(PHOTO OF ALEX PICARD-HOOPER BY ANDREW DOBROWOLSKYJ)

 

LONDON, Ont. - Alexandre Picard-Hooper, a third-year centre from Boucherville, Que., notched two goals and set up two others as McGill doubled the Western Ontario Mustangs 6-3 at Thompson Arena, Saturday, to capture the Mustangs invitational men's hockey tournament. The Redmen won their tourney opener on Friday with a 3-2 overtime shootout decision over Waterloo. The two weekend victories improved their record to 4-0 in preseason play.

 

Other Redmen goals were scored by defenceman Marc-Andre Dorion of St. Hubert, Que., plus veteran forwards Evan Vossen of Swift Current, Sask., Andrew Wright of Toronto and Christophe Longpré-Poirier of Longueuil, Que.

 

Replying for the Mustangs, were rookies Steve Reese of Dorchester, Ont. and Julian Cimadamore of Concord, Ont., as well as veteran Kyle Lamb of Port Coquitlam, B.C.

 

The Mustangs struggled right from the opening faceoff and failed to get the puck out of their zone in the first minute of play, producing a quick turnover to McGill. Dorion, who returned last week from the Toronto Maple Leafs rookie camp, wasted no time notching the first goal of the evening only 22 seconds after the initial puck drop.

 

McGill's pressure increased on the power-play as Vossen challenged Mustangs netminder Josh Unice, an American from Holland, Ohio and released a quick shot over his left shoulder to take a two-goal lead by the four-minute mark. With just under two minutes remaining in the opening stanza, Wright converted a swift pass from linemate Picard-Hooper to give the Redmen a three-goal cushion.

 

The two teams combined for six goals in the third period. Picard-Hooper  made it 4-0 with his first marker at 1:02. Western finally broke goaltender Hubert Morin's bid for a shutout a few minutes later on a power-play. Reese streaked down the left wing and beat both McGill defenders before sliding the puck past Morin, a third-year starter from St. Georges de Beauce, Que.

 

Picard-Hooper's second goal at 7:28 gave the Redmen a 5-1 advantage but Lamb's goal closed the gap to 5-2 midway through final period after fending off a McGill defenceman and beating Morin along the ice. The Redman countered with Longpré-Poirier and upped the score to 6-2 at 15:43.

 

With just over one minute left in the game, Western had a man-advantage opportunity and after cycling the puck, Cimadamore cradled a pass from linemate Josh McQuade (Grimsby, Ont.) before wiring a shot past Morin. Western's powerplay unit improved to 3-fo-8 against the Redman.

 

The Mustangs will travel to Marie, Michigan for a 7 p.m. pre-season game against Lake Superior State on Oct. 2. The Redmen will host Royal Military College from Kingston on Oct. 2 at Glenfinnan Arena at McGill's West Island campus in Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Que. It will be their final exhibition tune-up before the regular season opens on Oct. 9 in Toronto.

 

 

SCORING SUMMARY

McGill 6, Western 3

(McGill wins tournament at Thompson Arena, London, Ont.)

 

1st Period

1. McGill, Marc-Andre Dorion (Alex Picard-Hooper, Andrew Wright), 0:22

 

Penalties-

MCG: Ryan McKiernan (slashing), 6:24;

UWO: Brandon Greenside (roughing), 15:13;

MCG: Alex Picard-Hooper (roughing), 18:22;

MCG: Marc-Andre Dorion (hooking), 18:22;

UWO: Keith Turkiewicz (roughing), 18:22;

UWO: Jason Swit (interference), 19:37.

 

2nd Period

2. McGill, Evan Vossen (Christophe Longpré-Poirier, Simon Marcotte-Légaré), 4:06 PP

3. McGill, Andrew Wright (Alex Picard-Hooper), 18:04

 

Penalties-

UWO: Jason Swit (elbowing), 3:46;

MCG: Ryan McKiernan (high sticking), 10:39;

MCG: Alex Picard-Hooper (high sticking), 13:41;

MCG: Max Langelier-Parent (hooking), 14:55.

 

3rd Period

4. McGill, Alex Picard-Hooper (Marc-Andre Dorion), 1:02

5. Western, Steven Reese (Adam Nemeth), 3:44 PP

6. McGill, Alex Picard-Hooper (Guillaume Doucet, Andrew Wright), 7:28

7. Western, Kyle Lamb (Steven Reese, Adam Nemeth), 10:49  PP

8. McGill, Christophe Longpré-Poirier (Evan Vossen, Simon Marcotte-Légaré), 15:43

9. Western, Julian Cimadamore (Josh McQuade, Jason Swit), 18:57 PP

 

Penalties-

MCG: Benoit Levesque (interference), 2:57;

MCG: Ryan McKiernan (hooking), 9:00;

MCG: Ben Morse (holding), 17:02.

 

GOALTENDERS:

Goalies: Western, (L, Kevin Hunt, 6GA, 18 saves, 60:00);

McGill, (W, Hubert Morin, 3GA, 27 saves, 60:00).

 

GOALS BY PERIOD:

Western        0    0    3  --  3

McGill            1    2    3  --  6

 

SHOTS BY PERIOD:

Western        5    11    14  --  30

McGill            12    8    4   -- 24

 

POWERPLAYS:

Western 3/8;

McGill 1/3.

 

PENALTIES:

Western 4/8;

McGill 9/18.

 

Referee: Brent Holdsworth

Linesmen: Jessie Wilmot, Adam Harris

Attendance: (not available)

Start: 7:38

Finish: 9:38

Time: 2:00

 

McGILL LINEUP SCRATCHES:

GK: Hunter Shaw (dressed but DNP)

GK: Antoine Tardif

DEF: Thomas Vlasic

DEF: Keven Dupont

DEF: Julien Shine

FOR: Francis Verreault-Paul (injd)

FOR: Jean-Francois Boisvert

 

MOLSON CUP THREE STARS:

1. McGill, Alex Picard-Hooper

2. McGill, Marc-Andre Dorion

3. McGill, Andrew Wright