RIDGEBACKS MEN'S HOCKEY MAKES OUA DEBUT
Oshawa – Hockey fans gathered by the hundreds last night and had plenty of reason to celebrate as the University of Ontario Institute of Technology men’s hockey team played its first-ever Ontario University Athletics (OUA) game, a riveting 3-2 shootout loss to the Queen’s University Golden Gaels (Kingston).
The first period had the Ridgebacks outshooting the Golden Gaels 13-8 but some penalty trouble had both teams scoreless after the first intermission. The undisciplined play continued for UOIT in the second period, but the men were able to kill off four penalties and score the first ever Ridgebacks regular season goal shorthanded, as Shane Nolan (Halifax, NS) took a beautiful pass out of the corner and flipped it over the shoulder of former Oshawa Generals goaltender, Ryan Gibb. An action packed third period, saw both teams contribute for fourteen minutes in penalties that allowed the Golden Gaels to take the lead on two powerplay goals. With the hometeam crowd buzzing and an extra Ridgebacks attacker on the ice, TJ Legge (Chapleau) was able to take the first ever UOIT home game to an extra session with a goal with less than five seconds left in regulation. Overtime solved nothing, taking it to the shootout where no Ridgebacks were able to put it past the former Generals goalie and the Golden Gaels escaped the Dog Pound with a 3-2 shootout victory.
“The first game in a hockey season is always exciting,” said head coach Marlin Muylaert (Port Perry). “But the first game ever for a varsity program takes on even more importance and significance and I’m very proud of our team tonight. From our forwards, to our defence and goaltending, they all played hard for a fantastic crowd.”
The Ridgebacks’ hockey debut in the Mid-west division of the OUA is the result of three years of planning and preparation for UOIT’s entry into both men’s and women’s varsity hockey. The Ridgebacks were officially accepted as the 19th member of the OUA in early 2006.
Several top-ranked players made their on-ice debut with the Ridgebacks following a Canada-wide recruitment process. Players to watch for during the 2007/08 season include goaltender Josh Sturrock (Dundalk), forward Derrick Bagshaw (Oshawa) and defenceman Richard Power (Scarborough).
“With tonight’s men’s hockey game, UOIT athletics has taken a major step forward,” said Ken Babcock, UOIT’s athletic director. “Our team at UOIT has built a competitive men’s hockey program that will continue to grow in the years ahead and provide our fans with an on-ice product that they can be proud of. Plus, they’ll be able to enjoy this high-calibre level of hockey in our first-class facility here at the Campus Ice Centre.”
The Ridgeback’s make a quick return to the ice this afternoon, October 13, at 1:30 p.m. as they host Royal Military College at the Campus Ice Centre. They will attempt to even up their record at 1-1 as the face the Paladins.
The UOIT Ridgebacks currently field men’s and women’s teams in hockey, rowing, and tennis as they set out to build a winning tradition in the OUA, as well as, nationally in the Canadian Interuniversity Sports (CIS) by attracting the best student-athletes, coaches and staff to campus with a common focus on excellence
The festivities started prior to today’s game with a ceremonial puck drop featuring UOIT president Dr. Ronald Bordessa, Your Student Association president Fraser McArthur and Babcock. Joining the UOIT dignitaries was special guest TSN SportsCentre anchor Dan O’Toole and Glenn Coady, whose suggestion of the Ridgebacks as a varsity nickname was chosen from more than 300 submissions.
Commemorative pucks, designed to mark the monumental occasion, were handed out to the first 100 fans to enter the ice centre.
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About UOIT
As an innovative university, UOIT delivers a leading-edge learning environment that uniquely combines academic knowledge, research opportunities, hands-on skills and a vibrant student life. UOIT's 5,000 students are taught by professors who are experts in their fields from around the world. As Ontario's first laptop-based university, the university offers more than 30 challenging undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the fields of Business and Information Technology, Criminology, Justice and Policy Studies, Education, Engineering, Health Sciences, and Sciences. UOIT's commitment to research excellence has resulted in millions of dollars in grants and awards, including five Canada Research Chairs. To find out more, visit www.uoit.ca or call 905.721.8668.
Scoring Summary
UOIT Ridgebacks 2 - 36 shots on goal
Queens Golden Gaels 3 (SO) - 34 shots on goal
First Period
No Scoring
Second Period
UOIT: Nolan (1) (Connolly) 4:06 (SH)
Third Period
QUE: Olsen (1) (Horvath) 11:31 (PP)
QUE: Olsen (2) (Doyle, Lawrence) 15:01 (PP)
UOIT: Legge (1) (Lowe) 19:56
Shootout
QUE: Doyle
Ridgebacks Conference Record: 0-0-0-1
Ridgebacks Overall Record: 2-2-0-1
Next Home Action @ Campus Ice Centre: October 13 vs. Royal Military Paladins @ 1:30pm