Brock enters break on winning note
Brock is heading into the holiday on a winning note after a 4-1 road victory over division-leading Ryerson.
Captain Brody Silk, Adam Berg, Jake Ringuette and Ryan Burton each found the back of the net as the Badgers won their second in as many days to improve to 12-5.
“Very proud of the guys,” head coach Marty Williamson said. “We are playing sound, smart hockey.
“They need to enjoy the break and be ready for lots of fun in the second half.”
On Friday, defenceman Connor Walters netted the gamewinner and collected two assists in a 5-3 win at home over Guelph.
Walters, a first-year social sciences student from Welland, scored the game winner on the power play midway through the second period.
Ayden MacDonald, Connor Brown, Adam Lloyd and Silk, on an empty net, also netted goals for the Badgers.
Ryerson provides the opposition when Brock resumes league play Friday, Jan. 4, with a home game at Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre in St. Catharines.
Losses on home ice to Guelph, 6-1, and Waterloo, 2-1, dropped Brock to 4-3-3-2 in women’s hockey heading into the break.
Despite the setbacks, head coach Margot Page is pleased with the team’s progress.
“We are feeling decent about the first half of the season,” she said. “We have four of 12 forwards and four of six defencemen playing regular minutes who are first-year players, and we are above .500,
which is not too shabby.
“Moving forward we need to look after the puck. It’s like a hot potato out there sometimes.
“Quite often we make the puck someone else’s problem. We have to calm down and make positive plays in all zones.”
Amanda Ieradi scored against Guelph. Annie Berg found the back of the Waterloo net.
The Brock women start the second half Saturday, Jan. 5, with a home game against York.
Basketball
Brock was the happiest of hosts when it closed out the first half of the men’s basketball season with back-to-back home games.
One night after defeating Guelph 85-64, the Badgers continued their winning ways by edging York 96-94.
Trading basket for basket,
York tied the game at 94-all with five seconds remaining in regulation. Overtime felt all but
inevitable until Michael Vos Otin capitalized out of the timeout and scored from inside the paint to give Brock the lead — and the win.
Johneil Simpson, Tyler Brown, Daniel Cayer and Cassidy Ryan scored 28, 22, 17 and 10 points, respectively for Brock.
Head coach Madhav Trivedi, whose Badgers enter the break with a 7-4 record, liked how the team defended Queen’s.
“The second quarter wasn’t so great but we had a three-point lead at the half and then we extended it and we held their team to under 70, so I have to be proud of our guys for that.
“I thought our bench was fantastic and gave us really good minutes.”
Ryan, 23; Simpson, 16; Kascius Small Martin, 10; paced the Badgers in points. Cayer was Brock’s top rebounder with 10.
In women’s hoops, Kristin Gallant and Miranda Smith scored 17 points apiece, Melissa Tatti added 13, and Brock defeated visiting York 75-73 to snap a four-game losing streak.
Sofia Croce led the Badgers, 4-7, with six rebounds.
Smith connected on five 3pointers, added two assists and a steal.
“Overall it was a hard-fought team effort,” she said. “Lots of positives, great energy came from each and every one of us.
“It was a great way to finish off the year.”
It was Brock’s second home game in as many nights. On Friday, Tatti, 15; Smith, 12; and Gallant, 10; were key contributors on offence in a 75-63 loss to Queen’s.
January’s basketball schedule tips off Saturday, Jan. 5, with Brock at Western for a doubleheader. Brock visits Laurier for a twin bill four days later.