By Mario Russo
Zack Trott’s overtime winner sank the dagger in the Rams season Sunday afternoon at the Andrew H. McCain Arena as the St. Francis Xavier University (StFX) X-Men picked up a podium finish with a 3-2 win at the U Sports national championship.
The overtime tally would come just 43 seconds into the extra frame and put an end to the Rams 2021-22 season.
After a lackluster offensive performance that cost the Rams a spot in the national championship, the blue and gold completely flipped the script in their final game of the season against the StFX X-Men.
With many of their players donning the blue and gold for the last time in their careers, the Rams wasted no time in picking up the early edge in this bronze medal affair.
Rookie forward Jackson Doherty’s sharp pass from the corner made its way onto the tape of Jeremiah Addison. The third-year forward would powder a quick one-timer against his former team to give the Rams a crucial 1-0 lead.
The tide turned in the X-Men’s favor however as the period chugged along. After hitting a trio of posts in almost as many minutes, the X-Men finally hit their mark following a Brendon Clavelle wrister from the blue line.
The defender’s goal cap[ed off some breathless back and forth action between the two teams, prolonging the fight for the podium another period.
Ryerson kicked off the middle stanza with a lengthy powerplay that saw no goals awarded to the Toronto side. A physical middle frame drew to a close with both teams combining for a whopping 0-10 record on the powerplay.
The limited silver lining for the Rams would come during a rare even-strength moment that saw Kevin Gursoy continue his dominant postseason run.
All alone in front of the X-Men goal, the rookie took a stretch pass from Elijah Roberts before tapping the puck into a wide open cage to retake the lead. The youngster has been just what the Rams have needed during this postseason run, netting his second goal of the tournament in the process.
Fatigue and frustration caught up to both these teams, each of which playing their third game in as many nights. A penalty parade plagued the late stages of the middle frame that would come to a close with the Rams leading by just a single tally.
Just as they did in the opening frame however, the X-Men found new life following an equalizer to open up the third period. Optioning to shoot, Connor Bruggen-Cate cut in on an odd-man rush before firing a wrister past goaltender Garrett Forrest.
The two teams would continue to trade offensive chances at both ends of the ice in a much faster final frame. Deadlocked at two, the final spot on the podium would be decided in a ten-minute overtime period as both the Rams and X-Men wrapped up regulation on even terms.
Less than a minute into the extra frame, the Rams season would meet its bitter end following a Zack Trott one timer that soared over the glove of Forrest. The X-Men would add another medal to their trophy case while the Rams head home after a nationals debut that already shattered expectations.
UP NEXT: The offseason for the Rams commences.
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