Go Red Go!

Ok, imagine this: You're standing at center ice in front of a packed house. The score is tied after three periods and overtime. Now you're in a shootout. It's just you and the goalie. Your teammates before you failed to get the puck past the goalkeeper and now all the pressure is on you. You feel the sweat dripping down your back. Taking a deep breath, you skate toward the net. You fake a slap shot and the goalie goes down. With an open net you sink the puck and the crowd goes wild!

What might sound like a scene from a ‘90s hockey movie was real life for McGill defenceman Keven Dupont on Friday night.

At 7pm the Redmen faced off against the University of Toronto at the McConnell Arena.I’m ashamed to say that this was the first Redmen game I’ve attended. The atmosphere was amazing, there were hundreds of people there and everyone was completely immersed in the game. It was as if every time Toronto scored, McGill fans took it personally. The jeers for the Toronto goals were strongly contrasted by the "Ole ole" cheers following the home goals. Despite the emotion in the crowd, it was clear that everyone was there to just enjoy some good hockey.

 

He shoots, he scores!!
Photo by Derek Drummond

Barely two minutes into the first period #8 Ryan McKiernan scores for McGill, revving up the crowd. The first period ended in a tie 1-1 and fans didn’t see another goal until the third. Despite the lack of scoring, the crowd was going crazy over the fast-paced game and the heated fights, which were quickly broken up by the refs. By the end of the third, the score was tied 2-2 so play went into overtime. Five minutes later and still no goal, we were on the edge of our seats as the refs called a shootout. The first three shooters from each team were unable to score. Fourth one up for McGill was #20 Keven Dupont. His intimidating speed and quick reflexes were too much for the Toronto keeper. It felt like one of those classic "He shoots, he scores!!" moments. When Toronto's fourth shooter failed to score, McGill fans were on their feet cheering and hugging each other. I felt swept up in a wave of excitement, emotion and school pride. After a rocky start to their season, the defending national champs seem to be back on track, especially after another win against Nipissing on Saturday!

 

Go Red Go!

 

- Martlet Girl