By Will Brown
- Rams stretch winning streak to four games, extend lead in OUA West
- Ryerson goalie Taylor Dupuis makes season-high 35 saves
- Jamie Lewis nets sixth and seventh goals of the season, tied for second on the team
Ryerson’s men’s hockey team won its fourth straight game with a 5-2 victory over the Western Mustangs at the Mattamy Athletic Centre on Thursday night. The Rams improve their record to 9-2-1 and extended their lead in the OUA West, four points up on second-place York.
Jamie Lewis scored two goals and Taylor Dupuis had 35 saves in the win as Ryerson goes 4-1-0 on its five-game homestand.
After allowing Western to tie the game twice, Ryerson took the lead for the third and final time on a powerplay goal by Lewis near the 12-minute mark of the second period. A turnover by Rams defender Alex Basso allowed Western to tie the game nearly 10 minutes earlier, as Basso fumbled the puck near the top of the right circle and Connor Chartier stole it off him and scored shortside.
Ryerson controlled the majority of the play in third period, but were unable to capitalize on any of their chances until Lewis’s second goal of the game with five minutes to go in regulation. It was Lewis’s seventh tally of the season, moving him into a tie with Aaron Armstrong for second in team goals. Rams captain Michael Fine added his team-leading eighth goal with less than two minutes to play and Ryerson comfortably ran out the remaining time to secure the win.
The Rams opened the scoring after Chris Marchese converted on an early breakaway. The second-year forward was fed a beautiful breakaway pass, deked to the backhand and shoveled it past Luke Peresinni for the 1-0 lead exactly six minutes into the opening period.
Western tied it up later in the first off a faceoff win. The puck was thrown on net from the point, but it hit a body and came right to Trent Ouellette who was able to shoot it past an out-of-position Dupuis.
The Rams regained the lead with just under five minutes to play in the first. Landon Schiller drove to the net and his rebound was jammed in by Devon Paliani. It was Paliani’s first goal of the season, and Ryerson carried a 2-1 lead and a sizable advantage in shots into the first intermission.
UP NEXT: It was the final home game of 2017 for the men’s hockey team, and the first of back-to-back contests. The Rams travel to Waterloo to take on the Warriors at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18 in the first of six straight road games. Their next home game won’t be until Jan. 12 against Brock.
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