OSHAWA, Ont. – The UOIT men's hockey team continue to roll as they stayed undefeated after defeating the RMC Paladins 5-1 at home on Wednesday night.
 
Their perfect start to the season continued thanks to a two-point night by captain Cameron Yuill (Wellington, Ont.) and a successful outing by his linemates Malik Johnson (Montreal, Que.) and Connor Jarvis (Port Union, Ont.).
 
That said, the nationally ranked Ridgebacks had Ryan Doucette (Waterloo, Ont.) open the scoring as he beat a screened Matthew Murphy from the hash marks 5:51 into the first period to give UOIT the lead, which they never surrendered. Alex Yuill (Wellington, Ont.) and Mike Robinson (Stouffville, Ont.) assisted on the goal.
 
Cameron Yuill gave UOIT a 2-0 lead under three minutes later with linemates Johnson and Jarvis picking up the assists.
 
Midway through the frame the Ridgebacks had a costly turnover as RMC's Bennett Huber walked in on Brendan O'Neill's (Ilderton, Ont.) right side, beating him glove side to cut the Ridgeback lead in half.
 
Nate Mitton's (Kitchener, Ont.) slashing penalty late in the first period looked like an opportunity for the Paladins to tie the game up, but after Tyler Mayea (Burlington, Ont.) cleared the puck down the ice Cameron Yuill took off and ended grabbing the puck to score UOIT's second shorthanded goal of the year and Yuill's second of the game.
 
In the second the lone goal was scored again by the Yuill-Jarvis-Johnson line as Jarvis found the puck on his stick in the slot and gave Murphy no chance as he beat him glove side to extend the lead to three.
 
The final goal for the Ridgebacks came in a chippy and penalty-filled third period as Ben Blasko (Kingston, Ont.) put the puck perfectly on Mitch Bennett's (Fenelon Falls, Ont.) stick on a cross-crease pass to beat an outstretched Murphy.
 
O'Neill earned his third win in as many starts for UOIT, turning aside 24 Paladins shots.
 
Murphy, who leads the OUA in saves, made 29 in the loss for RMC.
 
This weekend the Ridgebacks have a rare weekend off from conference play, but will face the Cornell Big Red in exhibition play on Friday night in Ithaca, N.Y. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
Their next conference game goes Tuesday in Sudbury, another rare date for the team as they play the Laurentian Voyageurs at 11 a.m. for a school day game.
 
QUICK LOOK AT THE RIDGEBACKS
Overall Record: 7-1-2
Conference Record: 5-0-0
 
Next game: Friday, Oct. 21 @ Cornell Big Red (7 p.m. – Ithaca, N.Y.)