In his final regular-season home game, fifth-year defenceman Dan Brewer registered three points to lead the Varsity Blues men’s hockey team to a 6-0 rout of the RMC Paladins on Friday, February 10 at Varsity Arena.

With the win, the Blues (15-9-3) gain a crucial two points to remain tied with the Carleton Ravens for fourth in the East division with one game in hand.

A Cambridge, Ont. native, Brewer was honoured prior to the game along with fellow graduating teammates Bryden Teich (Toronto), Jeff Zippel (Elmira, Ont.), Paul Dupont (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.), Byron Elliott (Burlington, Ont.), and team captain Andrew Kizito (Toronto).

Brewer scored a goal and added two assists, while Scarborough, Ont. native Kyle Ventura scored twice on the powerplay. Michael Markovic (Toronto), and Cassidy Preston (North Bay, Ont.) each had a goal and an assist in the win.

The Blues penalty kill was tested early in the game, and answered the challenge, killing off a string of penalties in the first period, including a 5-on-3 advantage.

Special teams came through in the second as well, with Ventura making good on two powerplay opportunities. Ventura, who went to the dirty areas in front of the net all night long, muscled home a rebound off Brewer’s point shot to open the scoring at 14:39 of the second. Then, with 3:47 remaining, he caught another rebound, this time from Elliott, and brought it down to the ice before swatting it into the net.

After another Scarborough, Ont. native, Anthony Bergin, made it 3-0 for the Blues early in the third, Brewer recorded his third point of the night on another powerplay. With Ventura again providing a presence in front of the net, Brewer wristed the puck through traffic and past Paladins goaltender Matt Beirnes.

Markovic then helped put the game out of reach, first snapping a shot high over Beirnes’ blocker on the rush, and then setting up Cassidy Preston for a tap-in on a 2-on-1 break to make the final score 6-0 Blues.

Garrett Sheehan (Cremona, Alta.) made 17 saves for the shut out win, while Matt Beirnes turned aside 53 for the Paladins.

The Blues will complete their home-and-home series with RMC tomorrow night (Feb. 11) in Kingston, Ont. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.



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