Leading up to the match

Prior to Saturday night’s match, the Varsity Blues men’s hockey team were ranked third in the West division at 9-5-1 after they beat the Waterloo Warriors 4–0 in Waterloo, Ontario on December 2. 

On Saturday, December 3, the Blues played the Wilfred Laurier Golden Hawks at their home rink, Varsity Arena, for the second time this season. These two teams had faced each other in the first game of the regular season, where the Blues secured a 2–1 win in overtime. 

What happened

Within the first four minutes of the game, the Golden Hawks were given a penalty for holding, which set the tone for the rest of the night. Both teams came out aggressively, and the Blues created many offensive opportunities, yet neither team could score.  

The score was 0–0 going into the second period, but it was not long until Blues’ defender Ryan Barbosa picked up the puck in the end zone and carried it up to the half. He made a sharp pass to teammate Cole Purboo, who passed it across the net for forward Owen Robinson to tap it into the back of the net. 

Just minutes later, Blues’ defender Nick Grima received a two-minute penalty, which resulted in the Hawks’ first goal. A fight broke out in front of the net and Barbosa was sent to the penalty box, handing the Hawks another play advantage. 

The Blues’ started the third period hungry for more goals, but their penalties got in the way of this; not even a minute apart, two players from the Blues were given penalties for boarding and high sticking. The five-on-three powerplay led to the Hawks’ second goal of the game, putting the score at 2–1. 

With under five minutes left in the game, Barbosa was given another penalty for slashing and the Hawks scored their third and final goal of the game, securing a 3–1 against the Blues.  

What’s next 

The Blues now sit in fourth place in the west division 9-6-1, with 19 points overall, and are now on a well-deserved break until the new year. On January 2, the Blues will be back for an exhibition game against Niagara University, to prepare them for their regular season matchup against Lakehead University on January 6. 

The Blues beat the Lakehead Thunderwolves 4-1 the last time the two teams faced off on November 19, and look to do the same in the new year.