A shootout was needed for the Gees to secure their seventh win
The University of Ottawa Men’s hockey team took to the ice on Nov. 23 to face off against western division opponent the Ryerson University Rams in Ontario University Athletics (OUA) conference play. The Garnet and Grey were looking to improve on their 6-4-2 record on home ice.
The Gees headed to the power-play less than two minutes into the game. Kevin Domingue had the Gee-Gees’ first good chance of the game, but he rang it off the cross-bar.
The Ryerson Rams drew first blood off a rebound at 13:26 after Graham Hunt made the first two saves. Connor Sills responded less than three minutes later with a great snapshot from the high slot to beat the Ryerson netminder.
Kevin Domingue made a great play to force a turnover at his own blue line and got in all alone on the Ryerson goalie, but elected to shoot blocker-side and couldn’t finish.
A big save by Hunt on a breakaway with four minutes to play in the opening frame kept the score at one a piece. The Rams scored a power-play goal with 1:37 left off a perfectly placed one-timer.
The Gees came out flying and Marc Beckstead received a nice feed on a two on one from Patrick White to tie the game up at two. A chaotic handling of the puck by Hunt somehow did not find its way to the back of the net. Gees dodge a bullet with 12:38 to play in the second.
A great power-play resulted in a beautiful finish by Domingue as Eric Locke fed him a perfect pass. Domingue continued to be all over the ice, but failed to convert on a great feed from Locke on a two one and a breakaway, all while shorthanded.
The Ryerson Rams made quick work of their man advantage off a one-timer and tip in front to tie the game with 2:15 remaining.
Hunt made a big save six minutes into the third of an in close one-timer that he denied with his right pad. Ryerson came out extremely strong in the first 10 and dominated the Gees.
After chances on both sides, both teams were tied at three and they headed to overtime. The Gees were handed a power-play in the first minute to play in the extra five. They couldn’t finish on their first attempt, but they were handed another advantage soon after.
After five minutes of extra time, and two power-plays for the Gees, the game went to a shootout.
Domingue and Sills scored in the shootout and Hunt made two big saves to secure the win on home ice. Hunt talked about his performance in the shootout after he got no action in the overtime period. “I definitely got a little cold in overtime, but shootouts are kind of a whole different animal, so I just tried to erase the whole 65 minutes before that and take one shot at a time.”
The next home game for the Gee-Gees will take place on Dec. 1 against Carleton University at the Minto sports complex, puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m.
