AROUND OUA: Mustangs win fifth straight, knock off CIS No. 3 Redmen
MONTREAL – Peter Delmas turned aside 48 shots and Western's power play came to life against one of the OUA's top teams, as the Mustangs battled to a 3-2 victory over the CIS No. 3 McGill Redmen at McConnell Arena.
SCOREBOARD
Mustangs win fifth straight, knock off CIS No. 3 Redmen
MONTREAL – Peter Delmas turned aside 48 shots and Western's power play came to life against one of the OUA's top teams, as the Mustangs battled to a 3-2 victory over the CIS No. 3 McGill Redmen at McConnell Arena.
Western's winning streak is now at five games to bring their record to 15-8-0. The purple and white currently hold down second place in the OUA West standings behind the York Lions.
The powerhouse Redmen remain tied for top spot in the league with UQTR, although the Patriotes have a game in hand. Both teams have 39 points—eight more than the West-leading Lions.
McGill's league-best power play, which has played a big role in their success this season, was all but shut down by the Mustangs on Saturday. The Redmen went just 1-for-7 but still have a 30% success rate on the season.
Western's power play, on the other hand, managed to snap out of its recent funk. Entering the game, the Mustangs had gone just 2-for-18 since the beginning of December but they broke out in a big way, as Stephen Sanza, Andrew Goldberg, and Trent Ouellette each scored with the man advantage.
Ouellette, Goldberg, and Noah Schwartz all finished with a multi-point night while new addition Mike DiPaolo scored his first OUA goal to kick off Western's offence. David Corrente, Robert Polesello, and Spenser Cobbold also added points for the Mustangs.
McGill registered all their offence in a dominant first period, firing 23 shots at Delmas and connecting on two of them. Mathieu Pompei had a power play goal to open the scoring and Christophe Lalonde gave the Redmen back the lead late in the frame after DiPaolo connected with four minutes left.
Western seemed to be rejuvenated in the second period, scoring twice within five minutes near the midway point of the frame. Ouellette added an insurance marker just 33 seconds into the third period and Delmas turned away 16 shots to help break Western's streak of six straight one-goal games.
NOTES: Western's goaltending duo of Delmas and Greg Dodds are now seventh in the league with a .909 team save percentage. They've allowed two or less goals in each of their last five games. Schwartz is on fire right now with three straight multi-point efforts under his belt. The junior forward has seven points on a four game streak…
Source: Western Mustangs
Lions stay in first with victory over Thunderwolves
The York University Lions men's hockey team defeated the Lakehead Thunderwolves on Saturday evening (Jan. 23) by a score of 3-1 at Canlan Ice Sports.
Lions starting goaltender Chris Perugini (King City, Ont.) once again stood on his head, stopping 33 of 34 shots, and shutting the door on countless Thunderwolves scoring chances. After Saturdays win the Lions improve to 13-6-3 and remain in top spot in the OUA West standings, while the Thunderwolves fall to 4-13-4 on the season.
The Lions came out hungry in the first period and were firing from all angles on Lakehead goaltender Jeff Bosch, who faced 37 shots on the night. The Lions finally beat Bosch late in the first period when Greg Milner (Watford, Ont.) and Trevor Petersen (Thornhill, Ont.) broke into Lakehead territory and executed a superb tic-tac-toe play that Milner finished to put the Lions up 1-0.
The momentum from the first period carried over to the second as the Lions were once again pressuring inside the Thunderwolves blue line. The Lions were rewarded with a power play, and on the odd-man advantage they eventually worked the puck around to the point where Tyler Mort (Keswick, Ont.) fired a laser over the shoulder of Bosch to put the Lions up two.
The Lions special teams has been a strength this season as they are ranked third in the OUA for power play efficiency.
Just over four minutes after the Mort tally the Thunderwolves got on the scoreboard on a Brennan Dubchak pass through the slot to a slicing Matt Alexander that cut the Lions lead in half.
The brief comeback attempt by the Thunderwolves was shut down as Perugini made one big save after another, and in the third period made an incredible desperation save that saw him sprawl out with the glove to secure the lead.
