ARPAN KAUR // yorkulions.ca

The York University Lions men's hockey team weathered a comeback by the Toronto Varsity Blues to pull away with a victory in overtime Friday night. Lucas Breault got the game-winner at 3:54 of the extra frame to hand York their first win in seven tries. 
 
The win improves York's season record to 3-4-2.
  
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Varsity Blues went right to work, wasting no time in grabbing a 1-0 lead. Ben Woodhouse found the back of the Lions net just 24 seconds into the game.
• However, that was the only goal Lions netminder Cole Ceci would give up in the first period, despite diving all over his territory, stopping 13 shots fired by the Blues and keeping the Lions in the game. 
• The Lions came in with great energy from the first intermission and got right to work, as Braydon Buziak took advantage of a power play in the middle of the frame, scoring his third goal of the season to knot the game at 1-1 at 12:39.
• Three minutes later, Nik Malencia caught the defenders off-guard, sliding one past Blues netminder Alex Bishop for his fourth time of the season, putting the Lions up 2-1. 
• Quinn Hanna wastes no time in the third period to tie things up for the Blues, as he puts one behind the net at 4:45. Soon after, Cole Purboo shoots a tie-breaker for the Blues at 13:55 to take a 3-2 lead.
• What appeared to be game over for the Lions turned into a spark as Benjamin Evanish scores a game-tying goal past Bishop to draw the game at 3-3 and to send it into overtime.
• Breault's overtime goal came on the power play, after an interference penalty in the late stages of the contest.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• Both the Lions netminder Ceci and Blues goaltender Bishop were outstanding. Ceci finished the night with 36 saves, while Bishop had 32 saves. 
• Buziak had another multi-point night with a goal and two assists, alongside Evanish with also a goal and an assist. 

LOOKING AHEAD
 
The Lions and the Varsity Blues will continue their action again on Saturday, Feb. 19th at the Varsity Arena, as the Lions look to take a series sweep and maintain their rhythm throughout the next seven games.