Concordia 3, UOIT 2: Captain Hudon Clinches Stinger Sweep

Overtime Goal Sends Ridgeback Home Following Heated Third Period

SportsTristan D’Amours — Published February 16, 2018

Playing with a cage to protect a face injury, Stingers captain Phil Hudon scored the series-clinching goal of their round one Ontario University Athletics playoff affair with the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Ridgebacks. After taking two unanswered goals from the Ridgebacks, the hosts were forced into overtime.

Skating through the slot, Hudon fell to his knees and slid towards the goal, managing to slide a backhand shot between Ridgebacks goaltender Brendan O’Neill’s pads. He jolted up, skated towards the middle of the ice and was greeted by all of his teammates.

Halfway through the first period, it was an O’Neill rebound that cost UOIT the opening goal. Philippe Charbonneau took a shot from the boards on the right side and Raphael Beauregard grabbed the loose puck in front of the net

The crowd sensed the importance of the goal by the supply chain management major’s celebration, an emotional fist pump, as he skated back to his bench. The Stingers had dressed up to get a sweep.

The Stingers bridged the gap in the second period. Seconds after Antoine Masson took a penalty to bring the teams to four-on-four, Carl Neill gave the hosts a 2-0 lead.

Coming from the right wing beating two Ridgebacks players out of speed, Charles-Eric Legare and got a chance on goal. Matthieu Desautels recovered the puck and passed to an open Carl Neill on the right side to beat O’Neill with a low shot.

Late in the second period, the Ridgebacks tightened the score to one goal. Mike Robinson’s shot beat Marc-Antoine Turcotte on the upper right hand corner and threw cold water on the home fans. When the buzzer sounded to end the second frame, the tension between both benches was electric, with both teams shouting at each other.

The Ridgebacks started feeling the pressure of their season coming to an end. Halfway through the third period, UOIT aggressively tried for an equalizer but the Stingers were saved by Turcotte. The netminder lit up both his team and his fans with two saves that drew audible gasps from the stands.

The visitors got what they wanted with just over two minutes left in the game. Standing in front of the net, forward Jack Patterson redirected a shot from defenceman Jesse Baird and forced the Stingers to an overtime period.

With their brooms in hand, it was none other than team captain Phil Hudon who gave his team the golden goal. Just over five minutes into overtime and on the power play, Hudon slid on his knees and beat O’Neill between the pads. After having gone to a do-or-die third game against the Ridgeback last season, the Stingers completed the sweep.

Concordia will wait to see who they will play in the second round of the OUA playoffs.