A back-and-forth game ended with heroics from Brock McLeod for the York University Lions men's hockey team. The first-year forward's first career OUA goal was the overtime winner for the Lions, as they downed the Brock Badgers at the Seymour-Hannah Centre for the first time in three meetings this season.
 
The win pulls York (5-4-2) within two points of Brock (6-3-2) for second place in the OUA East Division standings. There are five regular season games remaining for each of these teams; second place would give them home ice advantage for the first round of the OUA playoffs.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• In the first period, senior Adam Berg scored on the power play for the Badgers for the period's only goal. Zach Taylor and Caleb Boman got the assists. Brock outshot York 20-8 in the first period but only earned the one goal for their efforts.
• The Lions were rewarded for weathering the storm in the first period when they came out for the second. Brendan Browne struck first in the second period, just 30 seconds in on the power play. Brock responded with Tyler Burnie finding the back of the net for his first OUA goal. York added one more tally on the power play from Owen Gilhula to make it a 2-2 game heading into the final period.
• The teams then traded two goals each in the third, including goals two minutes apart in the dying moments of the third period to force extra time. That's when McLeod ended the game. 

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• Fresh off a York male athlete of the week award for the period ending Feb. 20, Cole Ceci posted a career-high 44 saves to earn the victory for York, standing tall and surviving onslaughts of Brock shots in the first (21) and third (19) periods. 

LOOKING AHEAD
 
These two teams don't have to wait long to renew acquaintances. The Lions and Badgers will meet again, but on York home ice, Saturday night at 7:15pm. The game can be seen live on OUA.tv.