By Mario Russo
The Rams men’s hockey team failed to hold a second period lead against the Brock Badgers, paying for it with a pair of points on Nov. 4 in a 5-3 loss at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC).
The team’s first contest of the long-hauled Ontario University Athletics (OUA) season started with a pair of goals as the blue and yellow struck twice in the first period just nine seconds apart.
First-year forward Elijah Roberts got the crowd rocking midway through the first period. The Brampton native would finish off a breakaway for his first tally as part of the Rams.
Head coach Johnny Duco was taken back by the first-year forward’s “flying” pace on the ice, as well as his “tenacious” skillset with the puck.
Rams veteran Jesse Barwell would finish off a cross-ice pass from the stick of forward Patrick Fellows to double the team’s first period lead. From one third-year to another, the chemistry between Fellows and Barwell resulted in a goal.
However, the second period saw the Rams two goal lead sink to the ground.
Just as the Rams did to them, the Badgers would return the favour throughout the middle period, scoring a pair of goals just seconds apart from each other to stun the home crowd.
“[We] let our foot off the gas, we don’t have room for those,” said Roberts.
Christian Girhiny and Ayden MacDonald would bury two goals for the visitors on as many shots to bring the game level.
After the game, Duco said he directed his side to “get back on the horse and keep pushing” following the two-goal collapse.
Brock may have completed the comeback, but the battle for two points was still alive and well for the Rams.
A familiar trip to the penalty box sprung the Rams to their fifth powerplay of the evening.
With the first unit peppering the opposing goal, it was Domenico Commisso on the doorstep to slide home his fist as a Ram.
Michael Cramarossa would register a milestone of his own on the go-ahead goal, hitting the 50-assist marker in his OUA career.
“[He’s] a gamebreaker…we’re really lucky to have him,” said Duco after the game.
The Rams lead would last longer than the last, but only by a matter of seconds as another goal from the stick of Girhiny would knott the game up at three.
The sophomore’s second of the night would put an exclamation mark on an explosive middle frame for both teams.
A silent third period would be broken in a huge way as the game saw its final minutes dwindling down.
A scramble in the crease of Garrett Forrest’s creased appeared to have trickled past the goal-line with the Rams goalie making a snow angel in the paint.
A controversial call saw Badgers captain Jared Marino awarded with the eventual game winner as the Rams dropped the home opener by a score of 5-3.
Despite the loss, an optimistic Jared Walsh thought his side “used [their] skill in the right spots” and described the contest as a “game of mistakes.”
UP NEXT: The Rams hit the road for a rematch with the Badgers on Nov. 6. Puck-drop is set for 5:15 p.m.
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