The men’s Light Blues ice hockey team hosted Cardiff Redhawks in Peterborough, hoping to keep their momentum going as the Varsity match approaches. A successful night on the ice saw Cambridge run out 22-4 winners.

Cambridge went into the match on good form. The blues tied last year’s league champions, the London Dragons, in their first match of the year earlier this term. That marked the first time in five years that that blues had escaped defeat at the hands of the Dragons, thanks in large part to the outstanding play of goaltender Mike Kang. Cambridge then went on to secure a decisive victory last week over Warwick/Coventry 12-6. 

Omens were not auspicious for the latest match. Cardiff arrived in Peterborough with a short-staffed bench and a starting goalie, Luke Rowlands, who acquired food poisoning en route. Rowlands played his heart out for the entire game, despite feeling so ill.

Cambridge came out roaring, led by assistant captain Eric Kroshus, who took ninety seconds to score the opening marker. A minute later, Kroshus collected a pass from Ben McDonald and fired a second goal behind the Cardiff goaltender. Not to be intimidated, Cardiff answered back shortly after with a goal of their own, just after the three minute mark of the game.

At this point, the Cambridge offense turned it up a notch, beginning to stretch the Cardiff defenders with excellent passing and structured attacks. For the next ten minutes, the top line of Kroshus, Julien La Flamme Gagnon, Danny Burns, Kyle Oskvig, and Luc St. Pierre turned on the fire, netting seven unanswered goals. Ben McDonald and Oscar Wilsby also scored before the first period expired, putting Cambridge up 12-1.

Cardiff conceded another six goals in the second quarter, the Cambridge scorers including Oskvig and Dave Brassard. However, the Redhawks rallied to test the Cambridge defence, and scored two quick goals at the end of the second period to up the tally to 18-3. The final frame saw another four goals by the men in light blue and one final marker for Cardiff. 

22-4 it ended, a genial and good-spirited match which saw no penalties awarded against either team. Excellent performances on the Cambridge side were had by player of the match Eric Kroshus, with ten goals and six assists, Julien Gagnon, with six goals and five assists, Ben McDonald with a goal and six assists, and Oscar Wilsby, with a hat-trick. Cardiff’s goaltender had a particularly commendable game, facing more than seventy shots.