UOIT Ridgebacks Media Release
Friday, February 08, 2008
Ridgebacks Edge Out York 4-3 on Home Ice
Oshawa (OUA) – It was another milestone win for head coach Marlin Muylaert and the UOIT Ridgebacks men’s hockey team on Friday night as they picked up the program’s first back-to-back victories as they went on to defeat the York University Lions 4-3 in front of a packed house at the Campus Ice Centre.
The win also locks up the season series for UOIT (6-18-3) against the playoff bound Lions (14-11-3), as they took two of three games against York. The Ridgebacks defeated York last weekend 4-0 for their first shutout victory.
The Ridgebacks fed off the energy from the crowd the entire night as they picked up their sixth win of the regular season. Nathan Spaling (Drayton, ON) picked up three assists in the win, bringing his team leading point total to 16 points. Spaling was the lone player in the lineup who recorded more than one point in the game, as nine other Ridgebacks recorded single points on the night.
Chris Lowe (Smith Falls, ON), Jonathan Koch-Butterworth (Uxbridge, ON), Derrick Bagshaw (Oshawa, ON) and Jordan Freeland (Belleville, ON) were the goal scorers for UOIT in the win.
Special teams were the difference in the game, as Bagshaw netted his seventh goal of the year shorthanded at the 14:08 mark of the second period, giving UOIT a 3-2 lead. Jordan Freeland scored the eventual game winner just over a minute later on the power play, as he beat York starting goaltender Domenic Defrancesco for the fourth time of the night.
Matt Mateja (Mississauga, ON) made 21 stops in the win, his second in as many games. The Ridgebacks out shot York 40-24 in the game and went 1-for-2 on the power play. York finished the game 1-for-5 with the man advantage.
The win wraps up the home portion of the Ridgebacks inaugural OUA season at the Dog Pound. The team will now head to Guelph to take on the Gryphons in their regular season finale tomorrow night. Guelph (11-13-3) leads the season series 2-0 against the Ridgebacks.
NOTES: UOIT student Tony Holden won the $1,000 Bursary Giveaway contest presented by Durham Dodge Chrysler Jeep. Student qualifiers were selected at every home game during the second semester, with a chance of winning the Bursary.
GAME SUMMARY
York 3 at UOIT 4 - Final
1st Period
1. UOIT, J. Koch-Butterworth (2) (B. Connolly, N. Spaling) 6:02
2. York, J. Grespan (12) (J. Clarke, M. Restoule) 9:24
2nd Period
3. UOIT, C. Lowe (6) (P. Pascuzzi, T. Gubler) 2:37
4. UOIT, D. Bagshaw (7) (N. Spaling, T. Legge) 14:08 SH
5. York, R. Hyland (2) (D. Henderson, V. Lanochkin) 14:22 PP
6. UOIT, J. Freeland (10) (B. Varty, N. Spaling) 15:17 PP
3rd Period
7. York, J. Grespan (13) (J. Clarke, D. Defrancesco) 17:01
York Shots: 6-12-6 (24)
UOIT Shots: 13-15-12 (40)
Power Play Conversion
York 1-5
UOIT 1-2
Goaltenders
York
Defrancesco - Min: 60:00, SV: 36, GA: 4
UOIT
Mateja - Min: 60:00, SV: 21, GA: 3
Attendance : 423
RIDGEBACKS AT A GLANCE Conference Record: 6-18-3
NEXT GAME Saturday, February 9, 2008
@ Guelph University
7:30 pm
Regular Season Finale
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FOR MORE INFORMATION: ScottDennis SportsInformation & MarketingCoordinator DurhamCollege & UOIT Athletics
905.721.2000 Ext. 2784
scott.dennis@dc-uoit.ca