Gees will look to finish final two regular season games on a high note
The University of Ottawa men’s hockey team was in action on Feb. 2 to take on their cross-town rivals, the Carleton Ravens.
Over 450 people turned out for the Do It For Daron night at the Minto Sports Complex to help spread awareness for mental illness, making it the highest-attended home game of the year for the Gees.
Unfortunately the team couldn’t give their fans a win, but they did come close, losing the match 3–2 in the second overtime period.
Carleton scored the first goal of the game just under 10 minutes into the first period, and went on to outshoot the Gees by a margin of 14–8 by the end of the frame.
The second period featured more excitement, with the Gees getting a goal from defenseman Michael Poirier just over five minutes in.
Forward Marc Beckstead gave the Gees a 2–1 lead four minutes later with his eighth of the season. The Gees’ penalty kill would then get a chance to go to work, successfully warding off Carleton’s power-play.
The Ravens tied the game up with less than four minutes left in the second period, and both teams would enter the second intermission tied at two.
The Ravens outshot the Gees 13–6 in the period, and the Gees had goaltender Graham Hunt to thank for helping them stay with Carleton.
No one would break the tie in the third period, with the Gees failing to convert on two power-plays.
The Gees outshot the Ravens 12–7 in the third, but Ravens goaltender Francois Brassard stood tall.
The Gees would continue to pressure the Ravens in the extra frame, outshooting Carleton 3–0 but failing to score. Unable to solve anything in the first five-minute overtime, the game went to second overtime.
Even though Hunt was a monumental factor in keeping his team in the game, it took the Ravens only 22 seconds into the second period of extra time to win it.
As a result of this loss, the Gees’ record is now 14–8–4 and they sit in sixth place in the Ontario University Athletics East Division. With two games left until playoffs this team will be looking to end the year on a high note, and carry momentum with them into the post-season.
The Gees’ final two games are on Feb. 10 at Laurentian and Feb. 11 at Nipissing.
