North Bay, ON – Nipissing Men's Hockey wrapped up their 2025-26 season with an overtime win and regulation loss this past weekend.
On Friday, Feb. 13, the Lakers took on the Carleton Ravens in a must-win game to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Carleton got on the board first, scoring at 9:51 ont he power play. Nipissing responded at 17:54 with a power play goal of their own, as Chad Denault got the Lakers on the board and tied the game at one. Assists on the goal belonged to Noah Vom Scheidt and Alexis Beaulac. The score would remain knotted at one after 20 minutes of play.
In the second, Carleton again took the lead, scoring at 4:11. The 2-1 lead held for just over two minutes until Alexis Beaulac scored a power play goal for Nipissing at 6:30, tying the game once again. David Campbell and Lakers goalie Zach Roy picked up assists on the goal.
Carleton scored their third goal of the game at 12:40 at even strength and led 3-2. Just over three minutes later, Nipissing's Ken Belanger scored and tied the game once again, this time at three. Lakers Captain Charlie Johnson was the lone assist on Nipissing's 3rd goal. 3-3 is where the score stood after 40 minutes of play.
Alexis Beaulac scored his second goal of the game at 6:01 into the third period, giving the Lakers their first lead of the game at 4-3. Jonathan Rees and Mason Chitaroni scored assists on the goal.
The one-goal lead held all the way until 15:44, when Carleton scored their fourth of the game and tied things once again.
60 minutes was not enough to decide this contest, and overtime was necessary.
35 seconds into the extra frame, Lakers senior forward Kyle Foreman skated in and buried the game winner on Carleton's goalie, giving the Lakers a 5-4 dramatic overtime win and keeping their playoff hopes alive.
Lakers goalie Zach Roy stopped 17 of 21 shots in the big win.
Then, on Saturday, Feb. 14, the Lakers faced another must-win game. The Queen's Gaels were the opponents this time, who entered the game one point behind Nipissing for the final playoff spot in the OUA's East. The season, for both teams, came down to this game.
No goals were scored in the first period for either side. Nipissing had two power play opportunities at 11:54 and 13:54, both unsuccessful. Carleton had one opportunity on the man advantage at 3:34 that did not result in a goal. Shots in the period were 13-12 Nipissing.
The score remained at zeros until 14:50 in the second, where Queen's beat Lakers goalie Zach Roy to take a 1-0 lead. The Lakers responded well and pressed to tie the game, but at 17:30 Queen's doubled their lead to 2-0. The lead would hold through 40 minutes. Shots in the second period were 12-12.
In the third period, Queen's held their 2-0 lead for much of the period until 4:51, where they added another goal to lead 3-0.
Nipissing pressed hard and tried anything to find a way to get a puck across the goal line knowing their season would come to an end if they did not. The Lakers outshot the Gaels 17-5 in the final frame.
Queen's added an empty net goal late in the period to take this contest 4-0.
Lakers goalie Zach Roy stopped 26 of 29 shots in the loss.
Nipissing Men's Hockey ended their season with a 12-12-5 record, good for 28 points and 7th place in the OUA's East. Nipissing had an 8-5-1 standing on home ice.
Nipissing thanks Lakers fans for their support of Men's Hockey during the 2025-26 season! The countdown to puckdrop for next season is underway.
#GoLakers
