Andrew Smale skated off the ice with great emotion after the buzzer sounded Wednesday night. But his feelings were far from positive. He appeared distraught, and understandably so; his men’s hockey team had just been thoroughly trounced at Varsity Arena.
The team was competing in the first game of their best-of-three Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East semifinal against the Universite du Quebec a Trois-Rivieres Patriotes. The game was fairly even through 20 minutes, but after that the Patriotes took control and dominated for the rest of the contest.
The Blues got off to a laser-fast start, scoring a goal after just 40 seconds of play. It came off the stick of Chad Elliot, who is not usually known as an offensive dynamo. Unfortunately, that would be the whole offensive output for U of T on this night.
UQTR answered Elliot’s tally before the end of the first, as Samuel Gibbons scored at 17:38. Gibbons was a threat all night. He had a variety of chances, and by the end of the night had added an assist to finish with two points.
The Blues suffered a close call before the end of the frame. Captain and team leader Ian Malcolm was hit from behind into the boards by Patriote Jerome Bergeron and was slow to get up. Luckily, he was able to skate off the ice under his own power and stay in the game.
Bergeron was not so lucky, however, as he was given an early shower. He received two minutes for checking from behind and a game misconduct for his questionable hit on the Blues captain.
The Blues retaliated by starting a scuffle at the tail end of the period. The game remained chippy in the last two frames, as UQTR was twice caught spearing Blues players. Clearly, both teams were intent on sending their opponents a physical message all night.
UQTR took control of the match in the second half. They relentlessly attacked the Blues defence and goaltender and were rewarded with three goals in the second period and three more in the third.
Patriote Gabriel Balasescu led all scorers with four points (one goal and three helpers). Mathieu Thibodeau contributed two goals and an assist in the rout as well.
Part of the blame for the loss has to rest on the shoulders of Blues netminder Brian Dunnigan. The second-year player allowed seven goals on 38 shots. At least three of the markers were from the point and it looked like they could have been stopped.
Not all the responsibility for the defeat belongs to Dunnigan, however. The Blues offence was unable to convert scoring chances into goals and the defence was on their heels for much of the night.
UQTR, on the other hand, played well on both fronts. They did not slow down their offence after building a huge lead and got a solid defensive performance from their six rearguards. Goaltender Dany Dallaire was brilliant in the Patriote goal and was nearly flawless, shutting the door on the Blues after the first-minute goal.
Dallaire finished the night with 31 saves.
The Blues put in a half-hearted effort to make a comeback in the third period, but facing a three-goal deficit, seemed already defeated. UQTR put the icing on the cake in the period with three more goals to make the final 7-1.
Jonathan Lessard, Thibodeau, and Balasescu all scored in the final 20 minutes to turn the game into a blowout.
On this night the Blues put in a team effort, as the play of each member of the team was on the same level: a sub-par level. Malcolm was the only bright spot in a dismal effort, showing his speed at various times and creating a number of quality scoring chances.
The Blues will get one day to think about their loss, and then will have a chance at redemption Friday night at UQTR. On that night the teams will play game two of their semifinal series. Game three, if needed, will be back at Varsity Arena on Sunday night.