Reid Jackman (Etobicoke, Ont.) and Kyle Campbell (Halifax, N.S) put the game on ice in the final minute as they were sent in on a two-on-one and beat Bosch to put the Lions up 3-1.
The Lions are back on the ice next Saturday (Jan. 30) when they travel to London, Ont., for a huge match-up to take on the second-place Western Mustangs. Puck drop is set for 4pm at Thompson Arena.
Source: York Lions
First line firest Carleton to weekend sweep of Stingers
(OTTAWA, ON) — A three-goal performance from the Ravens' first line was the difference at the Ice House on Saturday night, as the Carleton men's hockey team downed the visiting Concordia Stingers 4-1 on the back-end of a home-and-home series.
The win saw Carleton (17-5-0) extend its winning streak to five games while sweeping Concordia (8-11-5) in their two-game weekend set. Ravens rookie Brett Welychka (London, ON) continued his torrid pace with a three-point performance in the win.
"We didn't have the best game (Friday) night as a line, and we knew tonight we would have to step up," said Welychka, who moved into a tie for first in the country in assists (25) with a pair on Saturday. "I've never been a crazy point guy, but this year I've tried to step up and be that guy—credit to my linemates, they've done an incredible job."
Carleton dominated long stretches of the first period, but steady play from Concordia netminder Robin Billingham—an Ottawa native—kept the game scoreless through twenty minutes.
The Ravens finally broke Billingham at the halfway point of the game, as Welychka wired a shot past the Concordia goalie, glove-side, at 10:43 of the second period for his 13th of the season.
Forward Michael McNamee (Perth, ON) followed his linemate's opener with a snipe of his own less than 90 seconds later, as he pulled the trigger on a deadly wrist shot for his team-leading 15th of the year.
Captain Joey West (Ottawa, ON)—fresh off an overtime game-winner on Friday night—then extended the lead to three, leaving Billingham's undergarments in the Ice House rafters in the process, at 17:37 of the middle frame.
The two teams traded power play markers in the final twenty minutes; Luca Ciampini netted Concordia's lone goal on a bar-down wrist shot at the 7:45 mark, while Ryan Van Stralen (Prescott, ON) extended his point-streak to five games with a tidy powerplay goal at 14:06.
"I'm really happy with the effort, considering we played three games in five days," said Ravens head coach Marty Johnston, whose team has won five of six since returning from the December break. "I felt like our legs were better than theirs, and that's a testament to the guys working hard in practice."
Carleton completely neutralized Concordia forward star Olivier Hinse on the night, and allowed the Stingers captain a single goal over the weekend series.
"We had a couple of lines that really shut him down," said Coach Johnston. "It's a five-, six-man effort to shut down a player like (Hinse), and we played four lines tonight who all contributed to that."
Source: Carleton Ravens
Ming nets two in 3-1 win over Nipissing
NORTH BAY, Ont. (January 23, 2016) - After capping off a comeback win versus Laurentian on Friday, the Gaels (13-6-1) were able to score three unanswered goals to sweep their northern Ontario weekend and beat Nipissing (8-11-3) on Saturday.
Game Flow
Queen's has had some trouble in 2016 scoring early in their games. Unfortunately, Saturday was no different as they fell behind 1-0 in the first period. 5:41 into the game Craig Campbell put one past Gaels goalie Kevin Bailie (Belleville, Ont.). The Gaels also fired 13 shots on net in the frame but was unable to put one on the board.
The second period broke open for the visiting team as they fired another 14 on the Lakers goalie. Just over two minutes in, the Gaels were able to convert on the powerplay as Patrick McGillis (Calgary) scored his team leading 11th of the year to tie the game at one. With a few penalties to kill and another powerplay chance, it took 17 more minutes to get more on the board. The Gaels made it 2-1 as Eric Ming (Williamstown, Ont.) tied the team lead in goals and gave his team a slim lead. Spencer Abraham (Campbellville, Ont.) picked up his second assist of the game on the Ming goal.
With just a slim one goal lead, Queens' defence and goaltending did all they could to hold off a burst of offence from the Lakers. 17 of Nipissing's 32 shots came in the final period, but were unable to solve the Gaels goaltender. In the final minute Ming was able to send one into the empty net and seal the game to give the Gaels a 3-1 lead, and win.
