Bishop’s Gaiters Stun McGill Martlets with Dramatic Comeback Victory
The No. 2-ranked Bishop’s Gaiters orchestrated a stunning rally, overcoming a late deficit to defeat the McGill Martlets 4-3 in overtime of an RSEQ women’s hockey matchup Sunday at McConnell Arena.
MONTREAL – In a game defined by momentum swings and clutch performances, the Bishop’s Gaiters demonstrated their championship mettle, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat against the McGill Martlets. The Gaiters, who entered the contest as the defending national champions, were propelled by a two-goal performance from Gabrielle Santerre, including the decisive overtime winner on a crucial power play.
The contest saw Bishop’s capitalize on special teams, converting on 2 of 7 power play opportunities, while McGill struggled, failing to score on all three of their attempts. Bishop’s also held a significant advantage in shots, outshooting McGill 31-23.
After a scoreless first period, McGill drew first blood at 3:32 of the second frame. Third-year forward Taylor Garcia of Ottawa capitalized on a rebound, notching her third goal of the season and 13th of her career. However, Bishop’s quickly responded, with Noémie Fontaine leveling the score midway through the period.
The third period erupted into a flurry of scoring action. Fontaine’s second goal, a power play strike, gave Bishop’s a 2-1 lead. McGill swiftly countered with two goals of their own. Megan Kronwalda, a junior management student from Gatineau, Quebec, converted a pass from Madison D’Souza, and veteran forward Anika Cormier, a senior from Ste. Marie de Kent, New Brunswick, netted her first goal of the season at 14:01, giving the Martlets a 3-2 advantage.
With the game seemingly slipping away, Bishop’s refused to yield. Santerre ignited the comeback with a goal in the final 25 seconds of regulation, forcing the game into overtime. She then sealed the victory at 1:35 of the extra frame, capitalizing on another power play opportunity created by a tripping penalty assessed to Cormier.
“It was a hard-fought game, and our team showed incredible resilience,” a senior official stated. “We never gave up, even when we were trailing late in the third period.”
Goaltender Éricka Gagnon was instrumental in the Gaiters’ victory, making 20 saves. At the other end of the rink, McGill’s Jade Rivard-Coulombe, a junior from Châteauguay, Quebec, stopped 27 of 31 shots in a valiant losing effort.
With the win, the Gaiters improved to a perfect 6-1-0 record, while McGill fell to 1-4-2, suffering both of their overtime losses this season against Bishop’s.
Looking ahead, McGill will host Concordia (6-1-0) on November 14 at 7 p.m., while Bishop’s will travel to Montreal (1-4-2) on the same evening at 7 p.m. .
SOURCE: Earl Zukerman, Sports Information Officer, Athletics & Recreation, McGill University.
