TORONTO — In a do-or-die bronze medal game that held endless potential, the Rams men's hockey team ousted the visiting McGill Redbirds in a clean 2-1 victory. With the win, the Rams punched their ticket to the U SPORTS National Championship in Wolfville, N.S., which begins on March 31. 

In the first period, both teams traded chances on the power play, but the Rams got on the board first when Jeremiah Addison sniped a searing shot past McGill goaltender Emanuel Vella to give his team the early 1-0 edge. For the remainder of the opening frame, the Rams peppered Vella with shots and kept the Redbird defenders on their toes. From the beginning of the game (and the season), the team played as a cohesive unit, a trait that buoyed them to even greater heights, their head coach noted. 

"Not once did this group get down on one another all season long," Rams head coach Johnny Duco said after the game. "We really did have that family team atmosphere where they don't want to let each other down."
 

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— Rams Men's Hockey (@ramsmhockey) March 27, 2022

Added goaltender Garrett Forrest of their opponent's first period: "I think we all knew that was probably going to be their worst period and that they were going to come back strong, and I think they came back a lot stronger than anyone thought."

The second period saw a complete reversal of the tides, with the Redbirds on the offence for the majority of the frame and the Rams perpetually hemmed into their own end. With Forrest standing strong, the Rams found themselves on the power play and, with just a few minutes remaining in the period, Kevin Gursoy gave the Rams a 2-0 lead with his second goal of the postseason. 

Desperate to climb back into the game, the Redbirds came out firing in the third period, but couldn't put anything together in the first half of the frame.
 

SEE YOU IN NOVA SCOTIA! ??#weRrams #RAMSvsMCG pic.twitter.com/GBvXi3t1CA

— Rams Men's Hockey (@ramsmhockey) March 27, 2022

"It was a really mature effort," Duco remarked of his team's play. "I thought our guys did a really good job of keeping them to the outside." 

As the final minutes of regulation drained, the Redbirds got on the board thanks to Brandon Frataroli, but weren't able to push an equalizer through with their net empty. With the crowd on its feet and the bench ecstatic, the Rams secured a berth to the national championships. 

After all was said and done, the Rams advanced to the national stage for the first time in their history, setting the stage for an exceptionally exciting week on the nation's eastern coast. 

Seeding for the national championship will be announced on Sunday, March 27.