Penalties proved to be the Lakehead Thunderwolves mens hockey team undoing Saturday night as they fell to the defending NCAA champions Denver Pioneers by a 7-1 decision in Denver. The Thunderwolves drew 22 minutes in the penalty box compared to the Pioneers paltry four. Denver scored three goals on the powerplay while Lakehead scored their sole marker on the powerplay.
Denver outshot Lakehead 43-18 in the game and 20 of Denvers shots came on the powerplay. Lakeheads goal came from Erik Lodge with assists to Joel Scherban and Mike Jacobsen. Denvers goals came from Ryan Helgason (2), Paul Stastny (2), Mike Handza, Andrew Thomas, and Andrew Veideman.
Indicative of the flow of the game was Lakeheads Jeff Richards being given a five minute major and a game misconduct penalty for hitting from behind at the 49 second mark of the first period and Denver notched two goals on the powerplay which quickly put the Wolves behind the eight-ball as they were without the services of their CIS All Canadian speedster for the rest of the game. A Thunderwolves defensive breakdown in the first minute of the second gave the Pioneers three quick goals to put the game away.
Chris Whitley started the game in goal for Lakehead and Grant McCune took over in the second period. Whitley made 17 saves on 21 shots while McCune made 19 saves on 22 shots.
Lakehead Head Coach Pete Belliveau was proud of his teams effort. We competed hard, and we battled hard, but its kind of hard to play against the national champions when you have 22 minutes in penalties and they have four. We didnt play an undisciplined game but we got a lot of calls against us and didnt get calls for us that perhaps we should have. Theyre the defending national champs and they can score but even though it was a 7-1 score; it wasnt a 7-1 game.
Lakehead continues their Colorado trip on Sunday when they play Colorado College.