By Mario Russo
Four rookies scored goals as the Rams men’s hockey team torched the University of Toronto Varsity Blues (U of T) 5-1 in loveless fashion Friday evening at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC).
With the victory, the Rams tacked on another two points to give them a four point cushion atop the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) west standings.
“What’s really driven our group this year is the new blood,” said Rams head coach Johnny Duco
Duco believes that “teams are still trying to get back to that level we are at” following the groups seventh straight victory.
The blue and gold stormed out of the gates in search of back to back wins against their crosstown rivals, scoring a pair of goals early in the contest.
Duco and his group looked to set the tone early Friday night and did just that through their young guns.
First-year forward Chris Playfair kickstarted the goal parade for the Rams, cleaning up a rebound in front of the Varsity Blues net for his first goal with the program.
Rams forward Kyle Bollers praised the group’s ability to dominate the blue paint.
“We got pucks to the net and there’s guys in front of the net to bang them in,” said Bollers.
Not only did Playfair’s goal give the Rams the lead, but it put their early game jitters to rest following Thursday’s contest that saw the team surrender a pair of goals to the Blues within the opening minute of consecutive periods.
Later in the first frame, Bollers made no mistake in doubling the Rams lead, knocking down an airborne puck in front of the Varsity Blues net before unleashing a shot towards an open cage.
Bollers’ ninth of the season snapped the rookie’s two-game goalless drought, the longest of his young OUA career.
Duco believes the forwards nightly drive and determination separates his young goal-scorer from the rest of the pack.
The Oshawa native has been the centre of attention all season long, always finding himself in the middle of productive plays and on Friday night, in the heart of a scrum that earned him a nasty spear from Varsity Blues forward Kyle Potts.
The attention in the middle stanza made its way to Rams goaltender Garrett Forrest who greeted a pair of Varsity Blues breakaway attempts with stacked pads and a flying glove.
Forrest left his biggest mark however on his opposition in goal, taking a pound of flesh out of backup goaltender Jett Alexander amidst an intermission scrum between the benches.
Bollers defined the altercation involving his goaltender “unacceptable” with his team not being one to bow down on occasions like this.
Joe Rupoli and Ryan Wells would double the Rams lead midway in the second, inking yet another set of Rams rookies to the scoresheet.
Wells sunk the dagger into the Varsity Blues late in the final frame for his second of the evening as the Rams picked up two points against their crosstown rivals.
UP NEXT: The Rams men’s hockey team kicks off the new month with a home matchup against the Lakehead Thunderwolves on March 4. Puck-drop is set for 6 p.m.
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