The Lakehead Thunderwolves fell 6-3 to the Windsor Lancers at the South Windsor Arena Saturday night, and as a result were eliminated from the OUA playoffs in the West Division semi-finals by the defending Queens Cup champs in two straight games.
In a contest that was much closer than the final score would indicate, Lakehead drew first blood when Jake Carrick flipped the puck over Windsor goalie Parker Van Buskirks shoulder at 13:07 of the opening period, but the Lancers responded with two goals less than a minute apart shortly after.
Ryan Green evened the score by beating Wolves netminder Justin McDonald low on the glove side at 16:59, and then Windsor took a 2-1 lead on a goal that deflected in off the skate of Eric Noel with just over two minutes remaining in the opening period.
Windsor extended its lead to 3-1 at the seven-minute mark of the second when Drew Palmer shoveled his own rebound past McDonald while the Lancers had the man-advantage.
The Wolves would not go away quietly however, and when Carrick beat Van Buskirk top-shelf at 17:08 of the middle stanza, the Lancers margin was cut to 3-2 heading into the third.
Windsors Eric Noel broke in alone on McDonald and beat him on the far side at 6:27 of the final frame to put the Lancers up by two goals, but Jay Gilbert quickly replied for Lakehead with a shot that got by Van Buskirk through the five-hole a minute later to bring the Thunderwolves back to within one.
With the Wolves on the verge of elimination, Justin McDonald was lifted from the Lakehead net for an extra attacker with just under two minutes remaining, but empty netters by Spencer Pommells and Sebastian Beauregard iced the game for the Lancers.
Lakehead outshot Windsor 32-31 in what turned out to be the Wolves' final game of the 2014-15 season.