Box Score
MONTREAL -- A much-anticipated showdown between the top two teams in CIS women's hockey turned out to be a bit of a lunch-bag letdown for the No. 1-ranked McGill Martlets who stumbled 5-2 against the No.2 Montreal Carabins at Arena CEPSUM, Friday.

The three-goal margin of victory was Montreal response to a 3-0 loss at McGill in the season opener. The teams also crossed paths in a preseason matchup at the Queen's tourney, where the Martlets claimed a 3-2 victory in overtime. McGill's lifetime record against their bitter archrivals is now at 34-8-0 overall, including a 16-4-0 mark on home ice.

The Carabins led 1-0 after one period and opened up a shocking 5-0 advantage heading into the second intermission. McGill finally awoke in the final period, outshooting the Carabins 19-4 and outscoring them 2-1 but it was too little, too late.

"The second period killed us," said McGill head coach Peter Smith. "We had an OK first period but we just got away from our game completely in the second. We didn't adhere to the structure that we need to play with against any team. We weren't very smart in our own end and we turned pucks over. We played well in the third but were too far behind."

Ariane Barker paced the Carabins with a pair, including the winner at 8:19 of the middle period. Singles went to Jessica Cormier, Rika Pilon-Robert and Lore Baudrit.

Katia Clement-Heydra broke Elodie Rousseau-Sirois shutout bid at 12:26 of the final frame. Teammate Gabrielle Davidson rounded out the scoring with her eighth of the season. Leslie Oles assisted on both McGill markers.

Rousseau-Sirois kicked aside 30 of 32 shots for the victory, improving to 4-2-0.

McGill struggled on the power-play, going 0-for-6 with the extra attacker and conceded two goals on three shorthanded situations.

Martlet goaltender Brittany Smrke, who blanked the Carabins when they last crossed paths, had a rough day at the office and was beaten four times on 18 shots to take the loss, her first setback in four decisions. She was replaced at 14:28 of the middle stanza by Taylor Hough who stopped seven of eight shots.

McGill is now tied with Montreal atop the RSEQ standings as both teams have identical 5-2-0 records. There is little to choose from as the Carabins have outscored opponents 34-12, while the Martlets have a 29-12 margin over their opposition. The cross-town rivals have three more meetings scheduled before playoffs with the next confrontation set for Jan. 18 at McGill.

The Martlets will no doubt be hunting for redemption when they play the Gee-Gees in Ottawa on Saturday night at 7 p.m. The game will be webcast on OUA.tv and will be the 100th lifetime meeting between the clubs, with McGill owning an 80-12-7 record against the Gee-Gees, including a current 40-game win streak in regular-season play, since the last Ottawa win, a 2-1 decision in the nation's capital on Feb. 7, 2007.

MARTLET MURMURS: As expected, Michelle Daigneault, a fifth-year defenceman, returned to the lineup after missing eight games when shaken up in a collision at Yale on Oct. 12... Still out with an unspecified ailment is sophomore forward Jordan McDonell, who has missed 17 games overall since being injured in the first preseason contest against the Lac St. Louis Lions boys team on Sept. 12... Also out of action is Canadian Olympian Melodie Daoust, who underwent knee surgey in August and is not expected back before late January at the earliest.

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE BOXSCORE

SCORING SUMMARY
McGill 2 at Montreal 5
(Friday, November 21, 2014 - Arena CEPSUM @ UdeM)

GOALS BY PERIOD:
McGill 0-0-2 -- 2
Montreal 1-3-1 -- 5

1st Period-
1, Montreal, Jessica Cormier 2 (Allemoz), 5:23 (PP).

Penalties-Crampton Mcg (tripping), 3:51; Paradis Mtl (tripping), 10:49; Duval Mtl (hooking), 18:28.

2nd Period-
2, Montreal, Rika Pilon-Robert 4 (Charlebois), 5:17.
3, Montreal, Ariane Barker 6 (Beaulieu, Legault), 8:19.
4, Montreal, Lore Baudrit 4 (Allemoz), 14:28.

Penalties-Beaulieu Mtl (tripping), 0:59; Baudrit Mtl (interference), 9:28; Serpico Mcg (bodychecking), 19:20.

3rd Period-
5, Montreal, Ariane Barker 7 (Beaulieu, Gelinas), 0:15 (PP).
6, McGill, Katia Clement-Heydra 4 (Oles), 12:26.
7, McGill, Gabrielle Davidson 8 (Oles, Moffatt), 17:02.

Penalties-Paradis Mtl (tripping), 3:14; Cagianos Mcg (holding), 9:37; Pilon-Robert Mtl (interference), 13:40.

Shots on Goal-
McGill 8-5-19 -- 32.
Montreal 12-10-4 -- 26.

Power Play Opportunities-
McGill 0 / 6;
Montreal 2 / 3.

Goalies-
McGill,
Brittany Smrke (start, L, 3-1-0, 18 shots-14 saves; 34:28);
Taylor Hough (ND, 8 shots-7 saves; 22:47).
Empty-net (0 goals, 2:45)

Montreal,
Elodie Rousseau-Sirois (W, 4-2-0, 32 shots-30 saves; 60:00).

Attendance: 186
Start: 6:58 PM
End: 8:59 PM
Length: 2:01

Referee-Gabrielle Ariane-Lortie.
Linesmen-Marie-Claude Belisle, Marie-Pierre Jalbert.

THREE STARS:
1. MTL - 84 Ariane Barker
2. MTL - 91 Laurence Beaulieu
3. MTL - 27 Laurie Mercier