Windsor goaltender Jay Ewasiuk turned aside 51 shots as he led his Windsor Lancers to a 5-4 OUA season opener win over the Lakehead Thunderwolves before 3272 fans at the Fort William Gardens Friday night in Thunder Bay. This was Windsors first win at the Gardens in five seasons. The win puts Lakehead at 0-0-1 in OUA play (4-4-2 overall) and Windsor at 1-0-0 in conference play and 1-7 overall. Alex White led the Lancers with the hat trick while singles came from Scott Gibson and Kyle Trudell. Lakehead Captain Joel Scherban had a strong game getting two goals and an assist. Lakeheads other goals came from Dan Rogers and Mike Jacobsen. Lakehead outshot Windsor 55-32 on the night.
Lakehead came out fast and Windsor netminder Jay Ewasiuk made a great save off Lakeheads Andrew Brown who was set up perfectly by Jeff Richards. Lakeheads Peter Cava then blasted a shot wide and over a sprawled Ewasiuk after the goalie made a nice save off Murray Magill. Magill then couldnt lift the puck over a downed Ewasiuk at 4:45. Lakehead Captain Joel Scherban opened the scoring at 5:57 when he nicely redirected a shot from the point past Ewasiuk. Jeff Richards then set up Dan Rogers at 6:29. Joel Scherban picked up the other assist and with it set the Lakehead hockey all time assists record with 135. Windsors Alex White then picked up an unassisted goal at 6:44 to put the Lancers back into the game.
Windsor went on the powerplay and Alex White blasted a shot from the top of the left circle that handcuffed Lakehead netminder Chris Whitley and beat him high glove side at 12:27. Assists went to Chad Snihur and Jordie Preston. Lakehead then went on the powerplay but couldnt beat Ewasiuk. Ewasiuk made a fine stop off Lakeheads Cava on a break at 16:24. Lakehead had the man advantage and Ewasiuk made another good stop off Lakeheads Dan Rogers. The Lancers then took another minor and the Wolves were up two men. The Wolves bomarded the net but Ewasiuk held firm until Scherban got his second of the night at 18:40, assisted by Jason Lange and Steve Rawski. Shots were 20-8 Wolves in the first.
The first 10 minutes of the second saw the Lancers forecheck well and the Wolves looking totally out-of-sync. Windsor was rewarded at 5:45, when Scott Gibson hammered in a rebound after Whitley kicked out a shot by Mike Commisso. Windsor came close again when Darrell Parsons was stopped by Whitley on a 2-on-1. Windsor jumped into the lead when Alex White got his hat trick converted a lovely pass from Preston at 8:06. The other assist went to Graeme Lindsay. Lakehead then put backup netminder Rob Cundari between the pipes for his first-ever CIS action. Cundari had been called up from the Lakehead Campus Rec League as Lakehead starter Grant McCune has been injured for the past two weekends. Cundari made three saves but then Windsors Kyle Trudell knocked in a rebound at 8:49, with assists to Mathew Best and Brent Mahon.
Lakehead finally put on some pressure at the halfway mark but Ewasiuk made two big stops. Windsor drew a minor at 13:23 and the Wolves were rewarded at 15:09 when Mike Jacobsen fired a low shot from the point past a screened Ewasiuk. Assists went to Matt Jacques and Jeff Richards. The goal sparked the Wolves and they buzzed the Windsor net but Ewasiuk stood tall. Ewasiuk then made a quick glove save to deny Lakeheads Steve Rawski. Ewasiuk then made two great stops off Lakeheads Jeff Richards. Windsor drew a minor near the end of the period and would start the third down a man for a minute. Shots on goal were 18-14 Lakehead in the second.
Lakehead put Whitley back in goal to start the third. Windsors Gibson was called for boarding at 32 seconds, putting the Lancers two men down. Lakehead got off a few shots but Ewasiuk turned them aside. The sides returned to equal strength and the Wolves kept up the pressure. Ewasiuk stopped a bullet slap shot by Lakeheads Mike We