September 30
RIDGEBACKS MEN'S HOCKEY FIRST OUA TOURNAMENT ACTION
Toronto - With a win under their belts a week earlier, the UOIT Ridgebacks Men’s Hockey team headed to the York University Invitational tournament as a cautiously optimistic bunch. The four team tournament which included host York Lions (Toronto), as well as, the Western Mustangs (London) and the Ryerson Rams (Toronto) would be the first test for the Ridgebacks against Western Conference competition after facing off against Eastern rival Ottawa the week before.
Game one would see UOIT facing the experienced and talented Western Mustangs on Saturday afternoon. The first period opened with both teams playing tentatively, trying to feel each other out and neither side holding a real advantage. Midway through the period, however, Western took the early lead scoring just as a Ridgeback penalty expired. That lead would not last long, as only a few short minutes later, forward Jordan Freeland (Belleville) would grab a loose puck in the Western zone and score shorthanded, to even the game and send the teams to the dressing rooms knotted at one.
The second period would see the Mustangs take control of the game as they would score their own shorthanded goal to take a 2-1 lead and follow that up with another quick goal off a two on two rush to jump up 3-1. Goaltender Josh Sturrock (Dundalk) would hold off the Mustangs attack from there until last moments of the frame when the Mustangs would register another tally to take a three goal lead into the final period.
The third would see UOIT change goaltenders, replacing Sturrock with former Peterborough Pete Josh Evans (Whitby). However, it did little to change the Ridgebacks fortunes as Western would score once on the power play and once at even strength to make the final score Western 6 and UOIT 1.
Game two of the tournament saw the Ridgebacks face the host York Lions who had been defeated the previous night by the Ryerson Rams 5-3.
In the first, York was anything but a gracious host to the Ridgebacks as they would capitalize on three power play opportunities in the first fifteen minutes to put UOIT in the hole 3-0. Late in the period they would add another and go into the second period leading by four.
In the second period a much more energetic group of Ridgebacks took to the ice but despite several punishing hits, and solid scoring opportunities it would be York who would record the only goal of the period shorthanded to take a monstrous 5-0 lead into the third.
The final frame saw continued pressure from the Ridgebacks and as a result, several scoring opportunities that finally paid off when Paul Pascuzzi (Whitby) tipped home a point shot from Tyler Gubler (Oshawa) to ruin the York shutout and make the final York 5 UOIT 1.
UOIT vs. Western Scoring Summary
1st Period
Western: Peralta (Petrow, Courtney) 13:57
UOIT: Freeland (Power) SH 16:44
2nd Period
Western: Peralta (Hare) SH 7:06
Western: Raymond (Courtney, Ouellett) 9:07
Western: Martens (Lamb) 19:08
3rd Period
Western: King (McMullin, Ertl) PP 5:16
Western: Petrow (Russell) 17:55
UOIT vs. York Scoring Summary
1st Period
York: Lanochkin: (Clarke, Labute) PP 6:39
York: Jones: (Harrison, Ruppe) PP 10:32
York: Jones: (Harrison, Passfield) PP 13:14
York: Shrum: (Labute, Restoule) 19:09
2nd Period
York: Labute (Lanochkin) SH 6:00
3rd Period
UOIT: Pascuzzi (Gubler) 18:46
Ridgebacks Conference Record: 0-0
Ridgebacks Overall Record: 1-2
Next Preseason Action: October 4th @ Ryerson Rams (Toronto)
Next Home Action @ Campus Ice Centre: ***Inaugural OUA Men's Ridgebacks Regular Season Game*** October 12 vs. Queen's Golden Gaels @ 7:30pm
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Cory Lusted
Sports Information & Marketing Officer
Athletic Department @ Durham College/ UOIT
cory.lusted@dc-uoit.ca
(905) 721-3111 x. 2784