MONTREAL –
Estelle Duvin of Coudekerque-Branche, France, was credited with the game-winner at 19:04 of the second period as the fifth-ranked Montréal Carabins defeated No.3 McGill 3-1 in women's university hockey, Friday, at CEPSUM Arena.
It was the first meeting between the sides since the 2019 RSEQ conference championship last spring, which Montréal won 2-1. McGill's lifetime record is now 48-30 in 78 games played against UdeM.
The Carabins, who had a 28-27 edge in shots, led 1-0 after the first period and 2-1 after two.
Carabins' freshman Joanie Garand opened the scoring at 6:44 of the game.
Third-year forward
Christiana Colizza from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., tied the score at 10:22 of the middle period, with an assist by teammate
Cassidy Bell of Baldonnel, B.C. It was the first marker of the season for Colizza, a 5-foot-4 forward, who now 12 career goals in 77 games overall since joining the Martlets.
Duvin's unassisted tally 54 seconds before the end of the second period proved to be the decisive blow.
"The key in our conference this year will be playing a 60-minute game. We didn't play at the speed we wanted to in the first period," noted head coach
Peter Smith. "We talked about it at the break and played well in the second. But then (Duvin's goal) hurt us."
The Martlets tried opening up the game in the final period but an odd-man rush at 13:02 allowed forward
Alexandra Labelle to net an insurance goal.
"The reality is we've played two games and scored two goals," added Smith, whose troops dropped their sason opener 2-1 in a shootout to Concordia. "So we have to create some more offence. But it'll come."
McGill went 0-for-2 on the power-play, while the Carabins went 0-for-4.
Sophomore goaltender
Aube Racine registered 26 saves for the victory, improving her record to 2-0.
Tricia Deguire of Sherbrooke, Que., saved 25 of 28 shots in a losing cause and tumbled to 0-2.
McGill, which dropped to 0-1-1, has lost its opening two games for the first time since the 2017-18 season. The Carabins improved to 2-0-0 after shutting out Carleton 3-0 in their opener on Oct. 18. Both teams travel to the nation's capital this weekend. McGill will look to bounce back quickly against Carleton (0-2-0) on Saturday (Oct. 26) at 7 p.m., while Montreal (2-0-0) plays the Ottawa Gee-Gees (0-1-0) on Sunday.
SCORING SUMMARY
