MHKY | Voyageurs Upset #8 Ranked Lions in Double OT
February 3, 2017
On Friday night, the Voyageurs men's hockey team won their first game in nearly a month as they upset the #8 ranked York Lions in double overtime.
York came out of the gates flying, leaving no doubt in anyone's minds as to why they are sitting in second place in the West. The Lions would strike first, albeit late in the first period, when Greg Milner was able to beat Joel Vienneau giving the Lions a 1-0 lead. The Vees responded in the dying seconds of the first period and on the powerplay, when Dylan Fitze's shot riccocheted of a York stick and behind Lions goalie Mack Shields at 19:56 of the period.
The second period was consumed mostly by York on the power play as the Voyageurs took four penalties in the second frame. The Vees were successful at killing all four of the York power plays. However, as one of those man advantages ended, Derek Sheppard made a move into the high slot and beat Vienneau over the glove, giving the Lions a 2-1 lead at 14:14.
Both teams exchanged rushes in the third period, with the Lions eager to increase their lead and the Voyageurs desperate to tie the game. Finding themselves on a late powerplay, Andrew Tessier received a pass from Darcy Haines in the neutral zone, rushed into the Lions end, picked up his own rebound and managed to beat a sprawled out Shields on the glove side to tie the game at 17:44.
The first overtime period saw neither team able to seal the deal, despite a few chances going in the Voyageurs direction and Blake Forslund unable to beat Shields on a breakaway.
As the first 4-on-4 overtime period ended, the second overtime period of 3-on-3 began. Just over halfway through the second overtime, Elliott Richardson saw a window of opportunity to give himself a partial breakaway. Battling through a back-checking Lions defenseman, Richardson managed to slide the puck through the legs of Shields with one hand on his stick to end the game for the Voyageurs.
The Voyageurs win was their first win since January 6 and will looking to be make it two in a row as they host the visiting Brock Badgers tomorrow night at Countryside Arena.
Riley Brooks
Sports Writer