MHKY- RYE vs UofT

Mario Russo

Zachary Shankar’s overtime heroics ices the University of Toronto Varsity Blues as the Rams men's hockey team takes the first of a home and home by a score of 3-2 Thursday evening at Varsity Arena.

With the win the Rams improve their win streak to six consecutive games and now lead the Brock Badgers by an even wider margin.

The Rams first trip to Varsity Arena this season didn't start the way the team would have liked, trailing by a goal within the game’s first minute of play.

Varsity Blues forward Danny Katic fired the game’s first shot of the night past the glove of Rams goaltender Garrett Forrest for his fourth of the season, quickly putting the home side in the driver's seat.

But back the other way came the Rams, and with a quick response nonetheless. Just seven minutes after conceding the game’s first goal, a shot from the point deflected off the stick of Rams forward Jesse Barwell before bashing the twine to even up the score.

The tip in front marks Barwell’s fourth tally of the season and second is as many games. He got the last laugh in the team’s most recent victory over the York Lions.

The subway series remained tied at one through the rest of the first frame, but not without both teams trading crunching hits and elongated scrums all throughout including a yard sale along the Ryerson halfboards following a massive hit from Jackson Doherty.

Just as they did in the first, the young Varsity Blues soared out of the gates to open up the middle frame, and with the energy, tilted the game back in their favor.

A pass from UofT forward Ross Kreiger made its way to the Blues assist leader Billy Moskal unattended in front of the Rams goal. Moskal would shovel the puck through the legs of Forrest to regain the Varsity Blues lead.

Following the go-ahead goal, the Rams quickly picked up their second powerplay of the night and began to swarm the Varsity Blues net.

With Rams forward David Miller all alone in front of the Blues goal, the Burlington native took a pass from Hayden McCool before unleashing a rocket past goaltender Alex Bishop for his fourth goal of the season.

With the game knotted up at two, both teams took turns sitting in the penalty box over the remainder of the second frame, with Michael Cramarossa idling the longest following a long four minute penalty.

The two goaltenders exchanged dominant performances on each ends of the ice throughout the third frame, including a breakaway save from Bishop to deny Domenico Commisso from netting the go-ahead goal.

The Rams left their goal scoring touch till the final minutes of overtime, with Zachary Shankar lighting the lamp on his second breakaway chance of the game to take game two of the subway series 3-2.