The Lakehead Thunderwolves mens hockey put on a dominating performance to defeat the No. 10 Waterloo Warriors 5-1 Saturday night at the Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay.
The win earned Lakehead a split of the two-game homestand vs. the Warriors and now the Wolves have a 3-1 OUA mark (4-4 overall) while Waterloo is 3-2 in OUA play and 4-4-1 overall. Shots on goal were 51-28 in favour of Lakehead on the night. Lakehead went 1-6 on the powerplay while Waterloo was 0-6.
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Lakehead got a strong team performance from throughout the roster and scoring came from five different players. Andy Zulyniak, Andrew Brown, Mike Wehrstedt, Tobias Whelan, and Shandor Alphonso got the Lakehead markers. Kris Hogg notched two assists. Whelan, Alphonso, and Brown also added an assist each. Doug Spooner tallied for the Warriors.
Lakehead netminder Chris Whitley played a very strong game with timely goaltending; having to make some very good saves in flurries; during Waterloo powerplays. Waterloo netminder Jimmy Bernier; although he allowed five goals, made at least a dozen spectacular saves to keep the score what it was and keep his team in the game.
Lakehead had early powerplay advantages in the first, including a short 5-on-3 but Bernier stoned the Wolves Andrew Brown to keep the game scoreless. Waterloos Brandon Mulholland rang the Lakehead post at 5:10. Play continued in Lakeheads favour until they took two minor penalties at the 14 minute mark; giving Waterloo a 5-on-3. The Wolves killed it off nicely and this may have been the turning point of the game as the pk effort sparked Lakehead; giving them new intensity. Bernier came up with a number of big saves for the Warriors.
Zulyniak made it 1-0 at 16:03 on a point shot that deflected past a screened Bernier. Assists went to Matt Maisonneuve and Brad Priestlay. The Wolves quickly made it 2-0 on the powerplay at 19:52 when Brown knocked in a rebound; assisted by Whelan and Kris Hogg. Lakehead outshot Waterloo 22-9 in the first.
The Wolves applied pressure in the second and were finally able to beat Bernier at 6:47; when Mike Wehrstedt knocked it in from the slot with assists going to Richard Molenaar and Alphonso. Bernier made a fantastic save to rob Lakeheads Brown at 13:00. The Warriors went on the powerplay and the Wolves Whitley came up with two big saves; a shoulder save at 17:10 and an incredible diving save across the crease at 18:30 to deny Waterloos Chris Golem. Lakehead then went on the attack and Bernier made a huge pad save off a shorthanded blast by Lakeheads Brock McPherson; who had a strong game for the Wolves. However, the Wolves kept up the pressure and Whelan fired a high wrist shot that beat Bernier at 19:17; assisted by Brown and Hogg. Lakehead outshot Waterloo 16-10 in the second.
The Warriors came out hard to begin the third and were quickly rewarded at the 44 second mark on a goal by Doug Spooner; with assists going to Jordan Brenner and David Edgeworth. Action went back and forth and both netminders came up with some good saves. Lakeheads Alphonso then intercepted a Waterloo pass and blasted a rocket from just inside the blue line that beat Waterloos Bernier high at the 7:12 mark. Both netminders again came up with some good saves as the period reached its conclusion and the Wolves outshot Waterloo 13-9 in the final period.
The Molsons Three Stars, as chosen by Alan Wickware of the Lakehead University Argus campus paper, were:
1)Chris Whitley: Lakehead
2)Andy Zulyniak: Lakehead
3)Andrew Brown: Lakehead
Lakehead travels to Waterloo next weekend for two key OUA Far West divisional games against the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks.
Shots on Goal:
Lakehead: 22 16 13 51
Waterloo: 9