Exhibition: Fecho's final-second heroics land No. 2 Golden Bears win over No. 6 McGill

by Matt Gutsch, U of Alberta Sports Information

EDMONTON - Fourth-year defenceman Kyle Fecho (4th, Hanna, AB) scored with seven-tenths of a second remaining in the third period, as the No.2 ranked University of Alberta Golden Bears hockey team picked up a 5-4 come-from-behind win over the No.6 ranked McGill University Redmen, during CIS non-conference action Monday night at Clare Drake Arena in Edmonton.

Before Fecho’s heroics, Derek Ryan (3rd, Spokane, WA) scored two for Alberta, while Ian McDonald (4th, Edmonton) and Jesse Gimblett (4th, Newtonville, ON) also scored for the Golden Bears, who were trailing 3-0 midway through the second period. Ryan and McDonald, as well as Brian Woolger and Sean Ringrose, recorded two point games, and sophomore goalie Real Cyr (2nd, Victoire, SK) made 27 saves for the win.

Guillaume Doucet (3rd, Anjou, QC) scored twice for the Redmen, who were looking for their first ever win over Alberta in team history. Jean-Francois Boisvert (1st, Mirabel, QC) and Evan Vossen (3rd, Swift Current, SK) each added a single for McGill, and second year puck stopper Hubert Morin (St-Georges-de-Beauce, QC) made 30 stops in the loss as McGill drops to 0-3 all-time against the Evergreen and gold.

While Fecho’s last second goal was the difference, Alberta’s lethal power-play finally clicking was the story in the comeback win.

McGill earned a 3-0 lead by getting goals from their power-play and short-handed units, while holding the nation’s number one power-play to zero goals in six chances.

However, the dam burst in the second period as the Bears scored three power-play goals on their next four extra man advantages to storm back into the contest.

After even strength and power-play goals by Doucet and a short-handed marker by Boisvert, Ian McDonald, the 2008 University Cup MVP, got Alberta on the board at the 13:02 mark of the second period. Ryan then notched his first of the night on the power-play four minutes later, which was part of a four goal second period where Alberta out-shot McGill 16-12.

Gimblett tied the score when he shovelled a power-play rebound past Morin four minutes into the third period, but Vossen, one of three Western Canadian players for McGill, restored the Redmen lead at the 12:32 mark, giving the 800 plsu fans in attendance the impression that McGill was going to register their first win over Alberta.

However, the Golden Bears struck once again with the man advantage, as Ryan unleashed a laser beam wrist shot from the face-off dot that sizzled past Morin with under a minute to play, giving the 800 plus fans in attendance the impression they were going to see an overtime period.

But, with less than ten seconds to go, Greg Gardner (2nd, Cold Lake, AB) won a face-off for the Golden Bears in their own zone, and, along with Fecho, rushed in on a 2-on-1. From the right hand boards, Gardner threw a backhand pass towards the front of the goal where Fecho whacked at it, and sent it into the top half of the net with 0.7 on the clock.

The two teams will meet again Tuesday at 7:00 pm MST to conclude their two game series. After playing Alberta, McGill will move on and play the UBC Thunderbirds on January 2 and 3, 2010.

Source:

Alberta sports info