LAVAL, QUE – Brandon Frattaroli of Pierrefonds, Que., scored a key power-play goal and added a pair of assists as No.10 ranked McGill doubled the Toronto Varsity Blues 6-3 in OUA men's hockey at Place Bell, Saturday.
 
The result improved McGill's lifetime head-to-head record to 91-121-15 against U of T, dating back to their first rendezvous way back in 1899. It was the fifth win in six games for the trending Redbirds, who improved to 10-6-0. Despite that, they remain tied with UQTR (10-7-0) for fifth place in the tough OUA East, one point behind Ottawa (10-6-1).
 
Toronto, which is trending in the opposite direction, lost for the fourth time in five games. The Varsity Blues sit fourth in the OUA West with an 8-8-0 record but they are only three points shy of TMU, the division leaders.
 
McGill, which had a 43-39 edge in shots, led 3-1 after the first period, 4-3 after two and took the final frame 2-0. The game featured a combined 17 minor penalties, with 11 of them called against the visitors. Special teams played a major role, with McGill going 2-for-9 on the power-play and scoring a shorthanded goal while neutralizing three of four penalties against. It marked the most power-play opportunities for McGill in a regular season game since Oct. 14, 2022, when the Redbirds went 4-for-9 against RMC.

"It had a playoff type feel in terms of the animosity between the two teams," said McGill head coach David Urquhart. "It was a physical game with a lot of penalties on both sides and guys where playing on the edge. It was really good to see our group stick together and push through some of the physicality and tough contact. We had a good start and Toronto pushed back in the second period but we responded really well and stuck with it in the third."
 
Six different players scored for McGill, sparked by Frattaroli, who set up Thomas Belzile's opening goal at the 4:20 mark of the first period. The 24-year-old industrial relations senior then hammered home his team-leading 10th of the season at 5:54 of the third period to give his squad a 5-3 advantage and added another helper on Alexandre Gagnon's empty-net marker with 30 seconds remaining in the contest.

"My start to the season was a bit tough," admitted Frattaroli, who had one goal and one assist through his first five games but now ranks second on the team and 16th among OUA scoring leaders with a 10-7-17 record in 16 contests. "I struggled a bit, along with the team, but the coaching staff has been helping me out and encouraging me. They've given me their trust, even through the tough times, so I just want to keep building on that. I'm still looking for more (production) but it's good for now. Last year, we won bronze in the league and at Nationals, so my goal for this year is to fight for another Queen's Cup and help the team get back to Nationals and go as far as we can."
 
William Rouleau, a management junior from St. Basile de Portneuf, Que., was credited with the winning goal when he teamed up with Stephane Huard of Blainville, Que., for a shorthanded tally to give the Redbirds a 4-1 lead at the 5:06 mark of the second period. Huard's assist extended his point-scoring streak to 10 consecutive games. It was McGill's fourth "shorty" of the season and they rank third in the league in that department, behind Toronto (6) and Concordia (5).
 
Other McGill goals were scored by junior defenceman Maxime Blanchard of Fonthill, Ont., and Alexis Morin, a freshman from Quebec City.
 
The U of T goal scorers were Julian Recine, Mark Cooper and defenceman Aiden Reeves.
 
With Redbirds senior goaltender Alexis Shank unavailable due to illness, junior Fabio Iacobo made his second consecutive start and put in a solid outing. The six-foot, 200-pound native of St. Leonard, Que., turned aside 36 of 39 shots, improving his unblemished record to 4-0 on the season and 8-1 lifetime in OUA play.
 
Third-year netminder Rayce Ramsay started between the pipes for the Varsity Blues and took the loss, conceding four goals on 13 shots. He was replaced at the 25:06 mark by sophomore Jordan Farlie, who stopped 28 of 29 shots.
 
It was the final game of the semester for Toronto, which returns to play on Jan. 5, when they host the RMC Paladins at Varsity Arena. McGill also enters the exam and holiday break and will resume its quirky schedule on Jan. 5 with the first of three consecutive games against UQTR. The provincial rivals will play back-to-back at Place Bell on Jan. 5 and Jan. 7, then meet in Trois-Rivieres on Jan. 17.

"The first half of the semester was a tough adjustment (with McConnell Arena being closed for renovations) but we've been trending upwards over the last few weeks and were really starting to play to our identity," Urquhart said. "Sometimes that takes time to build and we had six new players on the team this year. To get guys from different parts of the lineup to contribute on different nights is what you need to win over the course of the long term. Right now, when you look back at the first half, there's a foundation built now for this team to go a long way in the playoffs. When I look at our lineup now, I'd take it as one that could be the last team standing at the end of the year."

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