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Corey Jackson's third period goal lifted the University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's hockey team to a 3-2 win over the visiting Guelph Gryphons in their final game of the regular season, Saturday February 15 at Varsity Arena.

With the win, the Blues move past the Brock Badgers to finish fifth in the OUA West division. The Blues will face the fourth-seeded Windsor Lancers in the OUA playoffs beginning next week.

First year defender Jackson (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.) led the way for the Blues with the game winning goal and an assist for two points on the night. Lane Werbowski (Winnipeg) and Toronto native Jeff Brown had the other two goals for U of T.

Veteran goalie Garrett Sheehan (Cremona, Alta.) got the start in net, and was spectacular, turning aside 36 shots to pick up the win.

The Blues shut down a potent Gryphons powerplay, killing off all five man advantages in the game, and opened the scoring in the first half of a four minute powerplay of their own midway through the first period. With two players providing a screen in front, Werbowski wristed the puck from the point over the glove hand of Guelph goaltender Andrew Loverock to put the Blues up 1-0.

Carlos Amestoy tied the game up for the Gryphons later in the first, when he beat Sheehan with a quick wrist shot from the slot.

The Blues were outshot heavily in the middle frame, but Sheehan was excellent, making 17 saves in the second period alone. And then, at 12:18 of the second, Paul Van De Velde (Mariapolis, Man.) corralled the rebound from a Dylan Heide (Winnipeg) point shot and sent it over to Brown, who buried it behind Loverock to make it 2-1 for U of T.

Guelph would tie the game up again early in the third, but Jackson responded just four minutes later after some pretty passing in the offensive end. Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. native Tyler Liukkonen started the play off, waltzing around a Guelph defender before dishing the puck down low to Christian Finch (Markham, Ont.). Finch then dealt the puck to Jackson at the point, who wristed it through a crowd and past Loverock to give the Blues a 3-2 lead.

Guelph pressed hard for the equalizer in the dying moments of the game, but a goal line stand by Sheehan preserved the victory for Toronto.



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