Oshawa’s Ontario Tech Ridgebacks men’s hockey team open new season with a win in Ottawa

The Ontario Tech Ridgebacks men’s hockey team opened the 2022-23 OUA season with a bang Thursday night with a 5-1 victory on the road against the Ottawa Gee-Gees.

Nicholas Tardiff got the Ridgebacks on the board midway through the first period and Andrew Siriyuth made it 2-0 just 24 seconds later.

In the second, Mathieu Desgagnes brought the Gee-Gees within one but Ridgebacks defenceman Nolan Ford scored his first OUA goal to restore Ontario Tech’s two-goal lead and the Oshawa squad added two more goals in the third from Cullen McLean and James White to put the game away.

Veteran Ontario Tech goalkeeper Leif Hertz recorded 25 saves for the win.

With the game the only one on the schedule Thursday (the rest of the league opens the regular season tonight), Ontario Tech can enjoy first place in the OUA, at least for one night. The Ridgebacks will look to continue their strong start as they stay in Ottawa to take on the Carleton Ravens tonight with a 7 p.m. puck drop.