Gees fall 3-1 to hot UQTR team
On Saturday afternoon, the University of Ottawa men’s hockey team hosted the Université du Quebec Trois à Rivières Patriotes (UQTR). UQTR is one of the hottest teams in all of U Sports, coming in on a seven-game winning streak. The Patriotes also sit at the top of the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East division.
The team from Trois Rivières started the game well defensively, as they made it tough for the Gees to get clean entries into the offensive zone, even on the penalty kill.
They also would get the first quality chance of the game, which came on the powerplay after Jean-Robin Mantha took an interference call. The Patriotes rang one off the post from a point shot.
Right after the penalty expired, the Gee-Gees had a breakaway, but it was denied on the backhand attempt.
With just over a minute left in the first period, the Gees took a cross-checking penalty. UQTR capitalized on this after a nice role out play giving them the advantage going into the break.
The second period started with another penalty, this time coming from defenseman Keenan MacIsaac for a hooking call. But, this time around, the penalty kill unit would kill it off.
Later in the second, the game started getting a bit chippy, with both teams making it a point of emphasis to finish their checks, which caused a flurry of bodychecks in quick succession.
The period also included three great saves by the goaltender of the night, Jean-Philippe Tourigny, who kept the score tight.
With so many checks, it was bound for one to get disciplined, and it was Mantha once again who would head to the sin bin, this time for a boarding call. It was once more nullified by the team.
Late in the second, the Gees got a golden opportunity on a two-on-one, where Justin McRae tucked it home on the feed from Nick Bowman. This gave life to the Gee-Gees, as they went into the break tied up.
Midway through the third, the Gees got a powerplay of their own and almost got the go-ahead goal on a scramble in front of the net, but the puck stayed out.
With seven-and-a-half minutes left in the frame, the Gees would take a too-many-men penalty, giving the lethal powerplay of UQTR another chance with the man advantage. They would score with 6:19 left in regulation.
The Gees would try to get the tying goal late after they called a timeout in the offensive zone with 20 seconds left and their goalie pulled, but it would be UQTR who scored the next goal, as the puck got cleared down the ice from their own face off dot into the net, putting the game to bed.
The Gees would drop their next match; meanwhile, UQTR stayed hot, winning their eighth in a row, firmly solidifying their place at the top spot in the OUA East division. UQTR have widened their cushion at the top of the division to five points over second-place Ontario Tech.
The Gee-Gees’ next game will be against Nippising at home on Friday, Jan. 20.
