chances to finish the game but often couldn't hit an empty net or the goaltenders would come up big.
It was a hard-hitting but clean game with back and forth action and each team was only assessed one minor apiece and neither scored on the power play.
Game 2 of the series is set for Saturday at the Sunlife Financial Arena in Waterloo at 7:30 p.m. and Game 3, if necessary, goes Sunday at 7:30 p.m. in Waterloo.
Source: Thunderwolves Athletics
Photo Credit: Mike Lavoie
CARLETON 4, NO. 5 UQTR 2
Carleton leads best-of-three series, 1-0
TROIS RIVIÈRES, Que. - The Carleton Ravens defeated the UQTR Patriotes, 4-2, in Trois-Rivières, Que. to take a one-game lead in the OUA East best-of-three semi-final. The Ravens host Game 2, on Friday at 7 p.m. at the CU Ice House.
The Ravens continued their strong play from the Concordia series as they opened the scoring 58 seconds into the first period on a Brandon MacLean (Burlington, Ont.) goal. Carleton's Alex Archibald (Ottawa, Ont.) was excellent in the first period stopping all 15 Patriotes shots he faced to give the Ravens a one-goal lead into the first intermission.
In the second period, UQTR would tie the game five minutes in on a Andre Joanisse (Ottawa, Ont.) power play goal. The Ravens would answer two minutes later as Derek Wells (Aylmer, Que.) would score an unassisted goal to give Carleton the lead for good. The Ravens would add a third goal midway through the period by Justin Caruana (Orono, Ont.) as the Ravens would go into the second intermission up by two goals in front of a stunned Trois-Rivières crowd. Shots were even at nine each in the middle period.
Carleton would hold onto their two-goal lead until the seven minute mark of the third, when Alexandre Demers (Laurier-Station, Que.) would close the gap to one goal. The Ravens defence and Archibald would not let the Patriotes get any closer and MacLean would score his second of the game two minutes later to ice the victory and send Carleton home up one game and UQTR's starting goaltender Jean-Christophe Blanchard (Trois-Rivières, Que.) to the showers as Michael Dupont (Bienne, Switzerland) played the last 11 minutes in the Patriotes net. Archibald made 12 saves in the final frame to earn his third OUA career post season victory. UQTR outshot Carleton 37 to 19 for the game.
Source: Ravens Athletics
MCGILL 3, TORONTO 2
McGill leads best-of-three series, 1-0
MONTREAL, Que. – Sophomore Guillaume Doucet (Montreal, Que.) scored the game-winner at 16:16 of the final period as the McGill Redmen rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Varsity Blues to win the opener of their OUA East best-of-three semi-final series at McConnell Arena on Wednesday.
Toronto dominated the first period, taking advantage of five McGill penalties to outshoot the Redmen 12-6 but neither team was able to score.
The Blues struck first when Byron Elliott (Burlington, Ont.) connected on a power play at 1:08 of the middle period. McGill roared back on power play markers at 3:54 and 7:26, respectively, by rookie rearguard Marc-André Dorion (St. Hubert, Que.), and freshman Alex Picard-Hooper (Boucherville, Que.)
Picard-Hooper, who skated for St. John in the QMJHL, is tied for the OUA playoff scoring lead with four goals and six points in four post-season contests.
Doucet's third-period tally put McGill ahead 3-1 but the Varsity Blues pulled netminder Russ Brownell (Oakville, Ont.) in the final minute and Joe Rand connected with a power play goal at 19:22.
McGill outshot the Varsity Blues 32-19 as freshman goaltender Kevin Desfossés (Beauport, Que.) improved to 3-1 in post-season play.
"We didn't have a good start," conceded McGill head coach Martin Raymond. "But we came back with a strong effort the rest of the way and I was very happy to come away with the result we got tonight."
The Redmen ended up going 2-of-9 on the power play, while Toronto, which had the fourth-best PP success rate (20.4 percent) in the 18-team league, connected on 2-of-10, including a two-man advantage.
Game 2 of the series shifts to Varsity Arena in Toronto on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. If a third game is needed, it is scheduled for Sunday night in Toronto.
Source: Redmen Athletics
The rivalry between the OUA Far West rival Wolves and Hawks has become one of the best in the CIS and Wednesday was no exception as the game featured some pretty goals, excellent goaltending, and huge hits.
The Hawks had three one-goal leads in the game but the Wolves always answered and Lakehead did not take the lead until sophomore defenceman Mitch Maunu (Thunder Bay, Ont.) scored at 5:33 of the second overtime with a wrist shot from the high slot area.
Lakehead now has a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series that now heads to Waterloo for Game 2 and possibly Game 3 this weekend. The Wolves now have a 3-0 playoff record, an overall OUA record of 21-8-1-1 (18-8-1-1 regular season) and 27-11-1-1 overall.
Laurier finished with the best record in the OUA West and go to 0-1 in the playoffs and 22-5-1-1 in overall OUA play.
