Lakers paddle upstream to beat UQTR

Brogan Bailey's first goal of the OUA Men's Hockey season couldn't have been timelier for the Nipissing University Lakers.

He scored with 4:12 remaining to cap off a third period comeback and a 3-2 road victory over UQTR at Le Colisee Friday night.

Dan Watt notched his eighth of the season and Andrew Marcoux his seventh, while Brodie Beard assisted on all three Nipissing goals.

Matt Hache made 33 saves to backstop the Lakers to a "real big win" according to head coach Mike McParland.

"Knowing that the season's short, and every point's at stake, we knew there were points to be taken home," McParland said.

The Lakers utilized their speed early in the game to help draw the game's first penalty, which Watt cashed in on at 12:28 of the opening period just four seconds before the man advantage expired.

But UQTR would claw back, with Alexandre Demers evening the score at 15:11. Phillipe Bronsard's second of the season at 7:59 of the middle frame gave the home side a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes.

"We let off the gas a little bit (in the second period) and gave the game back to Three Rivers," McParland conceded.

Then, after staving off a 5-on-3 power play midway through third, the Lakers got their second wind as Marcoux evened the game at 12:47 before the eventual winner from Bailey.

The Lakers survived another UQTR power play in the final three minutes to earn the win.

"Without a doubt, our penalty killing was outstanding," McParland said, "as well as the play of Matt Hache in nets, had a great game to help us into the second period, no question."

The Lakers were outshot 35-24 in the game and 30-14 over the final two periods. The Lakers were also badly outshot when the two teams met in North Bay last month, but they also prevailed 6-1 in that contest.

With the victory, the Lakers draw even in points with fifth-place UQTR and Ottawa in the OUA East Division with 10, though the Patriotes have one more win with a 5-and-4 record. The Lakers and Ottawa have identical 4-3-and-2 marks.

Nipissing faces East-division leading McGill in Montreal on Saturday, with the Redmen sporting an unblemished 9-and-0 record.

GAME NOTES:

The three stars in order were Beard, Hache and Demers...Attendance was 230...The game took two hours and five minutes to play....the Patriotes were 0-for-6 on the power play, Nipissing 1-for-7.