MONTREAL -- Melodie Daoust of Valleyfield, Que., scored a hat-trick, including her CIS-leading fifth game-winner, as third-ranked McGill defeated the Concordia Stingers 4-1 to close out the regular season schedule in RSEQ women's hockey at McConnell Arena on Friday.

It was the Martlets' ninth consecutive win over the Stingers and improved their rivalry record to 75-38-3 in 116 lifetime meetings.

Daoust, a physical education senior, opened the scoring at 14:07 of the first period, made it 2-0 at 7:59 of the middle frame and added an empty-netter at 19:32 of the final stanza.

The 5-foot-6 centre finished with a league-leading 34 points, including 18 goals in 20 contests. Her closest challenger, Melodie Bouchard of the Ottawa Gee-Gees, has 30 points with one game remaining (at Carleton on Sunday). Daoust also finished second in the CIS national scoring race, behind the University of Calgary's Iya Gavrilova, who collected nine more points and two more goals but played eight more contests.

The Martlets took their 2-0 lead into the final period but Erica Porter of Coaticook, Que., countered with a power-play marker at 3:26 to narrow the gap.

Pamela Psihogios, an industrial relations senior from Laval, Que., regained the Martlets' two-goal advantage at 6:59. Linemates Shana Walker of Toronto and Stefanie Pohlod of Calgary were credited with the assists.

Concordia pulled goalie Katherine Purchase of Halifax, N.S., in the dying minutes but it backfired with 28 seconds remaining, when Marie-Pier Lavoie jumped on a look puck and fed it to her captain, who completed her second hat-trick of the season.

McGill dominated the shot clock, registering 36 attempts to Concordia's 10.

Goaltender Taylor Hough of Toronto stopped nine and improved her record to 11-6. At the other end of the ice, Purchase, her Stingers counterpart from Halifax, turned away 32 of 35 and her record dropped to 3-11.

The Martlets were 0-for-5 with the extra attacker and killed two of three penalties.

Concordia which sits fourth in the five-team RSEQ standings with a 6-11-2 record, will host division-leading Montreal (14-3-2) in the season finale on Sunday. It will serve as a playoff preview as the teams will also cross paths in the conference semifinals, beginning Thursday, Feb. 25.

McGill finished the regular season with a 13-5-2 record in conference play, good for second in the league. The Martlets will open a best-of-three playoff semifinal series at home against third-place Ottawa (11-6-2, with one game remaining) on Thursday, Feb. 25 (at 7 pm) at McConnell Arena.
 

LINK TO COMPLETE BOXSCORE

CIS SCORING LEADERS

CIS STANDINGS

SCORING SUMMARY
Concordia 1 at McGill 4
(Friday, February 19, 2016 - McConnell Arena @ McGill)
 
GOALS BY PERIOD:
Concordia 0-0-1 -- 1
McGill 1-1-2 -- 4
 
1st Period-
1, McGill, Melodie Daoust 16 (Lavoie, Atkinson), 14:07.
 
Penalties-Boudreau Con (hooking), 2:30; Boudreau Con (hooking), 19:00.
 
2nd Period-
2, McGill, Melodie Daoust 17 (Davidson, Moffatt), 7:59.
 
Penalties-Pohlod Mcg (tripping), 6:52; Porter Con (interference), 7:34; D'Onofrio Con (interference), 8:55; Gagne Con (tripping), 15:21.
 
3rd Period-
3, Concordia, Erica Porter 2 (Thompson), 3:26 (PP).
4, McGill, Pamela Psihogios 3 (Walker, Pohlod), 6:59.
5, McGill, Melodie Daoust 18 (Lavoie), 19:32 (EN).
 
Penalties-Moffatt Mcg (interference), 2:22; Atkinson Mcg (holding opp. stick), 8:01.
 
Shots on Goal-
Concordia 2-2-6 -- 10.
McGill 15-12-9 -- 36.
 
Power Play Opportunities-
Concordia 1 / 3;
McGill 0 / 5.
 
Goalies-
Concordia,
Katherine Purchase (L, 3-11, 35 shots-32 saves; 58:21),
Empty-net (1 goal; 1:39).
 
McGill,
Taylor Hough (W, 11-6, 10 shots-9 saves; 60:00).
 
Attendance: 105
Start: 7:04 PM
End: 8:58 PM
Length: 1:54
 
Referee-Gabrielle Ariane-Lortie.
Linesmen-Audrey St-Pierre, Marie-Claude Belisle.
 
THREE STARS:
1. MCG - 17 Melodie Daoust
2. MCG - 7 Marie-Philip Lavoie
3. MCG - 10 Pamela Psihogios


FOR FURTHER INFO CONTACT:
Kirsten Whelan or Earl Zukerman
McGill Sports Info Office
(514) 398-7012