Second Period Collapse Leads to Loss

Visiting Western Mustangs Double Up On Stingers 8-4

SportsDavid S. Landsman — Published November 22, 2014 | Updated November 23, 2014 at 12:03am

The Stingers had a 4-1 advantage after 20 minutes, but allowed seven unanswered goals in the second and third periods leading to a disastrous collapse.

“The hardest part about tonight is that we were healthy,” said head coach Kevin Figsby. “We had some guys back and that was great, but they were a bit out of sync tonight.”

Stingers forward Olivier Hinse scored his Canadian Interuniversity Sport-leading 12th goal of the season, but was frustrated that the team lost in the end.

“It might be my job to be the leader, and that’s why Kevin gave me the ‘C’, and that I may be able to put the puck in the net,” said Hinse. “But what bothers me most is that we can’t seem to get the wins we know we can get. If I have one goal all season and we’re winning, it’s more important to me.”

The game started off well for the Stingers, as they scored two goals 29 seconds apart before the first three minutes of the game went by.

First, rookie Marc-Olivier Brouillard scored on a breakaway after completely undressing Mustang goaltender Greg Dodds, before alternate captain Kyle Armstrong added a second goal to double their lead.

While the Mustangs did score to cut into the Stingers lead, the Maroon and Gold
regained their two-goal advantage when Scott Oke finished a nifty passing play with a goal through Dodds’s legs. The goaltender was replaced by Marc Nother for allowing three goals on six shots faced.

“It looked great in the first period cause we were moving the puck forward and shooting,” said Figsby. “But all of a sudden we were moving the puck east-west instead of north-south.”

Hinse added the Stingers’ fourth goal of the game to end the first period, as they raced out to a 4-1 lead after 20 minutes.

Trying to keep the same composure up and down his lineup, Figsby had trouble keeping his team in check in the second period as the wheels seemed to come off and fast.

The Mustangs scored early in the second period, thanks to a goal from forward Julian Cimadamore, and six minutes later, Western defenceman Jed Rusk scored on a breakaway past Stingers goalie Robin Billingham for his first of the game.

Soon enough, the visitors tied the game with a goal from defenceman Matt Herskovitz, as he took the puck from his own zone, brought it all the way to the end of the ice, before scoring on a deke past Billingham.

Fifty-three seconds later, forward Adam Mckee netted his first of two goals of the night, giving the visitors the lead for the first time in the game. Mckee would later add another in the dying seconds of the period, giving the Mustangs a 6-4 advantage.

The Mustangs would add two more in the final period, completing their comeback.

“We definitely got outplayed, out-hustled and out-skated,” said Figsby. “But we didn’t shoot the puck, that’s the main difference. We came out and thought we could sit and that hurt us.”

The team now sits in eighth place in the Ontario University Athletics Conference out of nine teams. With a record of four wins and 11 losses, they are still eight points ahead on the winless Royal Military College Palladins, with the top eight teams making the postseason.

Heading into Saturday afternoon’s game against the Guelph University Gryphons, coach Figsby has a lot on his mind moving forward.

“I told the guys after the game that I was pleased with the start and that we can carry that momentum to tomorrow afternoon,” said Figsby. “Our team is getting healthier at the right time, and that’s also key to success.”

The game will be held at Ed Meagher Arena, puck drop is at 2 p.m.