OTTAWA DOMINATES UQTR FROM THE OPENING PUCK DROP AS LAPENNA RECORDS 32-SAVE SHUTOUT AND GIROUX AMAZES FANS WITH HIGHLIGHT-REEL “MICHIGAN” GOAL
On Sunday Nov. 9, the Gee-Gees’ men’s hockey team hosted the UQTR Patriots at the Minto Sports Complex. The Gee-Gees entered the game having previously defeated the Nipissing Lakers the week prior and were seeking to establish a winning streak. The Patriots entered the game leading the Eastern Conference of the OUA with a dominant record of 9 wins and 2 losses, having beaten our Gee-Gees when they last met with a score of 4 to 2. Clearly, the loss was taken to heart as the fifth-rank Gee-Gees dominated the game from start to finish, ending with a score of 5 – 0.
First Period
The Gee-Gees set the tone early as Alexis Daviault set up Lucas Veilleux in the high slot that beat the Patriots’ goaltender not even 30 seconds into the game, marking his fourth goal of the season.
The Gee-Gees established control of the game from there, with Cam Gauvreau making some strong defensive plays to keep the Patriots at bay. When the Patriots did break through, decorated goaltender Franky Lapenna made impressive saves to maintain the lead.
At around the 12-minute mark, Marc-Antoine Seguin dished the puck from the corner to rookie Nicolas Bilodeau for his first goal of the season, making the score 2 – 0 for the Gee-Gees. Only a few minutes later and following a dump into the offensive zone, the Patriots’ goaltender misplayed the puck and turned it over to Zach Giroux, who made a quick pass to Marc-Antoine Seguin to beat the out-of-position goaltender and make it a 3 – 0 game.
Towards the end of the first period, the Patriots took a 2-minute penalty, and though the Gee-Gees applied strong pressure, they were unable to capitalize. The Gee-Gees turned the puck over at the blue line at the very end of the period, which allowed for a dangerous breakaway opportunity for the Patriots. Lapenna made easy work of it, and the game stayed 3 – 0 heading into the second period.
Second Period
The game continued as the power play for the Gee-Gees carried over into the second period. The Patriots were under a lot of pressure and could not get the puck out, though their goaltender kept them in it. The power play ended, but the Gee-Gees continued to pin the Patriots in their own zone.
As the pressure continued to pile on, Giroux stepped out from behind the net and scored an incredible “Michigan” style goal, making the game 4 – 0. This incredible display of skill marked his first goal of the season and was certainly the highlight of the game.
After the goal, the Patriots elected to remove goaltender William Grimard and insert backup Charles-Antoine Lavallée into the game. This proved ineffective immediately as Loic Prud’Homme entered the zone on a 2 on 1 and beat the new goaltender high glove to make the game 5 – 0.
The game continued, and the team took a major penalty as both teams had players sent off the ice, leaving the Gee-Gees to manage a five minute penalty kill. The team ran an excellent defensive system, with players blocking shots and Lapenna making some great saves to maintain his shutout, including another fantastic breakaway save before the period ended.
Third Period
The period began with almost 4 minutes left on the 5-minute major, and the Patriots pressured the Gee-Gees hard in their own end. Fantastic penalty kill work was done as the Patriots struggled to find passing lanes through the middle and any dangerous opportunity ended in either a blocked shot or a save.
The struggle for the Gee-Gees was not what was happening in their defensive zone, but that they could not get the puck out. Eventually, both sides took a penalty, and the game moved to 4 on 4, which gave the Gee-Gees some more breathing room.
The Patriots maintained pressure, but due to strong defensive play and goaltending, the Gee-Gees completely shut out the Patriots, and the game ended 5 – 0. The large amount of penalties called against the Gee-Gees allowed for the Patriots to apply strong pressure, but when the game was being played 5 on 5, it hardly looked competitive.
Players of the Game
Standout performances include forward Zach Giroux with one goal and two assists, forward Marc-Antoine Seguin with a goal and two assists, defenceman Nicolas Bilodeau with a goal and an assist and goaltender Franky Lapenna who ended the game with a 32 save shut-out.
Only in his third year of eligibility, Lapenna has had an impressive career thus far having been named both OUA East Rookie of the year OUA East Goaltender of the year in 2023-24 as well as the 2025 Men’s Championship MVP.
Following his performance, Lapenna was asked what kind of work went into a massive performance like this, not just from him but from the team. He stated that “You know, I always say you win the Sunday game during the week of practice and I think we had a great week.”
Additionally, when head coach Patrick Grandmaitre was asked what he thought about his team’s victory, he stated that : “They’re a great team, but we knew they’d have it rough having played a game a couple days ago and making the drive here, plus you know, we’ve got tape on them from the last time we played them. […] The team executed their gameplan well, we’re pleased with the result.”
Following this win, the Gee-Gees were in fifth place in the OUA East and held a record of 6 wins and 5 losses. Meanwhile, the Patriots record moves to 9 wins and 3 losses as they retain the number one seed in the OUA East.
