The NAIT Ooks lost game two 5-4 in double overtime, losing the series 2-0.
EDMONTON, ALTA. – The MacEwan Griffins defeated the NAIT Ooks 5-4 in double overtime to win the ACAC Championship series 2-0 earning a gold medal, while the Ooks took home silver.
The MacEwan Griffins came out firing once again in game number two outshooting the Ooks 10-1 in the first ten minutes. NAIT would find their wings shortly after though. They sustained pressure for several minutes, peppering the Griffins' Marc-Oliver Daigle with shots. One of which was a point shot by Carson Beers which ricocheted off of a leg and then the post. The Ooks pressure resulted in the Griffins taking a penalty which led to a powerplay. At the end of the period, shots were 14-13 in favour of the Griffins and the score was 0-0.
In the second, the tie was blasted open. Matt McNeil put home a second effort shot after Dylan Stewart sent a pass to the front of the net. Ten minutes later Thomas Foster fed McNeil with a beautiful behind the back pass from behind the net who then sent it top corner. Carson Beers then scored on a point shot through traffic 50 seconds later. Shane Fraser then tipped one of Carson Beers shots past Daigle to put the Ooks up 4-0 after scoring three goals in just under two minutes.
The Griffins were down but not out. Ryan McKinnon fed Garan Magnes with a pass which mirrored that of Foster's to McNeil earlier in the period to cut the Ooks lead to three. A minute and a half later Austin Yaremchuk picked up the puck off of a blocked shot then fired it over Brendan Jensen's blocker. After forty minutes of play, the NAIT Ooks led the MacEwan Griffins 4-2.
The Griffins began the third on the powerplay which led to a Ryan Baskerville goal off of Andrew Kartush's point shot. Nic Correale then tied the game with 15:40 remaining as he snapped a shot from the high slot over Brendan Jensen. NAIT stopped the bleeding after that as they controlled the play for a lot of the final period, but were unable to beat Daigle, forcing overtime.
In the first overtime, the Ooks continued to sustain the pressure but couldn't generate a goal. The Griffins got a few quality chances nearing the end of the period including a wide-open shot from Brett Smythe forcing Brendan to make a beautiful stretching glove save. The first overtime would solve nothing.
The second overtime would begin with the MacEwan on the attack; they pushed the Ooks back a bit getting some quality chances on Jensen. NAIT responded with a few chances of their own, but to no avail. The game would remain a back and forth game of desperation rushes. At the 10:59 mark of the period Ryan Baskerville came down on the rush and quick snap a shot from the faceoff dot short side on Brendan Jensen. The MacEwan Griffins would end up taking the game 5-4 and the series 2-0 earning the title of 2019 ACAC Men's Hockey Champions, with the NAIT Ooks taking home silver.
Prior to the game, the 2019 ACAC Men's Hockey All-Conference Awards presented. Ooks' head coach Tim Fragle was named Coach of the Year. Thomas Foster, Jake Mykitiuk and Jordan Davies took home All-Conference honors, Foster and Mykitiuk were also named ACAC Academic All-Canadians.