ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ

By Earl Zukerman

MONTREAL – Sam Bloom tallied twice and Marko Kovacevic added a goal and two assists as ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ defeated the University of Ontario Institute of Technology 4-1 in men’s university hockey, Saturday.

The Winter Carnival game, an annual event, was played before 688 raucous fans at McConnell Arena.

ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ, which opened the season with five straight losses, has quietly earned 18 of a possible 24 points in their last 12 games. The Redmen (8-6-2) improved to 2-0 lifetime against UOIT (3-14-1), an expansion team, which joined the OUA last season.

Bloom, a senior from Toronto, opened and closed the scoring, connecting at 4:56 of the first period and 15:15 of the final stanza. Kovacevic, a senior from Serbia, set up Bloom on the first goal, then scored a power play marker to give ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ a 2-0 lead midway through the second period. He also added a helper on Bloom’s final goal.

Evan Vossen, a sophomore from Swift Current, Sask., netted the other ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ goal, giving the Redmen a 3-0 lead late in the middle stanza.

Forward Josh Vatri, a rookie from Barrie, Ont., who leads the Ridgebacks in scoring, spoiled freshman netminder Danny Mireault’s bid for his first career shutout, on the power play at 13:11 of the final period. Mireault, a native of Notre Dame des Prairies, Que., was credited with 26 saves and improved to 6-5-0, while UOIT freshman Jeff Dawson posted 39 saves in his second career start.

In a contest that featured 25 minor penalties and 21 power play situations, ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ went 2-for-11 with the man-advantage, while UOIT was 1-for-10. The Redmen outshot the Ridgebacks 43-27, including a 22-6 margin in the second period.

ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ will host Concordia on Wednesday (Jan. 14) before heading to southern Ontario for games at Brock and Guelph, Jan. 17-18. The Redmen will be looking to avenge a 2-1 loss to the Stingers in the season opener at McConnell Arena on Oct. 11.


SCORING SUMMARY

UOIT 1 at ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ 4

(Jan 10, 2009 - McConnell Arena)

FIRST PERIOD:
Scoring -
1. ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ, Sam Bloom (7) (M. Kovacevic, A. Picard-Hooper) 4:56

Penalties -
K. Wetering UOIT (hooking) 1:10,
D. Bagshaw UOIT (elbowing) 5:24,
V. Lambert MCG (hooking) 8:20,
K. Morin MCG (tripping) 9:08,
BENCH MCG (too many men) 11:35,
D. Bagshaw UOIT (roughing) 13:42,
B. Gazdic MCG (slashing) 15:16,
Y. Turcotte MCG (elbowing) 16:51,
B. Gazdic MCG (hooking) 18:17

SECOND PERIOD:
Scoring -
2. ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ, Marko Kovacevic (7) (A. Picard-Hooper, K. Morin) 11:37 (PP)
3. ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ, Evan Vossen (2) (S. Marcotte-Legare, M.A. Dorion) 18:30

Penalties -
E. Vossen MCG (tripping) 2:36,
C. Purves UOIT (tripping) 4:56,
T. Rizzi UOIT (roughing) 11:26,
J. Vatri UOIT (tripping) 11:26,
D. Turner UOIT (hooking) 14:48

THIRD PERIOD:
Scoring -
4. UOIT, Josh Vatri (9) (D. Bagshaw, N. Spaling) 13:11 (PP)
5. ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ, Sam Bloom (8) (M. Kovacevic, A. Picard-Hooper) 15:15 (PP)

Penalties -
J. Whelan UOIT (roughing double minor) 0:52,
Y. Turcotte MCG (roughing) 0:52,
G. Doucet MCG (hooking) 5:02,
T. Rizzi UOIT(roughing) 5:59,
M. Langelier-Parent MCG (roughing) 5:59,
A. Picard-Hooper MCG (holding) 11:16,
C. Purves UOIT (tripping) 13:22,
J. Vatri UOIT (tripping) 16:30,
A. Wright MCG (high sticking) 18:47,
J. Vatri UOIT (roughing) 19:13

SHOTS BY PERIOD:
UOIT: 8 6 13 -- 27
MCG: 10 22 11 -- 43

GOALS BY PERIOD:
UOIT: 0 0 1 -- 1
MCG: 1 2 1 -- 4

POWER PLAY CONVERSION
UOIT 1-10.
ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ 2-11.

PENALTIES (No./Mins.):
UOIT 13-26.
ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ 12-24.

GOALTENDERS:

UOIT
Jeff Dawson [L 0-2-0] 60:00, SV: 39, GA: 4


ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ
Danny Mireault [W 6-5-0], 60:00, SV: 26, GA: 1

Start : 7:03 PM

End : 9:29 PM

Attendance : 688

Referee: Gavin White

MOLSON CUP THREE STARS:
1. Marko Kovacevic, ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ
2. Yan Turcotte, ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ
3. Danny Mireault, ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ

McGILL LINEUP SCRATCHES:
---------------------------------
G Jake Jarvis
G Kevin Desfosses (dressed but DNP)
G Hubert Morin
D Stephen Valente
D Spencer Brennan
D Glenn Tindle
F Benoit Arsenault (eye)
F Francis Verrault-Paul (serving suspension)
F Tim Drager