M-Hockey Playoffs Roundup
UOIT, 2 @ Laurier, 1 OT
OSHAWA, Ont. – Kyle Wetering scored at 2:58 of the first overtime period to lift the UOIT Ridgebacks to a 2-1 victory over the Laurier Golden Hawks in Waterloo Thursday night. The teams will be back on the ice for game two of their first round OUA playoff series on Friday night at the Campus Ice Centre. Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m.
After a scoreless first two periods, Jeremy Whelan (Pickering, Ont.) got the Ridgebacks on the board as he scored on a backhand shot over the shoulder of Laurier netminder Ryan Daniels to give the Ridgebacks a 1-0 lead.
The lead was short lived however as Laurier’s Zack Woolford put one past UOIT goalie Jason Guy (Whitby, Ont.) on a power play goal at the7:35 mark of the third period. The teams remained tied for the remainder of regulation time and headed to a sudden death overtime period.
Laurier would have a few chances to open the extra frame, but Guy would shut the door making three stops.
The spotlight would then shine on third year forward Kyle Wetering (Pickering, Ont.) as he turned out to be the overtime hero as he dangled around the Golden Hawks defence and buried the game winner past Daniels.
Chris Purves (Scarborough, Ont.) picked up the lone assist on the overtime winner, as he finished the night with two points. Luke VanMoerkerke (Tillsonburg, Ont.) also had an assist on the Ridgebacks opening goal.
Guy made 28 saves picking up the win for the Ridgebacks and giving them a 1-0 series lead. Daniels made 35 saves in the losing effort.
The low penalty affair saw the Ridgebacks go 0-for-2 on the power play while Laurier went for 1-for-1.
This is the first time in UOIT history that a playoff game went into overtime. It also marked the Ridgebacks first victory at Laurier in the program’s four-year history.
UOIT can close out the series Friday night with a victory on home ice.
Source: UOIT Sports Info
Brock, 2 @ Guelph, 3
GUELPH, Ont. - The Guelph Gryphons hosted the Brock Badgers at the Gryphon Centre tonight (Feb. 17) for the first game of a three-game series in OUA men’s hockey, playoff action. With home-ice advantage the Gryphons put up an early three-goal lead in the first period and while the Badgers battled back in the second and third, the Gryphons were able to fend them off for the 3-2 victory.
Ed Gale (Keswick, Ont.) led the offense for the Gryphons, picking up a goal and two assists, while linemates, Thomas Kiriakou (Richmond Hill, Ont.) and Zach Lillie (Bracebridge, Ont.) each contributed two points of their own, Kiriakou with two assists and Lillie potting a goal and chipping in an assist. Kris Belan (Florence, Ont.) snapped home the Gryphons second goal of the night.
Forward Jordan Gignac (Hamilton, Ont.) led the Badgers on the score sheet, netting both of the Brock goals. Matt Abercrombie (Sarnia, Ont.), Kaine Geldart (Kingston, Ont.), Isaac Smeltzer (Estevan, Sask.), and Kevin Christmas (Hamilton, Ont.) each picked up an assist for the Badgers as well.
Once again, Andrew Loverock (Elmvale, Ont.) was solid between the posts for the Gryphons making 14 saves and picking up the win, while his counterpart Kurt Jory (Brandon, Man.) was tested a little more regularly, facing 30 shots and making 27 saves.
The win gives the Gryphons a 1-0 series lead going into Game 2 tomorrow night in St. Catharine’s.
The Gryphons came out firing on all cylinders in the first period, tallying three unanswered goals in the frame. Ed Gale would start the scoring for the Gryphons on a patient play in front of Kurt Jory just 4:31 in. Thomas Kiriakou helped to set up the goal, hustling deep into the corner of the Brock zone and pinning the puck against the boards. Gale caught up and joined his teammate, pulling the puck from his feet and breaking for the front of the net. Faking Jory with an initial move to go behind the net, Gale popped back out in front and dragged the puck across the top of the crease until he reached the far post, where he buried the puck behind the Badger netminder.
The Gryphons increased their lead by two as the end of the period drew near, scoring a pair of goals in a span of twenty-two seconds. The first goal came on a quick snap-shot from Kris Belan, who wasted no time putting the puck away after receiving a beautiful feed from Justin Gvora (Thunder Bay, Ont.). Zach Lillie picked up the second of the two, wiring a hard shot past Jory, while getting a little help from Gale, who was screening in front.
The Gryphons would remain on top 3-0 to end the first period.
Things got a little chippy in the second period and while play was relatively even throughout most of the frame, the Badgers would capitalize on a late powerplay opportunity to narrow the Guelph lead. With the puck on the point, Isaac Smeltzer fired a shot just outside the post to the left of Loverock where Jordan Gignac had set a screen. Gignac deflected the waist-high, blistering puck with lightening speed, batting it out of the air and beating Loverock to bring the score within two, with the score reading 3-1 after forty minutes.
In the third period Brock inched even closer to the Gryphons, netting their second of the game at 5:26. A miscommunication deep in the Guelph zone left Gignac one-on-one with Loverock. Holding the puck as long as possible, Gignac drifted across the front of the net, stretching out Loverock so he was vulnerable on the back side and tucked the puck in the gap between Loverock’s foot and the post.
With the Badgers now nipping at their heels, the Gryphons turned to the defensive to hold off the rejuvenated Brock squad and were successful, finishing the final thirty seconds circulating the puck in Brock’s end to run out the clock for the 3-2 win.
Taking the first game, the Gryphons will now head to St. Catharine’s tomorrow night (Feb. 18) for the second game of the series starting at 7:15pm. A win for the Gryphons in St. Catharine’s would advance them to the next round, while a loss would result in a third game in Guelph on Sunday (Feb. 20) at 7:30pm.
Source: Guelph Sports Info
Windsor, 1 @ Western, 4
LONDON, Ont. - Steve Reese notched two goals as the Western Mustangs defeated the Windsor Lancers 4-1 on Feb.17 in the first game of a best-of-three series. Reese is ranked fifth among OUA rookie scorers with 17 goals and 13 assists.
Kyle Lamb added a goal and Julian Cimadamore potted an empty net goal for the Mustangs while Kyle Nishizaki scored the only Lancers goal.
As playoff hockey got underway at Thompson Arena, both teams battled hard in the first 20 minutes, establishing a quick pace and a physical contest. With five minutes left in the first period, the Lancers struggled to clear the puck out of their zone. Reese cradled the puck and tucked Western’s first goal past goaltender Jim Watt (Edmonton).
Just two minutes into the second frame, Watt misplayed the puck off the side of the net and Reese skated in, pressuring the goalie. As Reese skated past the net, he reached for the puck and slipped it past Watt to put Western up 2-0.
Back-and-forth play continued as Windsor was called for three infractions and Western for two. On the man-advantage, the Mustangs pressured the Lancers and a scrum in front of the net ensued. Both teams tried to get their stick on the puck and after at least four whacks, Western prevailed to increase their lead by three.
The Lancers started the third period shorthanded, but got the puck deep in Mustangs territory off the first face-off. Western could not clear the puck as two Windsor players attacked offensively. Nishizaki beat Mustangs netminder Anthony Grieco for a 3-1 game and 19 minutes left to play.
Western played well defensively, backed by Grieco who made 31 saves for the win. The Mustangs held the Lancers off and Cimadamore’s empty net goal completed the match at 4-1.
Western will travel to Windsor tomorrow Feb. 18 for Game 2 of the series. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m.
Source: Western Sports Info
