RSEQ week 5 overview

After three weeks of major upsets in which both Carleton and Ottawa each defeated nationally-ranked Montreal and McGill, week five’s biggest shock was that all of the results matched the on-paper predictions. The Montreal Carabins safely defeated Concordia 5-3 on Friday before falling 2-1 to McGill on Sunday, courtesy of a last-minute game-winning goal from the Martlets. Ottawa skated to a 5-1 win over Carleton on Monday, suggesting that perhaps things have finally returned to normal.

Friday, Nov. 11: Concordia 3 at Montreal 5

Laurie Mercier netted a hat trick and rookie Marie-Pier Dubé scored her first two career goals as the Carabins topped Concordia in a back-and-forth affair on Friday.

Mercier opened the scoring on the power play at 11:32 of the first, and Claudia Dubois replied for the Stingers just 19 seconds later. Mercier added another at 15:05, giving Montreal a 2-1 lead heading into the second.

Concordia’s Audrey Belzile tied the score at 15:48 of the middle frame, but Dubé regained the Carabins’ lead just 12 seconds afterwards. Marie-Pascale Bernier added a power-play marker for the Stingers at 18:47 to knot the game before the second intermission. The game was decided in the third, when Dubé and Mercier sealed the win with the only goals of the period.

Briar Bache stopped 16 of 21 shots in 56:34 for the Stingers. Rookie Montreal back-up Sarah-Jane Bélanger made 22 saves on 25 shots to earn the win in her first career start.

Concordia was 1-for-5 on the power play, while the Carabins went 1-for-6.

The Stingers have proven through the early part of the season that they can keep up with top teams— it’s merely a matter of closing out games and developing as the year goes on.

Sunday, Nov. 13: Montreal 1 at McGill 2

Mélodie Daoust collected two points and scored a highlight reel-worthy goal as the Martlets defeated Montreal in a match that took until the very end to decide. McGill took the lead in the first half of the second period, but it lasted barely 10 minutes before the two powerhouses were knotted again, thanks to French international Estelle Duvin.

Overtime seemed like a given until the last minute of play, when Daoust skated the puck up ice and passed it to Olivia Atkinson, who tallied the winner with just 28 seconds remaining.

Tricia Deguire, the freshman netminder who has started all of McGill’s games this season, stopped 27 of 28 pucks in the victory. Marie-Pier Chabot made 22 saves on 24 shots for the Carabins.

Both teams were perfect on the penalty kill, with McGill negating three Montreal power plays and the Carabins nullifying both Martlets opportunities.

Six of the seven conference meetings between the two last season were decided by just one goal, with four of those going to overtime. This week’s result suggests some level of stabilization, after McGill dominated the pair's opening match-up 5-1.

Monday, Nov. 14: Ottawa 5 at Carleton 1

Roxanne Rioux scored twice as the Gee-Gees topped their cross-town rivals 5-1 on Monday.

Carol-Ann Upshall, Cindy Laurin, and Shanie Deschatelets each tallied first-period markers as Ottawa jumped to a 3-0 lead after one and never looked back.

Sophomore Jenna Mitchell brought the Ravens on the board at 11:03 of the second, but Rioux netted her first at 15:03 of the frame and added another in the game’s dying minutes to quell Carleton’s hopes of a comeback.

Maude Levesque-Ryan made 25 saves on 26 shots for the win. Katelyn Steele stopped 29 of 34 for the Ravens.

Carleton killed all four penalties taken but could not capitalize on three power play chances.

Ottawa (4-1-1) remains at the top of the league standings with nine points, while McGill (4-2-0) and Montreal (4-4-0) follow with eight apiece. Concordia (2-4-0) and Carleton (2-4-0) occupy the bottom rankings with four points each.

Next Week in RSEQ:

Friday, Nov. 18:

Carleton at Montreal (5), 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 19:

McGill (7) at Concordia, 3 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 20:

Carleton at Ottawa, 2 p.m. (FREE LIVE STREAM)