MONTREAL – Stephanie Hill, a veteran defender from Montreal, scored the game-winner, her first career goal, and Sophie Guilmette registered a shutout as McGill blanked Bishop's 2-0 in RSEQ university women's soccer at Percival Molson Stadium, Sunday.
 
The result extended McGill's lifetime undefeated record against Bishop's to 58-0-4 since the Gaiters joined the league in 1992.
 
Hill, a 21-year-old senior now working on a master's degree in physical therapy, snuck up from her defensive position into the box and headed a corner kick from midfielder Chloe Renaud of St. Hubert, Que., in the 24th minute of play. An alternate captain, the 5-foot-11 Hill easily beat Gaiters goalkeeper Ashley Pitcher, directing the ball into the top left corner. Pitcher saved seven of nine shots in a losing cause.
 
Forward Poppy Honeybone, a science freshman from Seattle, Wash., tallied an insurance marker for the Martlets in the 62nd minute. She fired an explosive rocket from 15 yards out, converting a nice backline corner pass from senior forward Liliane Lefebvre of Toronto. The Gaiters complained to no avail with the referee on that goal after she let play continue when BU forward Zahra Metivier went down behind the play, around midfield, with an apparent injury.
 
Guilmette, a second-year 'keeper from the Ahuntsic region of Montreal,  was not called upon to make any saves to register her second save of the regular season as her record improved to 3-1.

The Martlets had a 12-0 edge in attempted shots, including 9-0 on target. McGill also had a 4-2 advantage in corner-kicks. The Gaiters, who played in a defensive posture for the entire first half, took 10 of the 19 fouls called and both two yellow cards.

"Bishop's defends well and they play a very (structured) game and make it difficult in their zone and that's why it took us some time to get past them," said McGill head coach Jose-Luis Valdes. "We found a solution on a set piece for the first goal. We kept ball possession and were patient in our build-up, which is something that we've been working on. But we weren't able to make the difference in changing the pace when we wanted to attack in the first half because they didn't give us much space. In the second have, Bishop's opened up a little more because they needed to score and we wanted to exploit that by playing at an accelerated pace."
 
McGill (3-1-0) will travel to Quebec City on Sept. 15 to confront undefeated Laval (3-0-0) in a 6 p.m. start. Bishop's (1-2-0) will host Montreal (3-0-1) on the same date.

MARTLET MURMURS: Stephanie Hill is one of three alternate captains on the team, part of the leadership group under the guidance of team captain Mara Bouchard, a psychology junior from Granby, Que... The group also includes aforementioned goalkeeper Sophie Guilmette and Ariel Carignan, a sociology senior from Sherbrooke, Que.

BOXSCORE
 
RSEQ STATS & STANDINGS
 
SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-983-7012 (Tel.)
E-MAIL: earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca