OSHAWA, Ont. – After suffering their first conference loss of the season on Tuesday the UOIT men's hockey responded well and capped off their weekend with a 3-1 win over the Waterloo Warriors on Saturday afternoon. 
 
The Ridgebacks positive finish to the week started with the ice still wet, 1:56 into the game, when Mitch Bennett (Fenelon Falls, Ont.) scored his second of the season to give UOIT an early 1-0. Ben Blasko (Kingston, Ont.) and Danny Elser (Hopewell Junction, U.S.) had the helpers on the opening goal.
 
Bennett's goal held UOIT's lead through the opening 20 minutes, in which the Ridgebacks out shot the Warriors 15-5.
 
Over the remainder of the game Waterloo held the advantage in shots on goal, 16-5 in the second and 15-10 in the third, but UOIT capitalized on the opportunities they had.
 
Connor Jarvis (Port Union, Ont.) scored his fifth and sixth goals of the season at the 8:56 and 15:59 marks of the second period to give UOIT a 3-0 lead. Kyle Locke (Aurora, Ont.) and Josh Carrick (Stouffville, Ont.) assisted on the first, while Bennett and Mike Robinson (Stouffville, Ont.) helped on Jarvis' second.
 
In the third period Stephen Silas started the Warriors comeback attempt at the 4:51 mark, potting his second goal of the season, but that was as close as Waterloo got.
 
Tyson Teichmann (Belleville, Ont.) earned his fourth win of the season, making 35 saves for the Ridgebacks.
 
Chris Hurry turned aside 27 UOIT shots in the loss for Waterloo.
 
With the win the No. 5 ranked Ridgebacks continue to sit atop the OUA standings with 14 points and a 7-1-0 record. Their next games will be next Friday and Saturday when they travel to Thunder Bay to take on the Lakehead Thunderwolves for a pair of games.
 
QUICK LOOK AT THE RIDGEBACKS
Overall Record: 9-3-2
Conference Record: 7-1-0
 
Next game: Friday, Nov. 4 at Lakehead Thunderwolves (7:30 p.m. – Thunder Bay, Ont.)