One night after likely their best effort of the OUA season, the Nipissing Lakers men's hockey team didn't have much left in the tank to keep pace with the league's top team.

Coming off an emotional and physically tough victory, the Lakers were the victim of one of the most potent offences in the CIS, as the UQTR Patriotes picked up an 8-1 win over the Lakers Saturday night at Memorial Gardens.

UQTR scored early and often, opening things up less than four minutes into the game.

Already up 1-0, the Patriotes would score three goals in the span of six minutes, extending their lead to 4-0 before the end of the first period.

It was the same story in the second period.

Two goals a minute apart made it 6-0 Patriotes and four minutes after that, it was another tally for the OUA leading Patriotes.

Down 7-0, the Lakers did find the back of the net on the power play as Jimmy McDowell walked in off the point, made a nice cut to the middle of the ice and roofed the puck to the top left corner of the net.

The goal broke the Patriotes shutout and came with just 12 seconds left in the middle frame.

Mackenzie Keirstead picked up the lone assist on McDowell's fifth tally of the campaign.

There was just one goal scored in the third, but it was the Patriotes who scored to regain the seven goal cushion.

The goal came within the first five minutes of the period and assured any type of comeback wasn't going to happen for the Lakers.

Veteran goalie Kirk Rafuse got the nod in net, but was lifted after allowing four goals in the first period.

Domenic Graham came in as relief, but left early due to an apparent shoulder injury, so Rafuse found himself back in the net to close things out.

Four Patriotes had multi-point efforts, including the team's top scorer, Guillaume Asselin, who put up five points.

UQTR ended up leading on the shotclock, as well as the scoreclock, outshooting the Lakers 33-28.

The loss ends Nipissing's three game winning streak and puts them one game below .500, at 11-12-3.

Nipissing will now hit the road to finish up the regular season, facing Queens and UOIT next weekend.

Nipissing can't move up in the standings, currently sitting sixth, but they can fall, so points are still valuable.

While the schedule isn't set as of today, the playoffs are likely to start on Feb. 17.