OUA Playoffs – First Round – UOIT vs. Queen's
Game One (Oshawa) – Wednesday, Feb. 17 – 7:30 p.m.
Game Two (Kingston) – Friday, Feb. 19 – 7:30 p.m.
Game Three – If Necessary (Oshawa) – Sunday, Feb. 21 – 3:30 p.m.
 
OSHAWA, Ont. – The UOIT men's hockey team secured home ice advantage in the playoffs for the first time in program history as Jesse Stoughton (Bobcaygeon, Ont.) scored in double overtime to give the Ridgebacks a 3-2 victory over Nipissing.
 
The Ridgebacks (18-8-2) will be taking on Queen's (17-7-4) in the opening round of the OUA playoffs with game one taking place on Wednesday, Feb. 17 in Oshawa at 7:30 p.m. This will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams in the postseason.

Queen's and UOIT finished the year tied with 38 points with the Ridgebacks securing fourth place and home ice advantage by winning the tie-breaker (most wins). The season series was just as close as their point totals with each team picking up a victory in a home-and-home series in November.
 
Stoughton, who was playing in his 100^th OUA conference game on Saturday, would drive in front of the net and fire two shots on goal that starting goaltender Kirk Rafuse would stop. With the puck loose in the crease, a Nipissing defender ended up knocking it in, giving the Ridgebacks their second straight overtime win.
 
In regulation time, it was the defenders doing all of the goal scoring for UOIT as Jake Logan (Napanee, Ont.) and Jason Shaw (Belleville, Ont.) scored goals in the second and third period respectively. This is the second straight year Jake Logan has scored his first goal of the year in the season finale.
 
Brendan O'Neill (Ilderton, Ont.) made 28 saves as he finishes the year with 17 wins and 759 saves, ranking second and third respectively amongst OUA goaltenders. In five of his last six games, O'Neill has allowed two goals or less including a shutout performance on Friday.
 
With Saturday's game being the Ridgebacks regular season finale, the team celebrated the careers of the 2016 graduating class. Luke VanMoerkerke (Tillsonburg, Ont.), James Woodcroft (Milton, Ont.), Dylan King (Middle Sackville, N.S.) and Stoughton were all honoured prior to the game.
 
UOIT outshot Nipissing 42-30 with both power plays going 0-for-4 on the night.
 
The Ridgebacks will be looking to create more program history in the postseason as they try to win their first playoff series. UOIT has qualified for the postseason five times.
 
QUICK LOOK AT THE RIDGEBACKS
Overall Record: 21-12-2
Conference Record: 18-8-2
 
Next Game: Wed. Feb. 17 vs. Queen's (7:30 p.m.)