Box Score

TROIS-RIVIERES -- Christophe Boivin scored with 13 seconds left in overtime – moments after his team killed off a major penalty --  as the No.6 ranked UQTR Patriotes edged McGill 1-0 in an OUA men's hockey thriller before a Winter Carnival crowd of 1,321 at Le Colisée, Wednesday.
 
McGill had a 42-30 advantage in shots but could not solve goaltender Sebastien Auger who earned a 42-save shutout. It was the third goose-egg of the season for the fifth-year senior from St. Augustin de Desmaures, Que., who improved to 13-7 on the campaign and 62-36 lifetime, breaking Luc Belanger's school record for career wins in regular season play.

McGill senior Louis-Philip Guindon made 29 saves, many of them spectacular, in a losing cause, as his record fell to 10-7.

Even the goal-posts at both ends of the ice had a sensational soirée.

But the story of the game was goaltending, which neutralized both power-play units. UQTR was 0-for-3, including a man-advantage for tripping, called at 17:49 of the third period in a 0-0 saw-off. McGill was 0-for-5 and failed to take advantage of a five-minute major called just 54 seconds into overtime, when Pats left-winger Olivier Garneau was ejected for checking from behind on McGill co-captain Samuel Tremblay, who skated slowly off the ice and did not return for the remainder of the seven-minute overtime session.

Only 53 seconds after neutralizing that penalty, Boivin registered the game-winner on a rebound, assisted by winger Mathieu Boucher and defenceman Loik Leveillé. It was the sniper's first appearance since suffering a shoulder injury in mid-November.

The final score was only the third time in the history between these bitter rivals that a game finished 1-0 and the first time ever in Trois-Rivieres. The last 1-0 decision was a dozen years ago, also a Pats victory, on Feb. 10, 2008, at McConnell Arena. McGill took the first 1-0 confrontation on Oct. 14, 2006, also at McConnell Arena.

The Patriotes, who sit second in the OUA East, improved to 18-5-2, just three points behind division-leading Carleton (20-3-1) with three games remaining before playoffs. UQTR has now won three of four regular season meetings with McGill thus far with one rendezvous remaining on Feb. 7 in Montreal.

McGill remains fourth in the division with a 12-8-2 record and six games left to play. They are sandwiched behind third-place Ottawa (15-6-2) and fifth-place Concordia (9-9-6). With a six-point deficit behind the Gee-Gees and a three-point buffer ahead of the Stingers, it appears likely that McGill and Concordia will meet in the quarter-finals, slated to begin on Feb. 12.

But before their chickens are hatched, McGill must re-focus on their games this weekend and can clinch a playoff berth with one more victory. They will try to snap a three-game losing streak when they play RMC (7-14-1) in Kingston on Friday (Jan. 24). The Paladins are coming off the high of a huge 3-2 overtime victory over Army on Jan. 18, their first victory in 18 years against the U.S. Military Academy, an NCAA program based in West Point, N.Y.

After returning from Kingston, McGill will host Nipissing (7-14-3) on Saturday (Jan. 25) at McConnell Arena. Puck drop is 7 p.m.

SCORING SUMMARY

OUA STANDINGS & STATS