MONTREAL – Rookie Mikael Huchette scored the game-winner and Nikolas Hurtubise earned a 26-save shutout as No. 4 ranked Concordia blanked No.7 McGill 1-0 in OUA men's hockey at the Ed Meagher Arena, Wednesday.
 
The Stingers improved their undefeated record to 6-0-1 atop the OUA East, and improved their lifetime record against McGill to 115-117-14. The Redbirds dropped to 2-3-0 on the season and sit in an uncharacteristic three-way tie for fifth place in the nine-team division, alongside UQTR (2-3-0) and Carleton (2-3-0).

The result was only the third 1-0 score in 246 lifetime confrontations between the cross-town rivals since they first met in 1975, with each occurrence happening over the last three years.
 
Concordia, which leads the league in both offence and defence, was held to just one goal but it proved sufficient. McGill was 0-for-3 on the power-play, whiles the Stingers were 0-for-1. The Redbirds had a 26-22 edge in shots.
 
Huchette, who scored his third goal in two games, converted a nifty five-way passing play at 10:45 of the opening period, that was initiated from a faceoff win outside the blueline. Linemates Isiah Campbell and Gabriel Proulx each drew assists.
 
"If you look at how many quality chances we had, opportunities on two-on-ones, breakaways,  those are chances that we have to convert," said McGill head coach David Urquhart. "That's the difference in the game today."
 
One of those missed opportunities was a long breakout pass from Xavier Fortin to speedster Charles-Antoine Dumont, who was hauled down from behind by Concordia's Simon Lavigne midway through the second period. Initially, a penalty shot was called but an incensed Concordia head coach Marc-Andre Element somehow convinced the officials to change the call to a tripping penalty.
 
Goaltender Alexis Shank tuned aside 21 of 22 shots in a losing cause.
 
"Shenk was outstanding today, it was great for him to have a game like that," said Urquhart, who was searching for something positive from the loss. "If you look at our whole body of work over the past five games, there has been a very distinct transition to playing much more solid defensively. We didn't give up too many quality scoring chances today and when we did, Shank was really good.
 
"Our defence overall had a good game, keeping the puck to the outside, keeping the play in front of them. So our efforts are there in that part of our game."
 
Both teams will confront Royal Military College (1-5) next, with the Redbirds hosting at the Place Bell community arena on Friday (Oct. 25) at 7 p.m. It's a key game for both teams as a win by the Paladins would move them into a four-way tie with McGill. Concordia will host the Paladins the next day at 2 p.m.
 
MISSING IN ACTION: McGill was missing the services of Zach Gallant, the team's leading scorer, who was serving the second of an automatic four-game suspension incurred from a disputed match penalty called in a game at Ottawa on Oct. 17. Several NHL officials saw video of the play and indicated that it did not appear to warrant a match penalty… Also serving a suspension from the same game was junior Patrick Larkin, who initially received a double minor for slew-footing. But the Gee-Gees appealed that after the weekend and the OUA hockey convenor decided that a two-game suspension was warranted… And finally, junior sniper William Rouleau, the team's leading scorer in each of his first two seasons, has missed all of the preseason and the first five league games while recovering from off-season surgery… He is expected to make his season debut on Friday against RMC.
 
SCORING SUMMARY
 
OUA STATS & STANDINGS
 
SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
CELL: 514-983-7012
E-MAIL:earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca