The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's hockey team won 4-0 against the Guelph Gryphons in their home game on Saturday (Nov 2nd) night as second-year goaltender Jordan Fairlie recorded his first career OUA shutout.
Back at home, the Varsity Blues came out fueled by the crowd's energy, dominating the period with speed and skill. Throughout much of the first, the Blues generated countless opportunities, and their efforts paid off midway through. Billy Moskal set up a beautiful pass to Julian Recine at the hash marks, who sniped a shot right under Colton Incze's blocker. Riding the momentum of the first goal, nearly thirty seconds later, Owen Robinson sent a rocket from the top of the circle, beating Guelph's goaltender and putting the difference to 2-0. The end of the period saw the Blues on a penalty kill that led into the second, but their grit and determination kept the Guelph's score at nil.
The second period brought a set of challenges for the Blues as they attempted to kill off a 5-minute major, however, despite the disadvantage, Mark Cooper and Zack Smith broke free on a 2-on-1 rush down the ice, with Smith tipping in a shorthanded goal to extend the Blues' lead to 3-0. Throughout the remainder of the period, the Blues continued to generate scoring chances, testing the opposing defence, while goaltender Jordan Fairlie made crucial saves, staying sharp under pressure to preserve the three-goal advantage.
The last 20 minutes of the game saw tight competition, with both the Blues and Gryphons trading chances. Fairlie continued to stand tall, keeping the Blues in the game. The last five minutes of the period brought a new obstacle as Guelph pulled their goalie, making it 6-on-5. However, Nicholas Wong sealed the deal with an empty net goal to finish the game off at 4-0, capping off a great game for Toronto and a big shutout for goaltender Jordan Fairlie.
The Blues will be eager to please the home crowd again in their next home game against Western University on Thursday, November 7th. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. with tickets available at varsityblues.ca/tickets. The game will also be streamed live on oua.tv.
