By Hayden Godfrey
Playing a formidable spoiler on the eve of York’s home opener, the Ryerson Rams men’s hockey team escaped their early-season funk and handily took a 2-1 victory on Oct. 18.
York’s crowd—freezing inside the arena at Canlan Ice Sports—was enthusiastic and involved all game, even though their team ended up on the losing end.
From the moment the puck dropped, both teams were swift and quick, moving to and from the corners with grace. The Rams got on the board first though, when Gregory DiTomaso wired a pass from blueliner Jared Walsh over the left shoulder of Lions goaltender Mack Shields to open the scoring.
Minutes later, the Lions evened things up thanks to the perfect positioning of forward Dylan Riley, who narrowly beat Rams goalie Troy Timpano.
Playing in the absence of starting goalie Taylor Dupuis—who was out with a groin injury—Timpano was excellent.
Much to the satisfaction of Rams head coach Johnny Duco, who applauds his confidence and ability to play the puck outside of his cage.
“[Timpano] was calm right from the start,” Duco said following the game. “His ability to play the puck back there makes it a lot easier for our [defensemen] and keeps them away [from some] hits.”
Though the Rams dominated the majority of the second frame, the period was surprisingly scoreless. Still, forward Matt Mistele and company stayed in control throughout, despite some outstanding stops by Shields.
In the third, the Rams delivered the crushing blow—a beautiful short-side goal from forward Hayden McCool, who potted his first of the season to give his team the late 2-1 lead.
The Lions struggled to mount a noteworthy comeback, and ultimately couldn’t put the puck in the back of Ryerson’s net.
“We didn’t have great puck luck, but we could’ve had a lot more,” Duco told The Eyeopener. “I was really proud of the way the guys competed for the full 60 minutes.”
UP NEXT: The Rams will hop on the subway and battle the University of Toronto Varsity Blues Saturday. Puck drops at 7:00 p.m.
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