The University of Windsor Lancers men's hockey team battled hard on Saturday (Mar. 21) afternoon at the U SPORTS U Cup Championships in Halifax, Nova Scotia, but fell 4–1 to the Saint Mary's Huskies in the semifinal at Scotiabank Centre. Windsor faced an early deficit and was unable to recover despite a push in the third period, as Saint Mary's secured their spot in the national final.
STATS
Goaltender Max Donoso was solid between the pipes for the Lancers, making 22 saves on 25 shots in the loss, while Saint Mary's netminder Marcus Vandenberg turned aside 24 of 25 shots to earn the victory. Shots were nearly even throughout the contest, with Saint Mary's holding a slight 26–25 edge.
Special teams played a role in the game, with Windsor capitalizing once on two power play opportunities, while Saint Mary's was held scoreless on three chances. The Lancers generated steady pressure, particularly in the third period, but were unable to solve Vandenberg at even strength.
Ray Hamlin provided the lone goal for Windsor on the power play, assisted by Colton Smith. For Saint Mary's, Ben Boyd led the way with two goals, while Matthew MacDonald and Reid Valade also found the back of the net.
GAME FLOW
SMU took control early in the opening period, striking three times in quick succession. Matthew MacDonald opened the scoring just over two minutes into the game, followed by Reid Valade less than a minute later to double the lead. Ben Boyd added a third midway through the period, giving the Huskies a commanding 3–0 advantage. heading into the intermission.
The second period saw a more structured effort from both sides, with Windsor tightening defensively and limiting chances. Despite improved play and a handful of opportunities, the Lancers were unable to cut into the deficit, and the score remained unchanged heading into the final frame.
Windsor showed resilience in the third period, breaking through on the power play as Ray Hamlin put home a rebound at the top of the crease to get the Lancers on the board. The goal sparked momentum for Windsor, but they were unable to find another breakthrough. Saint Mary's sealed the game late with an empty-net goal from Boyd to secure the 4–1 result.
UP NEXT
Despite the semifinal loss, the Lancers run is something the team and the community can be tremendously proud of. The final game of the season is Sunday (Mar. 21) at 9 a.m. ADT/8 a.m. EST for national bronze against the loser of UNB/UQTR on Saturday night.
