The Varsity Blues men’s hockey team hosted the defending Ontario University Athletics (OUA) champions, the Windsor Lancers, Saturday night at Varsity Arena, losing 6–5 in a tense game that featured 109 penalty minutes.
The Lancers opened the scoring nine minutes into the opening frame, with Windsor sniper Ryan Green blasting a shot past U of T goaltender Michael Nishi’s blocker on a partial break. Green has one of the best releases in the OUA, and his goal on a seemingly innocuous rush drew gasps from the Varsity Arena crowd.
With four minutes left in the first period, the Blues were handed a rare 10–minute power play after Windsor defenseman Paul Bezzo jumped Blues sniper Jeff Brown beside the Windsor goal.
The Blues squandered the first four minutes of the penalty but capitalized twice early in the second period to take a 2–1 lead.
Forward Christian Finch scored the first goal, corralling a failed point shot attempt and firing the puck past Lancers goaltender Parker Van Buskirk.
Just 51 seconds later, Blues star forward Michael Markovic scored the go-ahead goal, catching Van Buskirk off guard with a strong forecheck.
The Blues kept pressing after their successful power play and took a 3–1 lead near the midpoint of the period, with second-year forward Casey Knight putting home a loose puck following a mad scramble in front of Van Buskirk.
The Lancers responded five minutes later with another highlight-reel goal, but the Blues kept up the pressure and scored with less than two minutes to play.
Markovic entered the offensive zone on a 3-on-2 matchup, displayed excellent patience, and then hit trailing defenseman Marcus Yolevski with a great pass.
Yolevski snapped a textbook shot past Van Buskirk’s blocker to cap off the best period of hockey the Blues have played at home this year. The Lancers cut U of T’s lead to 4–3 in the opening minutes of the third period, but the Blues answered back, with Jeff Brown banging home a Patrick Marsh rebound to restore the two–goal lead with 15 minutes to play.
The Lancers demonstrated the resilience that has propelled them to a 11–0–0 record, scoring three unanswered goals in the final quarter of the game to steal the win.
Though the end of the game was certainly disappointing for a Blues team looking to reach .500 for the first time this season, it’s tough to be overly negative about Saturday night’s loss.
The Blues played their best game of their season, atoning for the 10–3 drubbing they received at the hands of the Lancers earlier this season, and proved that they can play with the best of the OUA.
With a bit of luck and tighter team defense in the third period, the 4–6 Blues could easily have been the first team to beat the formidable Lancers this season.
