MONTREAL – Stephanie Keeper of Red Deer, Alta., tallied twice as the McGill women's hockey team upset the No. 8 ranked Montreal Carabins 4-1 to celebrate McGill Homecoming Week and spoil an extravagant UdeM home opener, Friday, at Arena CEPSUM.
 
The result was McGill's first victory over the Carabins since a 2-1 decision on Jan. 12, snapping a modest two-game losing streak to Montreal. The Martlets improved to 60-34 lifetime in 94 games overall against the Carabins, including a 12-5 run over the last 19 meetings.
 
McGill (1-1), which never trailed, opened the scoring just 105 seconds after the opening faceoff, on a goal from rookie forward India Benoit of Sherbrooke, Que., which was her first career marker.
 
But Carabins defenceman Audrey Gervais knotted the score and the teams entered the intermission tied at 1-1.  McGill then clinched the hand of victory by outscoring their rivals 1-0 in the middle frame and 2-0 in the final stanza.
 
All-star rearguard Elizabeth Mura, a junior from Calgary, regained the lead for McGill with what proved to be the game-winner at 4:04 of the middle frame.
 
Keeper, a science senior majoring in nursing, put the contest out of reach with a pair in the last four minutes, including an empty-netter.
 
Montreal led 31-29 in shots but had a hard time solving rookie goaltender Jade Rivard-Coulombe of Chateauguay, Que., who made 30 saves for her second career victory in six outings overall and her first in regular-season play.
 
Aube Racine took the loss between the Carabins pipes, making 25 saves.
 
Both teams went scoreless on the power-play, with McGill at 0-for-2 and Montreal at 0-for-3.
 
McGill (1-1) will play next on Oct. 26, when it hosts Ottawa (0-1). The Gee-Gees made a surprise announcement on Thursday when recently-appointed head coach Stefanie McKeough took a leave of absence to coach Boston in the Professional Women's Hockey League. Assistant coaches Jennifer Wakefield and Greg Bowles will assume co-leadership of the program for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.

The Carabins (1-1) will host Bishop's (1-0) on Oct. 27.
 
SCORING SUMMARY
 
U SPORTS STANDINGS

SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-983-7012 (cell)
www.mcgillathletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca