More than 3500 fans watched the Lakehead Thunderwolves take their first home game of the season with a 6-5 non-conference win over the visiting McGill Redmen. Lakehead was led by Erik Lodge with two goals, Tobias Whelan with a goal and as assist, and Joel Scherban and Robert Hillier with two assists each. McGill was led by Jean-Michel Daoust with three goals and an assist, and by Mathieu Leclerc with a goal and two assists. The powerplay was on display as both teams scored three with the man advantage. Lakehead outshot McGill 40-22 in the game. The win puts Lakehead's record to 3-1 in non-conference play while Mcgill's record goes to 0-2.
Lakehead opened the scoring at 2:15 of the first on the powerplay when Erik Lodge redirected a point blast from Robert Hillier. Lakehead kept up the pressure early and Jason Lange just missed during a scramble in front of the Redmen goal. The Thunderwolves kept up the pressure until the 8:30 mark when they drew a penalty. McGill's Benoit Martin just missed from in front of the Lakehead net. The 'Wolves then took another minor, putting them two men down. McGill's Jean Michel Daoust then fired a blast from the slot that beat screened Lakehead goaltender Grant McCune at 9:45 to tie the score. Assists went to Ken Davis and Mathieu Leclerc. McCune then made a nice glove save off a hard shot by the Redmen's Rheal Guenette. McGill netminder Patrice Godin made a good point-blank stop off of Lakehead's Jason Lange. The 'Wolves Chris Shaffer then just missed with a deke that he put wide of the Redmen goal. The Redmen then went back up the ice and Luke Magill narrowly missed when he tipped a shot just wide to the left of the Lakehead net. The period ended with Lakehead drawing two minors, killing off one, and heading into the intermission with a man still in the box. Lakehead outshot McGill 9-8.
Lakehead killed off the penalty at the beginning of the second and then the 'Wolves Chris Shaffer delivered a series of punishing hits on the Redmen. Craig Priestlay gave Lakehead a 2-1 lead at 3:23 when he knocked in a rebound off a shot by Jason Lange. The other assist went to Tobias Whelan. McGill's Mathieu Leclerc then fired a shot that rang the right Lakehead post. The 'Wolves made it 3-1 at 7:27 when Francis Walker knocked in a loose puck with the assist going to Peter Cava. Erik Lodge then made it 4-1 at 10:06 when he fired a blast from the high slot that beat McGill's Godin. The assist went to Joel Scherban. Lakehead went on the powerplay and Tobias Whelan knocked in a rebound off a point shot by Robert Hillier at 11:12. An altercation broke out at 12:39 between Lakehead's Mike Self and McGill's Daniel Jacob which resulted in both players being ejected from the game. Chris Shaffer made it 6-1 at 18:27 after a nice set up from Mark Robinson. The other assist went to Joel Scherban. Lakehead outshot McGill 22-2 in the second.
The Redmen came alive in the third period. McGill's Leclerc got the Redmen's second marker of the game on the powerplay at 2:52, with the assists going to Jean-Michel Daoust and Ken Davis. McGill scored again on the powerplay at 5:32 when Daoust slid the puck under Lakehead's McCune with an unassisted goal. Play was choppy through the middle section of the period. McCune made a fine reaction save to a hard shot by McGill's Chad Blundy at 13:30. McGill's Alexander Page made it 6-4 on the powerplay at 17:30, assisted by Leclerc and Doug Orr. McGill scored again at 17:58 with the goal coming from Daoust and assisted by Gregoire Leblanc. McGill put on the pressure for the tying goal but were unable to get the puck past McCune. Shots in the third were 12-9 McGill while Lakehead outshot the Redmen 40-22 on the game. Attendance at the game was 3503.
The Molson Three Stars, as chosen by L