Jodie Vanderslot | Staff Writer
Featured image: Several members of the Lions hockey team won OUA awards this year, including Mack Shields, who won rookie of the year. | Courtesy of York Lions
The Lions hockey team took on the Queen’s Golden Gaels in front of a roaring home crowd at Canlan Ice Sports this weekend, looking to win their first Queen’s Cup championship in 13 years.
Rookie phenom Mack Shields stopped shot after shot as the Gaels persisted. But despite both teams combining for 17 shots, neither could find the back of the net in the first.
In the second period, Queen’s drew first blood, scoring the first and second goals. Their lead did not last long though, as just two minutes after Queen’s second goal, Lions forward Reid Jackman put York on the board, cutting the Gaels’ lead in half.
That was the spark the Lions needed: just two minutes later, defenseman Derek Sheppard tallied his sixth goal of the post-season, knotting up the score heading into the final period.
York’s dominance and control were incredible and had the fans riled up and cheering throughout the game.
Seconds into the third, the Lions took the lead courtesy of Daniel Nikandrov, who buried a giant rebound off the Gaels’ goalie to make the score 3-2.
Though Shields saved 16 of 19 shots, the Gaels got one more by him, bringing the game back to a suspenseful tie with just minutes left in regulation.
Both teams continued to take shots during the last minutes, but the Lions packed on the pressure to keep the puck in the Gaels’ zone. On the offensive, forward Steven Janes struck back, elevating the Lions with the winning 4-3 goal.
Sheppard was York’s regular-season and playoff scoring leader, and was named Ontario University Athletics, or OUA, West most valuable player and defenseman of the year, a title he has held since last year. It is also the second consecutive year he has been named a first-team all-star.
Shields, a first-year goaltender, led the OUA West in goals against average and came second in save percentage en route to being named rookie of the year and a first-team all-star.
Coach Chris Dennis has also been named OUA West coach of the year for a second consecutive year.
The Lions claimed the Queen’s Cup as OUA Men’s Hockey Champions for the first time since 2004, and will be heading to the national tournament in Fredericton, New Brunswick, next week for the national championship. They will be facing the University of Saskatchewan Huskies on Friday at 12 p.m.
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