The Lakehead Thunderwolves outskated the visiting Saint Marys Huskies 4-2 Friday night before a crowd of 2809 at the Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay. Lakehead was led by Andrew Brown with 2 goals, while Tobias Whelan played a great overall game notching a goal and an assist. Lakeheads other goal came from Jeff Richards while Erik Lodge had a pair of assists. Saint Marys scoring came from Brandon McBride and Colin Power.
Early first period action saw Lakeheads Peter Cava and Saint Marys Colin Power both have good chances. Play was very fast for the first five minutes until Lakehead drew a minor at 5:49 but the Huskies drew one of their own 20 seconds later to even the sides. Lakeheads Steve Rawski was robbed by Huskies netminder Jasen Awalt 30 seconds later. Referee Andrew Dillon decided to award Saint Marys a penalty shot at 13:01 when Lakeheads Rawski did a one-handed tomahawk chop on a wide-open Huskies forward stick and broke it. But, Saint Marys Gordon Bell was stopped beautifully by Lakehead netminder Chris Whitley. St. Marys Power was sprung nicely on a breakaway at 15:00 and beat Whitley with a hard snap shot but bounced it off the crossbar. The Huskies controlled play until near the end of the period when Joel Scherban had two good chances that were stopped by Awalt at 18:54 and then a fantastic opportunity at 19:37 when he rang the Huskies right post. Lakehead outshot Saint Marys 10-7 in the first.
Lakehead went on the powerplay two minutes into the second and scored what seemed the first goal of the game at 2:39 but the goal was disallowed as referee Dillon gave Lakeheads Jeff Richards a tripping penalty after Richards cut in to the Huskies goal carrying the puck and had his shot stopped by Awalt. Richards momentum moved Awalt out of the goal and Lakeheads Peter Cava knocked it in but Dillon ruled Richards had tripped Awalt. Lakeheads Whitley made a good glove save of the Huskies Mark Szott at 4:38. St. Marys got on the board first at 7:48 when Brandon McBride made a nice between the legs move to undress a Lakehead d-man and then fired the puck while falling beating Whitley. Assists went to Scott Hotham and Ryan Bowness. Lakehead killed off another minor and then Tobias Whelan broke up the left side and fired a cross-ice pass to Andrew Brown who tipped it in at 11:23.
Saint Marys Jordan Chomack gave a cross check to a prone Jeff Richards in the head and Lakeheads Andrew Brown crashed into Chomack and a minor scrum ensued at 16:42. The result was a man advantage to the Wolves and Lakehead came close soon after when both Peter Cava and Mike Jacobsen had good shots but Awalt came up big both times. Lakehead went up two men at 17:54 and Tobias Whelan knocked in his own tip in off a shot by Erik Lodge from the point at 18:18. The other assist went to Murray Magill. Lakeheads Richards made it 3-1 still on the powerplay at 18:55 when he knocked in a pass from Joel Scherban. The other assist went to Peter Cava. Lakehead outshot Saint Marys 18-11 in the second.
Corey Roberts started in goal for Saint Marys in the third and the Huskies came out hard keeping Lakehead pretty much pinned in their end for the first four minutes. Lakeheads Scherban came close with a tip in at the 4:00 mark but Roberts came up with a nice chest save. Neither team could generate any offense for a long spell and St. Marys Greg Hoffe delivered a big hit on Lakeheads Jason Lange at 9:00. Lakeheads Wheland fired a floater at 9:50 that dinged the top left post but then drew a minor. Lakehead had the first good chance during the penalty kill when Andrew Brown made a rink long rush and fired a backhand that Roberts kicked out. Lakeheads Steve Rawski jumped on the rebound and fired it wide. Sides evened up and the Huskies Travis Chapman fired a low wrist shot from the point that was redirected between Whitleys legs by Colin Power at 12:17. Lakehead quickly replied<