Rematch with Toronto closes out Rams' fall season

TORONTO - Rams winger Avery Horlock didn't mince words last weekend when she described their upcoming matchup against Toronto.

"I think we have a vengeance on them - so we're definitely going to be coming out hard. It's a little rivalry between them," she said.

Despite hitting the post earlier that night, Horlock and the Rams had just fallen 3-1 against another divisional opponent, the Nipissing Lakers.

The Rams' grueling first half of their season will come to a climactic end this Friday as they visit their rival Toronto Varsity Blues before the December break.

Although a bye week saw the Rams get some early rest, their first five games have been a challenge. To date, the Rams have matched up twice against the former OUA finalist York Lions and the attack-heavy Nipissing Lakers. Of these four contests, the Rams lost just a lone game against Nipissing.

Only Toronto has given the Rams total trouble this season as they shut down the Rams 4-1 on home ice two weeks ago. The Blues have yet to lose in regulation this year, dropping just one game in a shootout versus Queen's. Meanwhile, the Rams sit third in the OUA East behind Nipissing and Toronto, going 3-2 so far.

Head Coach Lisa Haley is no stranger to facing the Blues as she commented on the difficult set of games her squad has had to deal with so far.

"UofT is a really tough opponent no matter what your situation is. UofT and Nipissing are right at the top of the food chain. So we know it's going to be a tough one on Friday," said Haley.

Toronto was able to limit the Rams to just 12 shots on goal in their 4-1 win. The Rams also took five penalties in each of their two losses this year, which made gaining momentum difficult.

"We're trying to play the game the right way," added Haley. "We've talked about it in the past - taking senseless penalties. I think that's going to happen from time to time."

However, the Rams' penalty kill has been stellar, killing off all but one of their 22 opposing power plays. While the Rams' power play unit has put up three goals, their sporadic success could spell trouble in their crucial Toronto matchup.

Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. this Friday, December 3rd at Varsity Arena. Fans can tune into OUA.TV to watch before the Rams rest up and come back home on January 14, 2022 against Ontario Tech.

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Players Mentioned

#6 Avery Horlock: F; 5' 9"; 3

Players Mentioned

#6 Avery Horlock
: 5' 9"; 3
: F

Players Mentioned

#6 Avery Horlock

Players Mentioned

#6 Avery Horlock