MONTREAL – Marika Labrecque scored the game-winner with 2:07 left and goaltender Tricia Deguire made 36 saves as the McGill women's hockey team gutted out a spooky 2-1 victory over Concordia in a Halloween matinee at McConnell Arena, Sunday.
 
It marked the first regular-season triumph at home for McGill bench boss Alyssa Cecere since taking over last year, when the season was wiped out by the coronavirus pandemic. The Martlets, who split their two pre-season matchups against Concordia, have now gotten off to an unblemished 2-0 start in league play.

The Stingers had a 37-26 margin in shots but Deguire, a 5-foot-8 senior from Sherbrooke, Que., played like an impenetrable fortress for the win. Over her two weekend victories, the 24-year-old master's student in kinesiology kicked aside 69 of 70 shots faced.

Her counterpart, Stingers veteran Alice Philbert recorded 24 saves in a losing cause.

Labrecque, a management senior from Lac Etchemin, Que., set up rookie defenceman Elizabeth Mura of Calgary, Alta., to open the scoring with a power-play marker at 9:35 of the middle period. It was Mura's first goal in a McGill jersey and team captain Jade Downie-Landry of St. Jean, Que., also drew a helper on the play.
 
Stingers forward Audrey Belzile of St. Hyacinthe, Que., responded at 9:22 of the third period to tie the game at 1-1.
 
With overtime looming, Labrecque struck for the game-winner at 17.53 of the final stanza, aided by linemates Downie-Landry, and Christiana Colizza of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

The Martlets went 1-for-4 on the power-play and killed off all three penalties taken.
 
McGill (2-0) will host Ottawa (1-1) on Friday, Nov. 5 in a 7 p.m. puck drop at McConnell Arena. The winless Stingers (0-2) will host Bishop's (1-1) on Nov. 6 at 2 p.m.
 
FACES IN THE CROWD: The ceremonial faceoff was performed by John McCall MacBain, newly-appointed chancellor of McGill University. Also on hand for the matinee was Suzanne Fortier, principal and vice-chancellor of the University... Alumnae spotted in the stands included Shauna Denis, who captained the Martlets to their first-ever national championship in 2008, along with Vanessa Davidson, Michelle Daigneault and former head coach Peter Smith, who was making his first appearance at a game since announcing his retirement in September, 2020.

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