OTTAWA – Sophomore Sarah-Maude Lavoie of Victoriaville, Que., scored the game-winner and added an assist as McGill surprised Ottawa 3-2 in women's university hockey at the Minto Sports Complex, Saturday.
 
The win snapped an 0-9-1 streak for McGill and avenged two earlier losses against Ottawa. The Martlets now hold a lifetime head-to-head record of 109-33-7 overall with the Gee-Gees.

McGill opened the scoring in the sixth minute of play when Lavoie and rookie Meganne Chailler of Carignan, Que., teamed up to find freshman Taylor Garcia of Ottawa for her second career goal. Two minutes later, the Martlets found the net again when senior Cassidy Stasiuk of Kamloops, B.C., tallied her third of the season, unassisted. That forced a goaltending change in the Ottawa net, with Lauren MacKay taking over for starter Mahika Sarazin, who stopped three of five shots over the first eight minutes and 50 seconds.
 
Lavoie, a 5-foot-10, power forward, appeared to put the game out of reach when she fired a howitzer past MacKay on the power-play at 7:47 of the middle frame to give the Martlets a 3-0 advantage.
 
As the clock ticked down towards the final two minutes of play in the third period, the only question that appeared on the horizon was whether or not third-year McGill goaltender Sarah Carmichael was going to collect her first career shutout. As luck would have it, Ottawa pulled its goalie for an extra attacker and forward Florence Lessard struck pay-dirt at 18:31. McGill's Stephanie Keeper then received a double minor for a checking-to-the-head infraction with 52 seconds remaining and it was nail-biting time as the Gee-Gees kept the goalie out for a two-player advantage.
 
They then converted on the power-play when Maelle Laplante cashed in on the power-play at 19:56. Luckily for the Martlets, time expired and the vistors escaped with a victory.
 
Ottawa, which had a 34-31 edge in shots, went 1-for-2 with the extra attacker, while McGill was 1-for-4.
 
With 11 contests remaining in the RSEQ conference's expanded 25-game season, its crunch time for the Martlets who have a 3-10-1 record. They are four points behind Ottawa (4-7-3), which currently occupies the fourth and final playoff berth, with a pair of head-to-head confrontations remaining.
 
But in between them sits fifth-place Carleton (5-9-0), which is nestled three points ahead of the Martlets in the standings with three more meetings scheduled. McGill will return to the nation's capital next weekend when they confront the Ravens on Jan. 12 at 7 p.m.
 
SCORING SUMMARY
 
U SPORTS STANDINGS & STATS
 
McGill Stats Breakdown

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