Derek Sheppard scored on a breakaway with less than one minute left in double overtime to lead the York University Lions men's hockey team to a 2-1 upset victory over the No. 6 nationally-ranked Ryerson Rams at Canlan Ice Sports on Saturday night (Oct. 22).
 
The third-year defenceman from Ajax, Ont., got the puck at the top of his own zone at the end of a long shift and carried it all the way to the other end of the ice and fired a backhand shot on net that got past Ryerson goaltender Charlie Graham.
 
The win was the Lions' fourth in a row to improve to 4-2-0 on the season, while the loss was Ryerson's first of the year, dropping the Rams to 4-0-1.
 
The Rams got on the scoreboard first in the contest when Jamie Lewis found the back of the net just nine seconds before the end of the opening period for a 1-0 lead.
 
It didn't take long for the Lions to get the equalizer as Trevor Petersen (Thornhill, Ont.) scored 2:40 into the second period to make the score 1-1.
 
From that point on both teams traded chances but Graham and York goaltender Mack Shields (Saskatoon, Sask.) stood tall to keep the puck out of the net at both ends.
 
The first overtime period solved nothing, and it looked as though the game was going to a shootout until Sheppard's heroics gave the Lions the victory.
 
The Lions will look to continue their winning streak when they return to action on Friday night (Oct. 28) against the Brock Badgers at Canlan Ice Sports. The Lions will be looking to avenge an opening-night loss to the Badgers when the puck drops at 7pm.