The Lakehead Thunderwolves hockey team defeated the Windsor Lancers 3-2 in overtime in Game 1 of the OUA West Division Semi-Finals at the Windsor Arena on Wednesday night.
Windsor scored the only goal of the first period when the Lancers Evan Stibbard beat Lakehead netminder Alex Dupuis at 4:18 on a goal set-up by D.J. Turner and Drew Palmer. Lakehead outshot Windsor 12-8 in the opening stanza, but the Lancers held the 1-0 lead at the first intermission.
The Thunderwolves tied the game at 1-1 when Mike Quesnele and Matt Caria fed Thomas Frazee, who blasted a long shot past Lancers goalie Parker Van Buskirk at 1:44 of the second period.
Following a double-minor for cross checking and a five minute match penalty for kicking by Mike Quesnele, Lakeheads penalty killing unit was severely tested in the last of half of the period. But the Wolves successfully killed off a 9-minute Windsor power play to keep the game knotted at 1-1 heading into the third.
Although they played short-handed for much of the period, the Thunderwolves still managed to outshoot Windsor 15-12 in the second.
Frazee notched his second marker of the game at 2:50 of the third period on a goal set up by Devin Welsh and Ryan Magill to give Lakehead a 2-1 lead. Windsor responded and tied the game at 2-2 with only 5:06 remaining in regulation when Turner fed Tom Craig in-close, who in turn beat Dupuis to force overtime.
Windsor dominated the shot clock in the third period, out-chancing the Thunderwolves 13-5.
Lakeheads Keith Grondin was the hero in overtime, scoring the winner at the 6:04 mark on a goal assisted by Caria and Jake Carrick. Shots on goal were 3 per side in extra time, giving Windsor a slight 36-35 advantage for the game.
The series now shifts to Thunder Bay, where Lakehead will have two chances to finish off the Lancers in the best-of-three Semi-Finals. Game 2 will be Friday night at the Fort William Gardens, with the opening face-off set for 7:30. If necessary, Game 3 will go Saturday night at the Gardens.