NORTH BAY, Ont. – After opening the scoring – the UOIT men's hockey team had to come from behind in order to pick up an important two points over the Nipissing Lakers on Sunday night.
 
Danny Elser (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) scored the first goal of the game for the Ridgebacks, with an assist by Cameron Yuill (Wellington, Ont.), at the 10-minute mark of the first. The score remained 1-0 UOIT after one period, despite being outshot 10-7.
 
In the second period Colin Campbell tied the game with the ice still wet, just 1:57 in.
 
He had the Ridgebacks number, scoring his second of the game – this time shorthanded – just under seven minutes later to give Nipissing a 2-1 lead.
 
UOIT's Ryan Doucette (Waterloo, Ont.) evened the game up again, scoring his eighth of the season on the power play with 2:15 to go in the. Jason Shaw (Ameliasburg, Ont.) and Elser earned up the helpers.
 
Before the end of the first 40 minutes of play though, Jimmy McDowell wouldn't let the tie stand, scoring just 12 seconds after Doucette's goal to regain the Lakers one-goal lead heading into the final period.
 
In the third special teams remained huge for the Ridgebacks as Mike Robinson (Stouffville, Ont.) scored his 10^th goal of the season on the power play at the 5:45 mark of the third to tie the game again for UOIT.
 
Defencemen Jeff Braithwaite (Ennismore, Ont.) and Jake Logan (Napanee, Ont.) had assists on the equalizer.
 
Braithwaite was on the scoresheet again 10 minutes later as he scored the eventual game-winning goal unassisted.
 
UOIT was 2-for-5 on the power play, while Nipissing finished 0-for-6. Shots also favoured the Ridgebacks, who outshot the Lakers 32-27.
 
Brendan O'Neill (Ilderton, Ont.) made 24 saves in his sixth win of the season. His counterpart, Talor Joseph made 28 saves at the opposite end of the ice in the loss for Nipissing.
 
UOIT now continues their longest stretch of road games this season – five – as they head to St. Catharines on Friday to face the Brock Badgers. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:15 p.m.
 
With Sunday's victory, the Ridgebacks are two points back of Carleton for fourth in the OUA east and one back of UQTR for fifth.
 
QUICK LOOK AT THE RIDGEBACKS
Overall Record: 16-10-3
Conference Record: 13-8-1
 
Next game: Friday, Jan. 20 @ Brock Badgers (7:15 PM – St. Catharines, Ont.)