Lakehead's defence was on fire offensively and fifth-year senior Drew Kivell (Lakeside, Ont.) notched a pair of goals to go with Maunu's game-winner. Kivell perhaps played his best game in a Lakehead uniform, adding big hits and blocks to his two-goal effort. He stopped one hard Laurier point shot with a block off his face. The Wolves other goal came from Brock McPherson (Brampton, Ont.). Dan Speer (Thunder Bay, Ont.) also played a great game notching two assists.
Laurier's goals came from Jean-Michel Rizk (Dunham, Que.), Chad Kennedy (Mississauga, Ont.), and Luke Girard (Mississauga, Ont.). Mark Voakes (St. Thomas, Ont.) added two assists.
Lakehead netminder Chris Whitley (Oshawa, Ont.) played an excellent game stopping 36 Laurier shots and making a number of big stops throughout the game. Whitley has won his fifth straight game against a CIS Top 10 team and his third straight of the playoffs. With Wednesday's win, Whitley set two new Lakehead goaltending career records with overall wins at 82 and playoff wins at 16.
Laurier netminder Jeff MacDougald (Shallow Lake, Ont.) also played very well, turning aside 30 Lakehead shots and making a number of great saves in the game.
Both teams had numerous chances to finish the game but often couldn't hit an empty net or the goaltenders would come up big.
It was a hard-hitting but clean game with back and forth action and each team was only assessed one minor apiece and neither scored on the power play.
Game 2 of the series is set for Saturday at the Sunlife Financial Arena in Waterloo at 7:30 p.m. and Game 3, if necessary, goes Sunday at 7:30 p.m. in Waterloo.
Source: Thunderwolves Athletics
Photo Credit: Mike Lavoie
CARLETON 4, NO. 5 UQTR 2
Carleton leads best-of-three series, 1-0
TROIS RIVIÈRES, Que. - The Carleton Ravens defeated the UQTR Patriotes, 4-2, in Trois-Rivières, Que. to take a one-game lead in the OUA East best-of-three semi-final. The Ravens host Game 2, on Friday at 7 p.m. at the CU Ice House.
The Ravens continued their strong play from the Concordia series as they opened the scoring 58 seconds into the first period on a Brandon MacLean (Burlington, Ont.) goal. Carleton's Alex Archibald (Ottawa, Ont.) was excellent in the first period stopping all 15 Patriotes shots he faced to give the Ravens a one-goal lead into the first intermission.
In the second period, UQTR would tie the game five minutes in on a Andre Joanisse (Ottawa, Ont.) power play goal. The Ravens would answer two minutes later as Derek Wells (Aylmer, Que.) would score an unassisted goal to give Carleton the lead for good. The Ravens would add a third goal midway through the period by Justin Caruana (Orono, Ont.) as the Ravens would go into the second intermission up by two goals in front of a stunned Trois-Rivières crowd. Shots were even at nine each in the middle period.
Carleton would hold onto their two-goal lead until the seven minute mark of the third, when Alexandre Demers (Laurier-Station, Que.) would close the gap to one goal. The Ravens defence and Archibald would not let the Patriotes get any closer and MacLean would score his second of the game two minutes later to ice the victory and send Carleton home up one game and UQTR's starting goaltender Jean-Christophe Blanchard (Trois-Rivières, Que.) to the showers as Michael Dupont (Bienne, Switzerland) played the last 11 minutes in the Patriotes net. Archibald made 12 saves in the final frame to earn his third OUA career post season victory. UQTR outshot Carleton 37 to 19 for the game.
Source: Ravens Athletics
MCGILL 3, TORONTO 2
McGill leads best-of-three series, 1-0
MONTREAL, Que. – Sophomore Guillaume Doucet (Montreal, Que.) scored the game-winner at 16:16 of the final period as the McGill Redmen rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Varsity Blues to win the opener of their OUA East best-of-three semi-final series at McConnell Arena on Wednesday.
Toronto dominated the first period, taking advantage of five McGill penalties to outshoot the Redmen 12-6 but neither team was able to score.
The Blues struck first when Byron Elliott (Burlington, Ont.) connected on a power play at 1:08 of the middle period. McGill roared back on power play markers at 3:54 and 7:26, respectively, by rookie rearguard Marc-André Dorion (St. Hubert, Que.), and freshman Alex Picard-Hooper (Boucherville, Que.)
Picard-Hooper, who skated for St. John in the QMJHL, is tied for the OUA playoff scoring lead with four goals and six points in four post-season contests.
Doucet's third-period tally put McGill ahead 3-1 but the Varsity Blues pulled netminder Russ Brownell (Oakville, Ont.) in the final minute and Joe Rand connected with a power play goal at 19:22.
McGill outshot the Varsity Blues 32-19 as freshman goaltender Kevin Desfossés (Beauport, Que.) improved to 3-1 in post-season play.
"We didn't have a good start," conceded McGill head coach Martin Raymond. "But we came back with a strong effort the rest of the way and I was very happy to come away with the result we got tonight."
The Redmen ended up going 2-of-9 on the power play, while Toronto, which had the fourth-best PP success rate (20.4 percent) in the 18-team league, connected on 2-of-10, including a two-man advantage.
Game 2 of the series shifts to Varsity Arena in Toronto on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. If a third game is needed, it is scheduled for Sunday night in Toronto.
Source: Redmen Athletics