Box Score TORONTO –
Adam McKee and
Zach Harnden scored ten minutes apart in the third period while
Greg Dodds saved all 15 shots he faced in relief of
Josh Unice to lead the Western Mustangs men's hockey team to a 6-4 comeback victory over the Ryerson Rams at Mattamy Athletic Centre on Saturday night.
The Mustangs entered the final frame down 4-3 after a four-goal second that saw the Rams take the lead with less than three minutes left in the period. McKee evened the playing field with his first goal of the season just over six minutes into the third, setting the stage for Harnden to complete the comeback with a shorthanded tally with 3:52 left in the game.
Harnden also potted an empty-netter with the clock ticking down to seal the deal and give him his fifth goal in six games so far this season. His multi-goal performance on Saturday night extended his point-streak that began on the opening night of the season to an impressive six games.
Also extending his point-streak to six games was
Daniel Erlich, whose primary assist on
Stefan Salituro's second period goal gives him ten assists and a team-high 12 points on the season. Of the three Mustangs players who entered the game on a five-game point-streak,
Matt Clarke was the only one not to record a point, due in part to a five-minute major incurred in the game.
With Clarke out of the game, Steven Reese stepped up for the Mustangs, setting up two of Western's three third-period goals after recording one of his own in the second. Reese's three-point night gives him two goals and five assists on the season and makes him one of four players currently on a point-per-game pace for Western.
Mustangs rookie back-stop Greg Dodds turned in a stellar performance for the second time in three days, taking over for Unice to start the third period after the Western starter allowed four goals on 22 shots in the first 40 minutes. With his clutch performance on Saturday, Dodds extends his shutout streak to sixty regular-season minutes and has yet to give up a goal in a Mustangs jersey.
Western started the game strong as they scored first for the third consecutive game when defenceman
Matt Paltridge found the net less than three minutes into play. Ryerson then responded with three consecutive tallies of their own, opening up a two-goal lead that would only last about 30 seconds before Reese put the Mustangs back within one to allow Salituro to tie the game three minutes later.
The Mustangs will get a six-day break before they head to Ottawa to take on the Gee-Gees on Friday, November 8. The game is scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m. and will be followed on Saturday with a game against McGill in Montreal.