The Nipissing Lakers varsity men's hockey team came up short, suffering a 6-3 loss to the UQTR Patriotes at Memorial Gardens on Saturday afternoon as they finished 0-2 on their home opening weekend of OUA hockey action.
In the opening period, the Lakers didn’t waste any time going ahead, scoring just over five minutes into the game.
Charles Farmer went upstairs on the power play, putting Nipissing up 1-0.
Former Battalion forward Harrison Caines and North Bay product Payton Vescio earned assists on the game’s opening goal.
The Patriotes evened the game up just over four minutes later with a shot through traffic that found the back of the net.
Each team found the back of the net in the first, sending the teams to the intermission tied 1-1.
Shots favoured UQTR 14-4.
In the middle frame, the Patriotes struck early on the power play that carried over from the end of the first period.
A goal 26 seconds in put them up 2-1.
Despite a flurry of shots and chances at both ends, the Lakers headed to the second intermission down a goal.
UQTR would extend their lead less than four minutes into the third period, scoring off the rush to make it 3-1.
The Lakers drew within one with 12 minutes to go in the period as Charlie Johnson tapped home a loose puck.
Harrison Caines took the original shot from the point after taking a feed from Vescio, as both collected their second helpers of the game.
Nipissing’s second goal of the game started a flurry of action, as the two teams combined for three goals in under two minutes.
UQTR regained a two-goal lead after the Nipissing closed the gap as they scored at the 9:20 mark of the period.
The Lakers responded 18 seconds late to once again close in on evening things up.
Elias Lieffers went short-side for Nipissing’s third goal of the game.
Noah Vom Scheidt earned the lone assist on the goal.
A two-on-one for the Patriotes resulted in the fifth goal and another two-goal advantage as they tallied with 2:26 left in the game.
One more power play goal by UQTR wrapped things up, as they skated to a 6-3 win over the Lakers.
Zach Roy was solid once again for Nipissing, finishing with 37 saves in a losing cause.
Next up, the Lakers head to Guelph for a pair of games against the Gryphons.