By the Numbers
3 - players tallied two points in the win - Eric Ming, Spencer Abraham, and Patrick McGillis
24 - with two points on the night, Abraham now leads the team in points with 24
1st - goalie Kevin Bailie continues to lead the OUA in save percentage with a .942
47 - goals against the Gaels on the year, best in the league
12 - Ming leads the Gaels with 12 goals on the season
Up Next
Queen's will head home next weekend for a Friday game versus Carleton at the Memorial Centre. It will be a quick trip back to Kingston as they'll immediately hit the road to play McGill on Saturday night.
Source: Queen's Gaels
Golden Hawks sweep Battle of Waterloo with 4-1 win
WATERLOO, Ont. (January 23, 2016) – For the first time in 13 seasons, the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks men's hockey team will finish the regular season unbeaten against the Waterloo Warriors as they picked up a 4-1 victory on Saturday night at the Waterloo Recreation Complex.
After defeating the Warriors 7-3 on the road earlier this season, the purple and gold earned a sweep of the season series against their crosstown rivals thanks to a 44-save effort from goalie Vinny Merante of Niagara Falls, N.Y. Merante was spectacular for the second straight start, highlighted by a very strong first period in which he denied the Warriors 19 times to help his team head to the dressing room with a 1-0 lead.
Laurier got on the board first thanks to Derek Schonemakers' (Kitchener, Ont.) 12th goal of the season late in the opening frame.
Erik Pushka of Dugald, Man., potted the eventual game-winning goal seven minutes into the second period while rookie defenceman Mac Clutsam of Flamborough, Ont., and Mike Webley of Stittsville, Ont., rounded out the scoring in the third period.
Both Clutsam and Webley also added assists on the night giving them two points each. For Clutsam, the multi-point effort was his third on the season while Webley, who missed seven games due to injury earlier in the year, recorded his first two-point game since scoring twice in the Hawks' season opening victory.
Mike Moffat of Waterloo, Ont., replied for Waterloo while Mike Morrison of Hamilton, took the loss in goal allowing three goals on 24 shots.
The victory gives Laurier their first sweep of Waterloo since 2002-03 when they also went 2-0 against the Warriors. It also was the third win in a row for Laurier, a season-best run, and moved them back to .500 on the year as they now sit at 11-11-0.
As for the Warriors, after winning eight straight games, they drop their second consecutive decision to sit at 12-10-0, just two points up on Laurier for fourth in the OUA West division.
Laurier will now look to extend their win streak to four games next Friday, January 29 when they head to St. Catharines to face the Brock Badgers (6-12-5). A victory by the Hawks could potentially clinch the team their first playoff berth in three years depending on the result of the Badgers game against the Guelph Gryphons on Wednesday, January 27.
Puck drop is set for 7:15 p.m. at the Seymour-Hannah Centre.
Source: Laurier Golden Hawks
Late goal lifts Lancers over Rams
TORONTO – Windsor Lancers forward Tyson Ness potted his ninth goal of the season to give his Lancers a 2-1 victory over the Ryerson Rams Saturday night.
Ness pounced on a loose puck in front and made no mistake on the backhand, beating Rams starter Troy Passingham with just 2:42 remaining in the third.
The Ness goal was the second and final goal for the Lancers, which in the end stood the test of time despite the Rams final efforts.
BOXSCORE
Eric Noel of the Lancers opened up the scoring in the first with an acrobatic play. Noel managed to put home a backhand while falling to his knees. His 10th of the season gave the Lancers a one-goal lead and may be considered as one of the OUA's plays of the week.
A scoreless second period then set the table for a nail biting finish. Lancers starter Blake Richard was perfect up until Kyle Blaney and Daniel Clarimont connected late in third.
Blaney found an open Clairmont in front who chipped it up and over Richard for the tally.
A staggering 48 minutes stood between the Rams equalizer and the opening goal, but it took just seconds for the Lancers to respond with their second.
Ness sharked his way past the Rams final line of defence and sealed the deal just 21 seconds later.
The Rams went on to take two ill-advised penalties in the final minute to eliminate any chance of a comeback.
