After defeating the Laurier Golden Hawks in their first round playoff matchup, the men’s hockey team had their work cut out for them against University of Windsor in a best-of- three series.
Tied for the second-best record in the OUA, Windsor had earned a bye through the first round and hadn’t played in a week.
The Lancers’ lack of practice was not evident early on.
Cole Tymkin took a High Sticking penalty just 20 seconds into the match and Windsor’s Jayden Fetter converted with barely over a minute played.
The Lancers’ lead held steady at one before they doubled down with another goal early in the second.
Though Adam Berg would cut the lead to one just seconds into the third, the Badgers couldn’t solve Windsor’s goalie a second time. Windsor added the empty-net insurance marker with nine seconds left, defeating Brock 3-1.
Two days later, in Windsor on Feb. 25, the Badgers’ season was on the line, needing a win to stay alive.
Windsor scored the first goal midway through the first, and, despite the number of penalties to both sides, didn’t add to that until just inside three minutes into the second. Matthew Barnes cut the lead to one just over a minute later, but Windsor added two in quick succession to reclaim the three goal spread.
Not quitting on their season, Christian Dedonato scored the 2-4 goal in a wild second period.
Early in the third period, captain Jared Marino took advantage of a powerplay opportunity and brought the gap down to one.
This, unfortunately, was the closest Brock would get. The Lancers added two more power play goals, and though Tymkin scored one of his own with two minutes left, it was too little too late. The Badgers lost 6-4 and were eliminated from the OUA postseason.
Despite the loss, it wasn’t all bad for the Badgers’ squad.
Two Badgers who had productive years capped off their strong seasons by signing professional contracts in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL).
Adam Berg, Brock’s second-leading point-getter and highest goal-scorer, signed with the Cincinnati Cyclones, who are affiliated with the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres.
Goaltender Roman Basran signed with the Wichita Thunder who are a part of the San Jose Sharks’ farm system.
You can read more about these signings in another one of this weeks’ articles.