2009-10 NEWS RELEASES

UOIT Ridgebacks Media Release
Saturday, February 13, 2010

Ridgebacks end regular season on a high note – Playoffs up next

Men’s Hockey: UOIT defeated Waterloo 6-4

UPCOMING PLAYOFFS SERIES
Game 1: Wednesday, February 17 @ Western (7:30 p.m.)
Game 2: Friday, February 19 vs. Western (7:30 p.m.) – Campus Ice Centre
Game 3: Sunday, February 21 @ Western (7:30 p.m.)

OSHAWA, Ont. – The UOIT Ridgebacks will enter the playoffs on a roll as they defeated the nationally ranked Waterloo Warriors 6-4 at the Campus Ice Centre on Saturday night.

The Ridgebacks finished the year with an 11-15-2 record and will now square off against the Western Mustangs in the first round of the OUA playoffs. The Mustangs clinched the western conference with a 3-2 overtime victory over Laurier, leapfrogging Waterloo in the standings Saturday night.

Game one in London will take place on Wednesday, February 17 at 7:30 p.m. The Ridgebacks will host game two, their first ever playoff game on Friday, February 19 at the Campus Ice Centre. Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m. Game three, if necessary will be in London on Sunday, February 21.

After a sluggish first period which saw the Ridgebacks head to the locker room at intermission down 3-0 to the powerful Warriors squad, UOIT came out flying in the second period. Scott Baker (Mactier, Ont.) opened the scoring for the Ridgebacks less than five minutes into the second frame, with Josh Vatri and Jeff Barletta (Port Stanley, Ont.) picking up assists.

Two minutes later, Vatri (Barrie, Ont.) found the back of the net for his own tally to pull the Ridgebacks within one. Nathan Spaling (Drayton, Ont.) and Brent Varty (Oshawa, Ont.) picked up helpers.

Waterloo regained the two goal cushion when Thomas Cardiff scored less than a minute later, but the Ridgebacks showed their fight by pulling the game even before the end of period two. Baker scored his second of the contest from Dustin Turner (Charlottetown, PEI) and Varty at the 11:39 mark. Tony Rizzi (Kingston, Ont.) chipped in the first power play goal in the game on a feed from Spaling to knot the score at four, after a penalty filled second period.

The third period was back and forth until Vatri notched his second of the contest, the game winner, at the 14:33 mark on a feed from Rizzi. Pickering native Kyle Wetering iced the win a few minutes later with an unassisted empty net goal.

The game had a playoff like atmosphere and was filled with penalties as 23 infractions were handed out. UOIT went 2-for-6 on the power play while Waterloo was 0-for-7.

Jeff Dawson (Bracebridge, Ont.) made 22 stops in the win while Waterloo goalie Keaton Hartigan stopped 19 of 24 Ridgebacks shots.

Playoff tickets are on sale for the game two of the playoff series by contacting Scott Dennis at scott.dennis@dc-uoit.ca or 905-721-8668 ext. 2784.

GAME RECAP

(M) Waterloo 4 At (M) UOIT 6 - Status: Final
Feb 13, 2010 - Campus Ice Centre

Waterloo 3 1 0 - 4
UOIT 0 4 2 - 6

1st Period
1, Waterloo, Schnurr 7 (Schwende, Ray), 8:42
2, Waterloo, Fraser 6 (Pellerin), 14:47
3, Waterloo, Hill 5 (Veysey, Sonnenburg), 17:49

2nd Period
4, UOIT, Baker 8 (Vatri, Barletta), 4:57
5, UOIT, Vatri 16 (Spaling, Varty), 6:58
6, Waterloo, Cardiff 3 (Whitely, Carwardine), 7:32
7, UOIT, Baker 9 (Turner, Varty), 11:39
8, UOIT, Rizzi 10 (Spaling), 16:11 (pp)
 
3rd Period
9, UOIT, Vatri 17 (Rizzi), 14:33 (pp)
10, UOIT, Wetering 12 19:03 (en)
 
Shots on Goal
Waterloo 9-8-9-26
UOIT 7-13-5-25

Power Play Opportunities
Waterloo 0 of 7
UOIT 2 of 6

Goalies
Waterloo, Hartigan 18-6-1 (24 shots-19 saves)
UOIT, Dawson 2-2-0 (26 shots-22 saves)

A-303 

A QUICK LOOK AT THE RIDGEBACKS
Overall Record: 12-20-2
Conference Record: 11-15-2

PLAYOFFS SERIES
Game 1: Wednesday, February 17 @ Western (7:30 p.m.)
Game 2: Friday, February 19 vs. Western (7:30 p.m.)
Game 3: Sunday, February 21 @ Western (7:30 p.m.)

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Scott Dennis
Sports Information and Marketing Coordinator
Durham College and UOIT Athletics
905.721.2000 Ext. 2784 (P)
905.721.3117 (F)
scott.dennis@dc-uoit.ca