MONTREAL – Freshmen Kyle Azuma and Stephen Kajiru came off the bench to combine for three second-half goals as McGill rallied to salvage a wild 4-4 draw against UQTR, at Percival Molson Stadium, Sunday.
 
The eight goals was the most in a McGill game since a 5-3 home loss to UQTR on Oct. 13, 2017 and McGill's total was the team's highest offensive output since a 4-0 win over Concordia on Oct. 3, 2019.
 
Montrealer Bilal Bouchemella, a rookie defender, opened the scoring for McGill in the eighth minute but UQTR took a 3-1 lead into halftime on two goals by Elyes el Arabi, sandwiched around one by Guillaume Pianelli.
 
Azuma, a speedy, 5-foot-4 midfielder from Vancouver, B.C., subbed into the game at halftime and tallied his first career goal in the 63rd minute, reducing the gap to 3-2.
 
But the Pats regained their two-goal margin when striker Maxime Boucher connected only 67 seconds later. Azuma struck again in the 77th minute. Then, just 51 seconds after that, Kajiru, a rookie forward from Gatineau, Que., tallied the equalizer.
 
McGill goalkeeper Chris Cinelli-Faia saved five of nine shots, including a huge leg save off Boucher from the 10-yard marker in the final minute. For the visitors, Felix Clapin-Girard, his UQTR counterpart, turned aside six of 10 shots.
 
McGill held its own against the defending national champion Patriotes, who sit third in the RSEQ conference with a 5-2-2 record. The Redbirds had a 14-13 edge in shots attempted, including an 11-9 margin on target. They also had a 4-3 advantage in corner kicks.
 
UQTR took 20 of the 30 fouls called and all four of the yellow cards issued, each of them over the final 20 minutes.
 
The Pats (5-2-2) moved into a tie for second place with idle Laval (5-1-2).
 
It was a critical point in the standings for McGill. With three games remaining, the Redbirds sit in fifth with a 3-4-2 record, four points behind the last playoff berth held by Concordia (4-2-3). The Redbirds will host division-leading Montreal (7-1) on Oct. 20 at 8:15 p.m., before closing out the schedule with a pair of must-win road games at Concordia (Oct. 24) and Sherbrooke (Oct. 29).

BOXSCORE

RSEQ STATS & STANDINGS

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