On January 16, the Varsity Blues men’s ice hockey team rallied to secure a 4–2 comeback win against the Laurier Golden Hawks at Varsity Arena. The team extended their winning streak at home to four games, showcasing their continued dominance at Varsity Arena.
What happened?
The Blues came out firing in the first period, controlling the ice and outshooting the Golden Hawks 14–4. The Blues’ early chances were thwarted by Golden Hawks’ netminder Tristan Malboeuf, who stonewalled multiple Blues’ scoring opportunities, including one while shorthanded. The Blues finally broke through 15 minutes into the period when forward Billy Moskal scored, with assists from forward Owen Robinson and defence Mark Cooper, to give the Blues a 1–0 lead heading into the second period.
The second period saw the Golden Hawks rally, scoring two goals and outshooting the Blues 12–6 in a commanding showing that shifted the momentum. Varsity Blues goalie Jordan Fairlie stepped up with spectacular saves on multiple surefire Golden Hawks’ scoring chances in the first five minutes and another on a 2-on-1 chance eight minutes in. However, it wasn’t enough, as the Golden Hawks capitalized on the power play and rode that momentum to score the go-ahead goal with minutes remaining, finishing the period up 2–1.
The third period, like the first, was all Blues. The team rallied during the intermission and scored within the first five minutes, igniting their comeback. Forward Christian Stevens fired the puck past Malboeuf and into the net, set up by forward Eddie Yan, in a momentum-shifting goal that tied the game at 2–2. Moments later, forward Julian Recine weaved past defenders to net another goal, assisted by defence Owen Luik and forward Sean Clarke, putting the Blues in the lead at 3–2. Not satisfied with a one-goal advantage, the Blues continued to apply pressure. Recine returned the favour with an assist to forward Dylan Wightman, who burst through the Hawks’ defence to slide the puck into the back of the net, with help from forward Owen Hollingsworth, putting the Blues up 4–2 with 10 minutes left in the game.
The Blues held on to their lead and momentum despite conceding a late penalty in the last two minutes. Combined with the pulled Golden Hawks goalie, the power play gave the Blues a 6-on-4 disadvantage. The team withstood the heavy pressure, applying aggressive defence that forced the Hawks out of the offensive zone, securing a decisive 4–2 victory.
What’s next?
With this game, the Blues improved their strong season record to 12–8, while the Hawks dropped to 4–13. On January 18, the team played their first away game of the calendar year against OUA West leaders and ‘Line 1’ rivals TMU Bold, falling 4–1, taking the team to a 12–9 record and staying third in the OUA West.
Looking ahead, the Blues will return home to play on Friday, January 24, against the Nipissing Lakers, with puck drop scheduled for 7:00 pm.
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