WATERLOO, Ont. – The UOIT men's hockey team extended their point streak to six-games with a 3-2 comeback victory over the Laurier Golden Hawks in Waterloo Thursday night.
 
The Ridgebacks remain in fourth place in the OUA eastern conference standings as they have a program high 16 wins this season.
 
Trailing 2-0 midway through the second period, Jesse Stoughton (Bobcaygeon, Ont.) ignited the Ridgeback offence with a breakaway goal. It marked Stoughton's 80^th point in his UOIT career as he sits fifth in Ridgeback all-time scoring.
 
Eight minutes later, James Woodcroft (Milton, Ont.) extended his personal point streak to six games with a power play goal at 18:02. Woodcroft has scored goals in five of his last six games and becomes the first Ridgeback to have back-to-back 10 goal seasons since Tony Rizzi did it in 11/12 & 12/13.
 
Two minutes into the third period, it looked as if Laurier was going to regain their one-goal lead when Greg Cerilli was in the slot with a wide open net. Brendan O'Neill (Ilderton, Ont.), who is third in OUA total saves, made one of his biggest of the year as he sprawled back into position and robbed Cerilli of the goal.
 
Connor Jarvis (Port Union, Ont.) would reward O'Neill three minutes later as he scored the go-ahead goal for UOIT, his tenth of the year. Jarvis capitalized off a Laurier turnover as roofed a shot from the slot past Colin Furlong.
 
That is all the offence UOIT would need as the defensive unit and O'Neill shut down the Golden Hawks until the final buzzer. O'Neill finished the night with 23 saves as he earned his career high 15^th win.
 
Both power play units had one goal as UOIT went 1-for-3 and Laurier was 1-for-4. UOIT outshot Laurier 27-25.
 
UOIT (16-7-2) remains three points up on Queen's (15-7-1) who defeated RMC 6-2 on Thursday night. The third place Carleton Ravens (18-6-0) are two points ahead of UOIT with one game in hand.
 
The Ridgebacks will be back in Waterloo on Friday night as they take on the Waterloo Warriors. Game time at Columbia Ice Field is 7 p.m.
 
QUICK LOOK AT THE RIDGEBACKS
Overall Record: 19-11-2
Conference Record: 16-7-2
 
Next Game: Fri. Feb. 5 @ Waterloo