The Lakehead Thunderwolves were edged 4-2 by the Lethbridge Pronghorns in front of 2485 very boisterous fans at the Fort William Gardens on Friday night.
The game was a penalty-filled affair with numerous scuffles after the whistle, particularly in the latter stages of the game.
Lakehead opened the scoring at 17:18 of the first when E.J. Faust fed Brennen Dubchak, who in turn fired the puck past Lethbridge goalie Garret Hughson for the only goal of the period.
Mitch Maxwell got the Pronghorns on the board early in second period, but Jake Ringuette put the Wolves back in front 2-1 with a power play marker at 5:25. Justin Sefton and Billy Jenkins were credited with the assists.
Brandon Clowes knotted the score just over two minutes later when he beat Lakehead goalie Devin Green with a one-timer, and then Torrin White put the Horns ahead 3-2 with less than a minute remaining in the middle frame.
Clowes scored his second of the game at 8:20 of the third to extend the Lethbridge lead to 4-2 while the Thunderwolves were a man down.
Numerous roughing penalties were handed out in the final 20 minutes as several skirmishes broke out when tempers flared.
Lakehead wasnt able to muster much offence in the third period as the Wolves only registered three shots on the Pronghorns goal in the final stanza. Total shots on goal for the game were 34-25 in favor of Lethbridge.
The Molson Three Stars of the game were:
1.Brandon Clowes, Lethbridge
2.Jake Ringuette, Lakehead
3.Brennen Dubchak, Lakehead
The Thunderwolves will look to get into the win column in the Saturday night rematch beginning at 7:00 P.M.