By Raine Hernandez
After being named the Ontario University Athletics player of the week, goaltender Garrett Forrest led the way for the Ryerson Rams, as they earned their fifth consecutive win on Nov. 15 against the Lakehead Thunderwolves.
Forrest was stellar for Ryerson, stopping 22 of 24 shots on route to a 3-2 victory.
“That’s a pretty strong accomplishment to have on the record,” said Forrest when asked about being named the conferences male athlete of the week. “The [defensive core] playing in front of me has played really well.”
In his second year, Forrest now holds a record of 7-2 when starting in goal, while posting a 1.87 GAA.
Along with Forrest’s great play, Lakehead’s goaltender Nic Renyard came up short after also having an exceptional game for the Thunderwolves, making 33 saves in the losing effort.
“[Renyard] played well towards the end,” complimented Forrest. “[Tomorrow] we’ll have to find a way to put them past him.”
Ryerson’s head coach Johnny Duco was adamant of Forrest’s performance and praised the team’s strides that they have made defensively.
“[Forrest] has been outstanding…he’s a hard-working guy and he’s extremely focused [in net],” said Duco. “It’s a good reward for him, and it’s fun to watch.”
Also leading the way for the Rams was the forward duo of Mathew Santos, Matt Mistele, who both had a goal and an assist on the night.
“[Mistele] is an offensive threat,” said Santos, who now leads the team in points with 14. “We feed off of each other and try to produce points.”
Jesse Barwell, who was a new addition to the top line, playing in between Santos and Mistele brought a different feel to Ryerson’s top line, adding a defensive presence to contrast the high-potent offence that Santos and Mistele bring to the table.
Santos, who enjoys playing alongside Barwell and Mistele, praised Barwell’s ability to bring a different element to their play.
“[Barwell] brings a lot of speed up the middle, applying pressure to the opposing defensemen,” praised Santos. “He adds another dynamic to our line.”
Duco was also impressed with how well Barwell was able to develop instant chemistry with Santos and Mistele.
“It hasn’t shown up on the scoresheet, but [Barwell]’s one of our most sound defensive players,” said Duco. “With two immensely talented wingers, his defensive game compliments them, dominating at times.”
UP NEXT: With the victory, Ryerson improves to a record of 8-2-1, and will have an opportunity to extend their winning streak to six games at home tomorrow night, as they square off once again against Lakehead
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