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Ottawa Gee-Gees

RECAP: #7 Men's hockey battles back, sweeps McGill to end the first half of the season

Photo: Spencer Colby
Photo: Spencer Colby
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November 29, 2021

The Gee-Gees men's hockey team ends the first half of the OUA regular season in first place after battling back late to beat the McGill Redbirds at home, 3-2, Sunday, Nov 28. This was after Garnet and Grey travelled to McConnell Arena on Friday, Nov. 26, and put in a dominant performance, winning 4-1.   

Pat Grandmaître, Gee-Gees' head coach, turned to Anand Oberoi in between the pipes Friday evening – his first start of the season. The visitors opened the scoring early with Daniel Hardie finding the back of the net two minutes into the contest. This was followed by Konnor MacCormick's tally in the second. The goal is the Ingleside, Ont., native's first as a Gee-Gee. The Redbirds would pull one back to start the third period but goals by Max Grondin and Nicolas Mattinen iced the game. Oberoi picked up his first win as a member of the Garnet and Grey, making 29 saves.

In the return game at the Minto Sports Complex, the Redbirds would strike first as Jordan-Ty Fournier scored his second goal of the weekend. The Gee-Gees battled back with Charles-Antoine Roy beating Alexis Shank in the dying moments of the first. After a scoreless second, McGill would pull back ahead with just over five minutes left in the third thanks to Eric Uba, Redbirds leading goal scorer, batting a deflected puck out of mid-air. McGill was undone by indiscipline. A too many men on the ice call gave the Gee-Gees the opportunity they needed as Roy found a loose puck in the crease to tap home his second of the game with less than two to play. Mattinen answered less than a minute later with a howitzer from the point. The Gee-Gees would hold out to move into first place in the Far East through eight games.

"Any night is going to be a tight game. McGill is a good team, they play tight and structured," said Grandmaître. "The first half of our season has been up and down; I still feel like we have more in the tank.

"We are getting results even though we are not playing full games yet. Lots to build on and lots to work on."

The Gee-Gees are off for the month of December but will be in action Friday, Jan. 7 when they travel to Montreal to faceoff with the Concordia Stingers at 7:00 p.m. before returning to the Minto Sports Complex Sunday, Jan. 9 to host the Stingers at 3:00 p.m.