Emily Goodwin | Editor-in-Chief
Featured Image: Peter De Coppi (left) and Jack Goranson (right) celebrate after scoring on the Lancers Saturday night. | Courtesy of Jeremy Zhang/York Lions
The men’s hockey team had a successful weekend, defeating both their opponents and boosting their season record to 4-5.
The Lions welcomed the Nipissing Lakers to home ice Friday night, who they defeated by a score of 5-4. The Lions had to overcome an early deficit when the Lakers recorded the first two goals of the game. Drake Lindsay scored on an early power play, and teammate Kyle Lewis scored 10 minutes later. Danny Desrochers assisted on both these goals, and Kylor Wall assisted on Lindsay’s goal.
Three short minutes later the Lions got onto the scoreboard when Brendan Browne capitalized on a pass from Justin Bean during a power play to close out the first period down 2-1.
The Lions hit the ice completely in control of the puck in the second period. Jack Goranson scored with the help of Jeremy Lucchini and Nik Malencia. It would be a long battle before the Lions would score again at the 18 minute mark when Peter De Coppi found the back of the Lakers’ net. Sal Filice and Tyler Higgins picked up assists on this goal.
The Lakers added a goal of their Peter De Coppi (left) and Jack Goranson (right) celebrate after scoring on the Lancers Saturday night. own in the final seconds of the period when Deverick Ottereyes finished a play started by Lucas Brown and Alseny Bangoura. The second period ended in a 3-3 tie.
Goranson scored again for the Lions two minutes into the final period with the help of Bean and De Coppi. This put the Lions in the lead for the first time that game.
However, the lead was short lived. Brett Jefferies scored on a pass from Wall to tie the game at 4-4. The Lions came back on offence four minutes later and Scott Feser added another point to the Lions’ side thanks to assists from Higgins and Xavier Pouliot. This was the last goal of the game, which ended 5-4 in favour of the Lions.
The following night, the Lions took on the visiting Windsor Lancers, who entered the match with an undefeated season under their belts.
They proved to be a challenging opponent for the Lions. Neither side was able to score on the other in the first period.
The Lancers came out stronger than the Lions in the second period, scoring just two minutes in. Brennan Feasey scored what would be the Lancers lone goal of the night, and Tent Fox and Brady Pataki assisted.
Not all hope was lost for the Lions though. They rallied and eventually came back with a goal of their own courtesy of Malencia, with De Coppi and Goranson recording assists.
After a scoreless third period and a 1-1 tie at the end of the game, the Lions and Lancers faced off in a shootout. The Lancers failed all their attempts to score on Lions goaltender Mack Shields.
Bean scored the lone shootout goal for the Lions, and led the Lions to their second victory of the weekend.
The Lions, now 4-5 for the season, will hit the road for the next three games where they will take on the RMC Paladins, the Lakers, and the Varsity Blues. The Lions will return to Canlan Ice Sports on Saturday, November 16 to take on the Guelph Gryphons at 2:15 p.m.
