marco seguin’s second of the game leads Gee-Gees to saturday semifinal
The game started right on with a diving save from the Gee-Gees goalie, which would set the tone of the game for Franky Lapenna and the intensity he showed on the ice Thursday night. Both teams went in faceoff and showed why they deserved to be fighting this battle, with the University of New Brunswick being the number one seed and the Gee-Gees being the eighth.
The energy was tangible. This was shown with an early penalty against the garnet and grey, which provided the first really tense minutes of the game. The go-getters of UNB were hard to contain; however, with the strength of the Gee-Gees, the penalty was killed.
UNB was all over the Gees, barely letting them breathe; however, Ottawa came through, sticking to 0-0 for the first half of the period, and the home team’s goaltender showed off with numerous saves against relentless efforts from the UNB Reds.
The game’s first goal came to the visiting team and the country’s top-ranked hockey team, with an amazing shot from outside the circle to the upper corner, making a fantastic shot and putting the Gee-Gees down by one.
The first period ended with the score 1-0 and shots on goal at an incredibly high difference of 13-4. However, the Gee-Gees made a significant impact with their hard defence and were trying to attack the number one seed.
The second period began, and Ottawa was on a power play. Yet, they could not get a goal with the firm and cohesive defence UNB had.
The second period remained incredibly tense following the opening goal from UNB. However, no force was keeping the Gee-Gees at bay. They were holding on and maintaining their strong play despite the Reds registering 23 shots on goal, compared to the garnet and grey’s six.
A power play for the Gee-Gees presented an opportunity to tie the game late in the second period.. With a close shot to the net but no score on the sheet, it made this a complicated situation for the Gee-Gees. But wait — one second left on the power play, and the garnet and grey achieved what seemed impossible, tying the game 1-1.
Gee-Gees forward Marc-Antoine Séguin became the first Gee on the scoresheet, and brought hope to the stands and the team with a goal assisted by Anthony Poulin’s faceoff win.
The third period started with a penalty for UNB right on the circle, making the Gee-Gees and fans tremble with adrenaline and tension. However, Lapenna continued to amaze the crowd with an incredible save off the paddle of his stick, keeping Ottawa in a tie after 32-8 shots on goal.
To summarize his performance and dedication which was shown yesterday no one has better words but head coach Patrick Grandmaitre. “He was emotional because I don’t think there’s a person that works harder on our program than him, and that wants to win and that wants to do well for not only his teammates, but the program.”
Eleven minutes into the third, UNB centre Cody Morgan found an opening in the top corner, allowing UNB take the lead. With this, the Reds scored their second goal, releasing pressure into the air of TD Place.
Lapenna was pulled out in an attempt to score with a pair of minutes remaining With New Brunswick letting the clock run, Ottawa started to get desperate; however, with a minute and a half remaining, desperation turned into drive, and Gee-Gees defenceman Peter Stratis managed to score the tying goal, sending the game into overtime and giving the fans hope and the garnet and grey a chance at the semifinals. Ottawa overcame the shots on goal gap of 35-16 and put another one on the scoreboard.
Overtime began with Lapenna receiving a hit, which put him on the ground and sent the Gees to a power play.
Head coach Patrick Grandmaitre must have given a hell of a pep talk because, in this overtime, the Gee-Gees grew confident and showcased it by carrying the puck onto the offensive side, creating plays and scoring opportunities.
The buzz was undeniable, with the garnet and grey putting all their effort into it and making multiple attempts at goal. However, it wasn’t until there were four minutes left of overtime that the Gee-Gees did what seemed to be the impossible: punch their way into the semifinals with a goal from Marc-Antoine Séguin, who showed himself to be the hero once again.
The game was called to an end, and the Ottawa team eliminated the number one seed of the competition, jumping into celebration as the stands went wild. Player of the game for the Gee-Gees went to Franky Lapenna, last year’s OUA East Goaltender of the Year (2023–24), who made countless saves and was a key player for the garnet and grey.
The team demonstrated the hard work and dedication they’ve put into this season, Lapenna tells a bit of how hard it was and how it felt to get to this spot: “we beat the king of the hill, but you still got to climb the hill to get there.”
The next step is the semifinals Saturday, where the Gee-Gees go against the TMU Bold at 1 p.m. at TD Place in Ottawa. Make sure to get your tickets or watch CBC Sports coverage.
