Tough start to the Ridgebacks road-trip

OUA Men's Hockey: UQTR defeated UOIT 7-0

TROIS-RIVIÈRES, Que. – The UOIT men's hockey two-game road-trip did not get off to the start that the team had envisioned as they were shutout 7-0 by the No. 6 ranked UQTR Patriotes.

UQTR swept both games of the home-and-home series, outscoring the Ridgebacks 12-1.

UOIT (6-13-3) has dropped seven of their last eight games but remain in seventh place three points ahead of the Nipissing Lakers (5-14-2). UQTR (17-4-0) has won ten straight games and sit atop of the eastern conference standings, one point in front of the McGill Redmen (16-5-1) and Queen's Gaels (14-4-5).

Jacob Rattie (Niagara Falls, Ont.) got only his second start of the season in net for UOIT and looked sharp early on keeping the game scoreless. However, UQTR forward Anthony Verret would break the ice 16:30 into the first period on the power play, opening up the floodgates for the Patriotes.

Vincent Marcoux would score the Patriotes second goal of the night only 14 seconds after the game's opener followed by Tommy Tremblay scoring his tenth of the season less than a minute into the second period. UQTR would tack on four more goals to earn their second largest margin of victory of the season.

UOIT fired 28 shots on net but could not find a way to beat UQTR goaltender Marc-Antoine Gelinas as they were shutout for the first time this season. This was Gelinas' first career shutout.

Tremblay and Marcoux would each finish the night with two goals and one assist while teammate Felix Piouffe had three assists. Guillaume Asselin and Billy Lacasse also had multi-point games as they combined for four assists.

Rattie racked up 41 saves in the loss as UQTR outshout the Ridgebacks 48-28.

The Ridgebacks will head to Ottawa on Saturday to take on the Carleton Ravens (15-5-1) at 7 p.m.

A QUICK LOOK AT THE RIDGEBACKS
Overall Record: 6-19-3
Conference Record: 6-13-3

Next Game: Sat. Jan. 25 @ Carleton (7 p.m.)