One game will decide the fate of Men’s Hockey.
After a yet another upset against the Concordia Stingers, the Men’s Hockey team faced the University of Quebec Trois Rivières Patriotes in the OUA semifinals starting on March 4—a best of three series, followed by back-to-back game two and three on the road to settle the series in Trois Rivieres on March 7 and 8.
Game one at home featured a crowd of approximately 850 fans at the Memorial centre for the Wednesday night affair, which fueled them for their first goal less than five minutes into the game. A powerplay goal, off the heavy shot from Michael Renwick, ArtSci ’27, gave the Gaels the early edge. The Patriotes would respond seven minutes later, pouncing off a turnover in the Gaels end and finding the open point-man who would tie the game. A bounce-back shift by the Gaels wouldn’t keep the game tied for long, after a beautiful tic-tac-toe goal, ending with graduating forward Nolan Hutcheson, ArtSci ’26, with a back-door tap in taking the 2-1 lead.
The second period started with yet another Gaels goal in the first five minutes, courtesy of Gaels forward Liam Tanner, Kin ’28, who ripped it past the Patriotes goaltender. The illustrious celebration wouldn’t last long as the Patriotes would score in transition to make it 3-2. Shortly after, penalty trouble for the Gaels would flip the momentum towards thePatriotes who’d score on the Powerplay and tie the game up at three.
Period three’s intense playoff energy in the building was matched by both teams playing as conservative as they can, trying not to make a mistake. Team defence was outstanding, keeping the offences to the outside to low percentage scoring chances. It came down to the final three minutes, which looked like a harmless play turned into a nightmare for the Patrtiotes. As the bouncing puck loomed towards the net, Hutcheson located it and put it past the screened Patriotes goaltender for his second of the night. Tanner would also add his second by way of empty net and the Gaels would take Game one 5-3.
Game two was a Saturday night matchup in Trois Rivieres where the Patriotes fans were loud and engaged throughout the game. Both teams would trade scoring chances, but nobody could solve the netminders. It wasn’t until the second where the Patriotes would get on the board first, off a ricochet off the end-boards that would bounce straight back to the Patriotes player. Just when the Gaels thought they would go into third down one, a weird bounce led to a scoring chance for the Patriotes who put it over the shoulder of Gaels goalie Tanner Wickware, MIR ’26, and taking a two- goal lead going into the final period.
The Gaels would answer quickly in the third, as Hutcheson scores his third of the series, giving the Gaels life again. The momentum was contagious throughout the Gaels bench who would fire 17 shots on the Patriotes goalie, but ultimately unable to achieve the second goal and drop the second game 2-1.
A do-or-die game three for the OUA gold medal game, featured two strong physical teams laying it all out on the line. The Patriotes pushed hard in the first period with the Gaels goalie Wickware stopping all 18 shots keeping the game tied going into the second period.
The middle period had been the period with the most scoring all series long, and that continued in this game as the Patriotes score just 30 seconds into the frame. A three on two broke out on the power play after a questionable hit at the Patriotes blueline lead to the first goal of the game. Less than two minutes later, the Patriotes struck again off a battle behind the net won by the Patriotes and centered to the forward coming off the bench for a 2-0 lead. The Gaels would be reeling from these two goals as the Patriotes went into full shutdown to end the game. Needing a spark, the Gaels turned to a unlikely source, rookie defenceman, Thomas Sirman, ArtSci ’29, who’d score his first goal of the playoffs to cut the deficit to just one.
In the third period, the Gaels would desperately try to claw back to tie and force overtime. Despite generating some quality chances, it was to no avail, and the Gaels would surrender an empty net. The Patriotes would secure the 3-1 victory, win the series, and advance to the OUA gold medal game and an automatic berth to the USports National Championships.
Even though the Gaels lost the semi-finals series, they still have a chance to punch their ticket to the USports National Championships with a win in the OUA Bronze medal game on March 14 at the iconic Mattamy Homes centre, formally Maple Leaf Gardens, where they will take on the Toronto Metropolitan University Bold. The Bold finished at the top of the OUA West, with a record of 19-9, whereas the Gaels will continue their run of upsets.
Tags
Hockey, Stingers, UQTR, USports National Championships
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