The York University Lions men's hockey team played its final road game of the regular season on Saturday in North Bay, Ont., and suffered a 3-2 shootout loss to the Nipissing Lakers at Memorial Gardens.
 
The first 20 minutes would not provide enough time for either team to light up the scoreboard. It took all the way until 17:54 of the second period for Nipissing's Colin Campbell to score the first goal of the game. This would be the first and only goal of the first two periods.
 
It took just over a minute for the Lions' Colton Vannucci (High River, Alta.) to tie the game at one goal apiece.
 
Just two minutes later the Lakers received a power play, which they would ultimately capitalize on at 3:10 when Erik Robichaud scored the tie-breaking goal to establish a 2-1 lead.
 
This game was like a battle of heavy weights with each team throwing haymakers to knock out one another, and the Lions responded again 20 seconds later when Greg Milner (Watford, Ont.) tied the game up for the Lions for the second time in the period. Time would expire in the period and the game would ultimately move into two scoreless overtime periods that solved nothing.
 
In the shootout all of the Lions shooters were unable to breach the net as Nipissing goalie Domenic Graham acted as a steel curtain. Due to Graham's success in net the Lakers would only need one shooter to succeed in his attempt, and this was achieved by Dylan Staples, who beat Mack Shields (Saskatoon, Sask.) to claim victory for his team.
 
Graham stood on his head all game, making 48 saves in the contest to give his team the extra point in the standings. Shields, meanwhile, made 33 saves in the loss.
 
The Lions are now 17-6-4 on the season and are guaranteed to finish in second place in the OUA West Division regardless of the result from their final regular season contest next weekend. That game will take place on Friday when they face off against the visiting RMC Paladins at Canlan Ice Sports at 7pm.