Morgan Messenger was the overtime hero in a rare Tuesday night game for the York University Lions men's hockey team, scoring just over 90 seconds into the extra frame to give his team a 3-2 victory over the Nipissing Lakers at Memorial Gardens in North Bay, Ont.
 
Messenger's goal, his third of the season and assisted by Sal Filice and Benjamin Evanish, gave the Lions their third victory in four games and improved their record to 5-5-1 on the year.
 
After a scoreless first period, it was the Lakers who got on the board first in the second when Jacob Hickey opened the scoring midway through the period.
 
The score would remain in favour of the home squad until the last minutes of the frame, when the Lions tallied two shorthanded goals on the same penalty kill to take a 2-1 lead into the second intermission. Team captain Scott Feser levelled the game at a goal apiece at 18:10 of the period, with assists to David D'Agostino and Justin Bean, and then Alex Mowbray netted an unassisted goal 29 seconds before the buzzer to give the visitors the advantage.
 
The lead was short-lived for the Lions as Danny Desrochers scored just 17 seconds into the third to make the score 2-2, but neither team could find the winner in regulation, forcing overtime.
 
The Lions controlled the first part of the extra period and had three shots on goal before they were finally rewarded with Messenger's winner.
 
Rookie goaltender Cole Ceci picked up the first win of his career, making 30 saves between the pipes. Nipissing goalie Talor Joseph had 35 saves in the loss.
 
The Lions have a busy week with unusual game times. Up next is a contest against the Toronto Varsity Blues on Thursday in their annual school day game beginning at 11am. Following that, the Lions will return home to face the Guelph Gryphons on Saturday afternoon at 2:15pm for York's annual Dahlgren's Diabeauties event.