LATE THIRD-PERIOD DAGGER LEADS OTTAWA PAST THE RIDGEBACKS IN A HARD-FOUGHT MATCHUP AT HOME
The Gee-Gee men’s hockey team beat the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks 3 to 1 in a tight contest this past Saturday. The team won out at home, besting Queen’s Gaels the night before. This win marked the Gee-Gee’s third straight win against the Ridgebacks this year, sweeping the regular season series.
Regardless of the winning record, the Ridgebacks were no pushover, with the Gee-Gee’s holding on to a 1-goal lead until late in the third, where they added an insurance marker.
First Period
The Gee-Gee’s came out strong, applying suffocating pressure from the jump. With Ontario Tech struggling to clear the puck, the pressure boiled over into a cross-checking penalty against Gee-Gees’ Mitch Martin, letting the Ridgebacks off the hook. The Ridgeback power play was strong, and a couple of good opportunities arose, but after failing to capitalize more than once, the game returned to 5 on 5.
With a level playing field, the Gee-Gees returned to their dominance in the Ridgebacks’ zone. After a scramble in front of the net, the Ridgebacks took a hooking penalty, and it was the Gee-Gees’ turn to apply pressure. The Gee-Gee power play was so dominant that at several points 4 players were below the opposing goal line, with the Ridgebacks somehow still being unable to clear the puck.
The game eventually returned to 5 on 5, until a scuffle in front of the Ridgeback bench led to both sides taking a penalty and the game moving back to 4 on 4.
Later on, Ottawa generated a strong chance in the slot, but Ridgeback goaltender Eduoard Gauthier made an excellent save. The period closed with a 2-on-1 opportunity for the Ridgebacks; however, after an errant pass, they came up empty, and the period concluded with both sides coming up empty.
Second period
The Gee-Gees came out strong to start the second. Roughly 40 seconds into the period, #89 Andrew Belchamber scored off of a scramble in front of the Ridgeback net, assisted by Cam Gauvreau and Max Grondin. Shortly after the fact, a penalty was called against the Gee-Gees, and the Ridgebacks took their turn on the offensive.
Ontario Tech looked to respond with urgency. After a penalty was called against Ottawa, the Ridgebacks came inches away from tying the game as a pass got through the slot to a wide-open Gabriel Bernier, who, fortunately for the Gee-Gees, put it off the crossbar and out of play. Ottawa’s penalty kill came up strong, preserving the lead.
The exciting back-and-forth game continued as the Gee-Gee forecheck generated a great opportunity for the team; however, Gauthier came up with another save to hold the lead to 1. The referees kept both teams on a tight leash as the second continued, and the game moved to 4 on 4, providing both teams with opportunities on offense throughout the period. Alexis Daviault of the Gee-Gee’s set the tone for the period with an enormous hit, crushing a Ridgeback player.
Ontario Tech briefly had a 4-on-3 advantage and was able to press hard in the Ottawa zone. A turnover by the Gee-Gee’s in the neutral zone led to a breakaway, but Zach Dietz was able to hold the lead for Ottawa.
As the period came to a close, the Gee-Gee’s entered the opposing zone on a 2-on-1. #77 Zach Giroux held on to the puck and beat the Ridgeback goaltender high with a pretty shot from the point, assisted by Martin and Gauvreau. The period came to a close with the Gee-Gees leading 2 to 0.
Third Period
Facing the two-goal deficit, Ontario Tech came out strong in the third, forcing several big saves from Zach Dietz to maintain the lead. Midway through the period their push paid off, as a quick pass through the slot found Ontario Tech’s Bernier, who scored to cut the lead to one.
The rest of the third period was an intense back-and-forth between the two teams. The Ridgebacks got a great opportunity to even the score after a Gee-Gee turnover in front of their own net. Fortunately, the ensuing shot rang off the post, and Ottawa remained ahead. Moments later, a scramble in front of the Ridgeback net left a perfect wide-open opportunity for the Gee-Gees, but Eduoard Gauthier somehow came up with a save.
The dagger for the Gee-Gees came with minutes left in the third when Max Grondin scored off of a pretty tic-tac-toe passing play, assisted by Christopher Barlas and Andrew Belchamber. From there on out, the Gee-Gee’s shut out the Ridgebacks defensively, controlling the game until its end, as Ottawa hung on to claim a 3 to 1 victory at home.
Looking Ahead
The first star from Saturday’s game was forward Andrew Belchamber, who finished with a goal and an assist, leaving him at 13 points on the season. Edouard Gauthier of the Ridgebacks earned the second star, having had a very strong performance, with 42 saves on the day. The third star of the matchup was Gee-Gee goaltender Zach Dietz, who played a very strong game to earn his third win of the season as a starter.
Additional impressive performances include defenseman Cam Gauvreau, who tallied 2 assists, as well as center Max Grondin, who both scored and had an assist. Zach Giroux also had a strong impact on the game, with several big hits throughout the game and a goal to bring him up to 20 points on the season.
Following the win, the Gee-Gee’s hold third place in the OUA East and seventh place in the OUA as a whole. Though that disparity may seem concerning, they are only one point behind the four teams tied for third in the league as a whole. Looking ahead, the Gee-Gee’s will head to Quebec to play the UQTR Patriots this coming Saturday, hoping to extend their winning streak to three.