Passingham was the Rams first star through sixty minutes Saturday night and finished with an impressive 46 saves in the loss. Defenceman Luke Mercer is well aware that without a spectacular effort from his goaltender, a 2-1 loss isn't even possible.
"He was a monster out there," said Mercer. "Without him that game could have easily been 6-1. He kept us in there, made some timely saves and let us keep going. He was our MVP for sure."
The Lancers were not only relentless in their shooting, but they were also extremely effective with their style of play. They stormed out of the gate with physicality that just couldn't be matched and it turned out to be the defining factor in the win.
"They came in angry after the loss to Laurier and they looked to establish the play right off the bat," said head coach Graham Wise. "And they did. Teams are playing playoff hockey and we need to be prepared. If you think Guelph isn't going to come in playing like that we have another thing coming."
Another defining factor for the Lancers was their ability to clog up the middle, which in result eliminated a number of quality scoring chances for the Rams.
"Our gap between our defence and forwards were far too big," said Wise. "We didn't create enough passing lanes or create enough speed in the neutral zone to break their trap. It was pretty hard to get through, you have to give them credit."
With the loss the Rams fall three points back from the Lancers for fifth in the West and have just five games remaining in the regular season.
The Rams will welcome the defending OUA champs Guelph Gryphons to town on Thursday, January 28th. Puck drop is scheduled for a 7:30 pm start and will be streamed live to OUA.tv.
Source: Ryerson Rams
Varsity Blues sneak past defending champ Gryphons 2-1
The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's hockey team notched their third win in four games in defeating the Guelph Gryphons 2-1 on Saturday, January 23 at Varsity Arena.
With the win, the Blues improve to 9-12-2 and are tied with the Laurier Golden Hawks for seventh place in the OUA West division. The Gryphons drop to 12-10-0 and sit tied for third.
Third-year netminder Andrew Hunt posted 30 saves in his fifth straight start.
Toronto opened the scoring 4:42 into the game as Patrick Marsh finished off a nice pass from Christian Finch to beat Gryphons netminder Andrew D'Agostini.
Third-year forward Connor Cleverley padded U of T's lead 10 minutes later, scoring five-hole on a breakaway to give the Blues a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.
A scoreless second period saw Hunt shine, posting 14 saves to keep the Gryphons off the board.
Guelph did spoil the shut out when Cody Thompson found the back of the net with two minutes remaining in the game, but the Blues held on for the victory.
The Varsity Blues return to the ice next Friday, January 29 as they head to Windsor, Ont., to take on the Lancers. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m.
Source: Toronto Varsity Blues
UOIT holds on for weekend sweep
SUDBURY, Ont. – The UOIT men's hockey team defeated Laurentian 3-2 in Sudbury on Saturday night to earn their third straight victory.
With six games remaining in their regular season, the Ridgebacks (14-7-1) are looking to clinch home ice advantage for the first time in program history. UOIT currently sits in fourth place, two points ahead of the Queen's Gaels (13-6-1) who beat Nipissing 3-1 on Saturday.
UOIT was clearly the stronger team over the first two periods outshooting the Voyageurs 21-12. Mark Petaccio (Sicklerville, N.J.) and Nate Mitton (Kitchener, Ont.) scored in the first and second periods respectively, giving the Ridgebacks a 2-0 lead.
Thirty seconds into the third period, Jesse Stoughton (Bobcaygeon, Ont.) added some insurance with his second shorthanded goal of the year.
That insurance marker would come in handy as Vincent Llorca scored back-to-back goals for Laurentian to put the Voyageurs within one with just over three minutes left on the clock.
With Laurentian pressing for the equalizer, Brendan O'Neill (Ilderton, Ont.) would shut the door on the comeback attempt as the Ridgebacks earned their 14th win of the season. O'Neill finished the night with 25 saves, 12 of which were in the third period.
Mitton would be the only Ridgeback who recorded a multi-point night as he had a goal and an assist. Petaccio's goal was his team leading 11th of the season.
UOIT will look to make up some ground on the third-place Carleton Ravens (17-5-0) when they return to the Campus Ice Centre on Thursday night. Game time is at 7:30 p.m.
Source: UOIT Ridgebacks
