SUDBURY, Ont. – Coming off an upset of the nationally ranked Queen's Gaels last weekend, the UOIT men's hockey team split this weekend as they wrapped up with a 3-2 win over the Laurentian Voyageurs.
 
The Ridgebacks opened the season with a 5-2 win in Sudbury over Laurentian, but have now won the season series against the Voyageurs after losing their November meeting with the Voyageurs in Oshawa. Saturday night's win is Michal Bullion's (Anchorage, Alaska) 10^th win of the season as his record improves to 10-3-0.
 
All three of UOIT's goals came after Xavier Couture took a five-minute checking from behind penalty. One goal came in a 4-on-4 situation, before two on the power play.
 
The schedule doesn't get much easier for UOIT as they first prepare for the Nipissing Lakers on Friday night in Oshawa for USU Hockey Night at the Campus Ice Centre before facing the McGill Redmen at home on Sunday for their annual Bell Let's Talk game.
 
Friday night, off the ice, Hunter the Ridgeback will be trying to break the Guinness World Record for most high fives in a minute by a mascot and one lucky student will have a chance to win $10,000 in the second intermission.
 

LIGHT THE LAMP

• Tyler Mayea (Burlington, Ont.) opened the scoring for the Ridgebacks, with his third of the season.
• Two power play goals came from Danny Elser (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) and Bryce Fiske (La Ronge, Sask.) in the third period on Couture's major penalty, with Fiske's ending as the game-winning goal.
• Derek Varrin opened the scoring for the Voyageurs with his first of the season at the 16:41 mark of the first period.
• Jacob Smith's insurance marker didn't come until 1:07 into the third period for Laurentian.
 

BETWEEN THE PIPES

• Michael Bullion made 27 saves in the win for UOIT.
• At the other end of the ice Michael Giugovaz turned aside 34 Ridgebacks shots in the loss.
 

RIDGEBACKS AT A GLANCE

Overall: 13-8-4
Conference Record: 11-6-4
 
Next Game: Friday, Jan. 18 vs. Nipissing Lakers • 7:30 p.m. – Campus Ice Centre