RECAP: Gee-Gees extend season opening win streak to four games

The hot start to the season continues to for the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees men's hockey team. A 5-4 shootout win over the Waterloo Warriors on Saturday night improved the nationally ranked Gee-Gees to a 4-0-0 record.

 

"It seems every game we've won this year, we won it a different way," Head Coach Patrick Grandmaître noted post-game. "Today we were in the lead and they came back, but we didn't stop playing because they came back. We're proud of the guys for sticking to it, especially the penalty kill in critical moments. [Anthony Brodeur] came up with some big saves."

 

Ottawa fell behind with a quick Waterloo goal midway through the frame. But like the previous week against McGill, the offence awoke late in the frame, and unleashed three goals in the span of just 2:17. Jacob Sweeney tallied his second goal of the weekend with a blast from the point. While Brendan Jacome notched his team-leading fourth goal of the season to give Ottawa the lead.

 

Cody Drover, who's been a driving force on the power play, convert just 14 seconds into a man advantage to extend the lead. Waterloo battled back with a pair of goal to tie the game, but it wouldn't last long as Sackville's Kyle Ward tallied his first career goal by unloading a shot from the high slot.

 

A resilient Warriors squad battled back and forced overtime with a power play goal on a five-on-three advantage. The goal was the lone blemish for the penalty killing units, which went six-for-seven on the night and currently ranks third in the entire OUA with a 90-percent success rate. "I thought our penalty kill was great, it was a different game today with a lot of chippy play," Grandmaître said. " We're proud of the guys for sticking to it, especially the penalty kill in critical moments."

 

With overtime solving nothing, the Gee-Gees handed the puck to shootout specialist Kevin Domingue, who made no mistake to convert on Ottawa's first shot.

While Connor Sills and Jean-François Plante couldn't score on their chances, Brodeur stopped all three shots he faced, clinching the victory for the Gee-Gees.

 

With Ottawa opening the campaign a perfect 4-0-0, and finding themselves quickly rising in the U SPORTS Top 10 rankings, teams are bringing their best on a nightly basis when taking on the Gee-Gees. The team is also currently tied for first in the OUA East and boasts the lowest goals against average so far.

 

"Teams will be more prepared, they wont take us lightly," Grandmaître explained. "We're confident If we play our way, we'll be tough to beat and tough to score against and we should get some good scoring chances." With reading week underway, the team will now have the opportunity to rest up, study, and prepare for next weekend's road trip to St. Catharines and Guelph. Ottawa will —visit Brock on Oct. 26 at 7:15 p.m. then head to Guelph the following night to take on the Gryphons at 7:30.

—Cameron Penney