MONTREAL -- Centre Michael Cramarossa collected a career-high four points as McGill edged Queen's 5-4 in a men's university hockey preseason affair to open the team's 144th season, Friday, at McConnell Arena.

It marked the first career victory for interim head coach Liam Heelis, elevated from his role as associate coach, to replace Kelly Nobes, who passed away unexpectedly at the age of 45, on Sept. 4. A moment of silence was held before the game and each member of the McGill team wore a commemorative decal on their helmet with the initials "KN", in his memory.

McGill, which had a 37-33 edge in shots, led 2-1 after the opening period and 4-2 after two but the Gaels stormed back to tie the score at 4-4 at 3:03 of the third when Luke Edwards connected on the power-play for his second of the game.

Cramarossa, a 23-year-old industrial relations junior from Markham, Ont., was in on four McGill markers, scoring the game's first goal at 13:59 of the opening period, and adding three helpers. He assisted on the winning tally by Vancouver native Blake Hayward, a first-year transfer from Union College, which snapped a 4-4 tie at 8:46 of the final stanza.

It equaled the most points by a McGill player since Daniel Milne posted a 2-3-5 performance in a 7-3 home-ice victory against UOIT on Nov. 27, 2015.

"Cramarossa has tightened up his game as a two-way player and that's something he worked on all year," said Heelis of the six-foot, 190-pound junior who was recruited from the OHL's Hamilton Bulldogs. He scored seven goals and 22 points in 28 games as a freshman, then posted a 4-16-20 record in 28 games during his sophomore campaign.

"Although his point production might not have been there in certain aspects last season, he really worked to play at both ends of the ice. He just continues to get better with each year in this league."

Sophomore Guillaume Gauthier potted a pair of goals and merited an assist. Rounding out the scoring for McGill was defenceman Nathanael Halbert.

Joining Edwards on the scoresheet for Queen's were forwards Jared Bethune and Ryan Cranford.

Veteran goaltender Louis-Philippe Guindon started between the pipes for the home side and registered 29 saves to collect the victory, improving his career record to 64-32-0 overall. The school record for wins is held by Mathieu Poitras, who posted an 84-36-6 lifetime mark from 2004 to 2008 and will be inducted into the McGill Sports Hall of Fame on Sept. 25 as part of the University's Homecoming Week festivities.

Freshman Luke Richardson, a recruit from the Kitchener Rangers, took the loss between the pipes for Queen's. He was beaten five times on 37 shots before being pulled for an extra attacker at 19:12 of the final stanza.

Queen's was 2-for-5 on the power-play, while McGill was 1-for-4.

McGill (1-0) continues their preseason schedule at UQTR on Saturday (Sept. 14), then will head to the Maritimes next week for games at Saint Mary's (Sept. 20) and Acadia (Sept. 21). They will wrap up their camp with a home game against UQTR on Sept. 29, before beginning regular season on Oct. 3 against the visiting Ottawa Gee-Gees.

McGILL MURMURS: A "Go Fund Me" account has been set up for the family of Kelly Nobes, who leaves behind wife Michelle and four children between the ages of 8 and 16...  The Quebec Jr. AAA league (QJAAAHL), a feeder system for players heading into NCAA and Canadian university programs, has decided that each team in their league, would hold a moment of silence in memory of Coach Nobes...  The team's new leadership group for this season includes Samuel Tremblay and Nathanael Halbert of Richmond Hill, Ont., who will serve as co-captains. They will be supported by a new slate of alternate captains, including Dominic Talbot-Tassi of Mascouche, Que., Christophe Lalonde of Mirabel, Que., and Ryan Penny of Fall River, N.S.

BOXSCORE

SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Communications Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-398-7012 (Tel.)
m.athletics.mcgill.ca (mobile website)
www.mcgillathletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca