This article first appeared on RyersonRams.ca on Jan. 22, 2014
Ryerson Rams vs. Brock Badgers
January 23, 2014
Mattamy Athletic Centre at the Gardens, 7:30 p.m.
Ryerson: 5-14-0 Last Game: 3-2 L at. Waterloo. 2013-14 Standings: T 12th- OUA (10 Points)
Brock: 7-10-1 Last Game: 4-0 W vs. Laurentian. 2013-14 Standings: 9th – OUA (15 points)
The Storyline:
It’s a tale of two teams heading in opposite directions. The Brock Badgers have been dynamite over their last 10 games posting a record of 7-2-1 including five wins in a row entering Thursday night. The Ryerson Rams on the other hand will be looking to stop a seven game losing streak when they return to home ice, a place where they have won two games this season. Playoff implications will be enormous on Thursday as well with Ryerson needing to win all their remaining five regular season games in order to get into the playoff picture in the OUA.
The Competition:
The last time Brock hosted Ryerson, they were a completely different team. Back on Oct. 10, 2013, Ryerson defeated Brock 2-1 but much has changed since then. As one of the hottest teams in the OUA, coming off a shocking defeat of then-ranked No. 3 Laurier on Jan. 9, Brock will let nothing stand in their way as they are only three points out of a playoff position.
Players to Watch:
Ryerson: Emily Rose Galliani Pecchia
Ryerson’s leading scorer from last season with 11 points, Galliani Pecchia has struggled to find her groove in 2013-14. Through 19 games, she has six points including a goal against Brock the last time the two teams met. With five games remaining in the regular season, the assistant captain will be looking to lead her team into a potential first-ever playoff berth.
Brock: Jessica Fickel
The year 2014 has been one to remember so far for Jessica Fickel and we’re only four games in. Since Brock continued their second half schedule, Fickel has been an offensive threat for the Badgers, tallying 11 points through four games. The team leader in points with 24, she will be looking to build off a three point performance in Brock’s last game against Laurentian.
Between the Pipes:
Ryerson: Emma Crawley
Crawley will make her 14th appearance of the season when she gets the starting nod in the Rams net on Thursday. She has not seen action since January 9 when she gave up three goals on nine shots and was pulled after one period against UOIT. The third year net-minder will look to rekindle the success she had in the first half and build on her team-leading 0.913 save percentage.
Brock: Jenna Sosnoski
As the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, which is exactly what the Brock Badgers will be doing on Thursday night with their goaltending situation. Sosnoski has been in net during the entirety of Brock’s five game winning streak and will look to keep that dominance going against Ryerson. The rookie is coming off her first-ever career shutout against Laurentian and has posted a .952 save percentage in January.
Tickets:
Online at ticketmaster.ca
In person at the Mattamy Athletic Centre Box Office (one hour before game time)
Follow the Game:
Live broadcast on the Ryerson Rams Network
Live stats on OUA.ca
Twitter at @ryersonrams