TORONTO, ON – When asked if brothers Simon and Félix Lafrance were fun in the locker room, UQTR Patriotes Marc Etienne-Hubert, head coach, was adamant: “Not really.”
However, on the ice is a different case. That dynamic duo produced almost all the highlights in the Patriotes 5-1 rout of the MONCTON Aigles Bleus, a rare all-Francophone matchup that meant more than just a berth in the 2024 U SPORTS Men’s Hockey Championship.
Marked by French music blaring from the speakers, a section consisting of over a dozen fans in green and orange supporting the Trois-Riviéres school, and numerous Acadian flags, the Maple Leaf Gardens was buzzing as UQTR cruised to a 5-1 win.
Charles Beaudoin, Kaylen Gauthier, Simon Lafrance and Felix Lafrance scored for UQTR in the win, while Jeremy Lapointe potted the only goal for Moncton.
Simon helped kickstart the Patriotes’ dominant first period. Only 55 seconds into the game, he found a gap in Moncton’s defence and delivered a precise pass to Charles Beaudoin, who emphatically smashed the puck into the net. Minutes later, the senior repeated the feat, only it was now Kaylen Gauthier who got the goal.
Like the UNB Reds on the opening day, UQTR could credit familiarity with the iconic Toronto ice as part of their victory. Six days removed from their Queens Cup triumph in the arena, the orange-and-green jerseys were still adorned with the patch from the OUA championship.
“The Queens Cup was kind of a crazy game, too,” said Simon. We made some mistakes, and we learned from them. Sometimes, against TMU [in the Queen’s Cup], we were too far away from each other. And tonight, I think we did a good job staying all five together, making close passes, and then breaking out altogether.”
Simon continued to read the game exceptionally, adding to his points total by grabbing a goal. On the power play, as the Aigles Bleus were in the midst of a small line change, Simon snuck into the offensive zone and sent a bullet into Olivier Adam’s net. By the time the first period concluded, Simon had all but finished the game.
And before you knew it, as the game grew chippy and plays were being whistled down often, Simon made way for Félix to shine. They linked up on UQTR’s fourth goal before Félix scored on an incredible solo effort. Played into a corner of the ice, Félix moved inside and dangled around Adam, tucking away the puck.
“It was a nice pass by Pierre-Olivier Roy,” said Félix of his goal, shying away from the spotlight, “but I saw the defenseman going on my brother, so I just got back and [the net] was wide open. My first goal was to find my brother.”
When the dust settled, Simon and Félix had combined for six points. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better way to open the U CUP.
Goaltender Alexis Gravel, who did his part in the victory by making 36 saves, praised the brothers. “[They have] great chemistry. I’m glad you guys didn’t see practice because when they go against me, they go hard.
The one-stop Gravel couldn’t pull off was not long before Félix’s nasty second strike. William Basque earned a penalty for cross-checking after flooring an opponent who stayed down for a while, quieting the arena until the in-arena entertainment returned. The long break in play must have rattled UQTR because Monton caught their defence napping minutes later. A lack of organization at the back paved the way for Jeremy Laplante to pull one back.
Tempers boiled over as the minutes ticked down. A tussle in the third sent players representing both sides to the box, the sin-bin experiencing heavy traffic. Plenty of tired legs remained on the ice as the teams exchanged shots, none of which were particularly dangerous.
That was all for the showdown, which ended relatively anticlimactic, though few were surprised given the pace of UQTR’s start.
The Patriotes had to make a strong impression in their first game of the U SPORTS U CUP, which is expected of them as OUA champions. The rout of Moncton only increased the fear factor for others who take on UQTR, next being either the UBC Thunderbirds or McGill Redbirds.