The Lakehead Thunderwolves skated past the No. 10 York Lions by a 6-1 score before 3311 fans Friday night at the Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay. Jeff Richards had a fantastic night for the Thunderwolves with 2 goals and 3 assists. Joel Scherban, Jason Lange, Peter Cava, and Murray Magill added singles for Lakehead. Steve Chabbert replied for York.
Lakehead controlled the game pretty much from the onset and kept the Lions on their heels for most of the game. Lakehead outshot York 55-23.
The Wolves jumped out to an early lead at 2:43 when Jeff Richards took a pass from Peter Cava and backhanded it past York netminder Kevin Druce. The other assist went to Joel Scherban. Lakeheads Mike Wehrstedt just missed a juicy rebound off a shot by Brad Priestlay two minutes later. Lakehead kept up the pressure and Druce made a couple good stops. Lakehead took a minor at 7:14, but it was Lakeheads Richards that came close first as he burst in and then Scherban couldnt convert the rebound. Play continued mostly in the York end and a minor skirmish at 11:00 that saw the Lions go down a man.
However, York killed it off very effectively limiting Lakehead to mostly outside shots. Lakeheads Dan Speer then broke in quickly on Druce but the goalie made a great diving stop. Lakeheads Kris Callaway delivered a big open ice hit on Yorks Blair Grennier at 14:30. Yorks Clay Costoff came close at 16:30 when he fired a rebound wide past sprawled Lakehead netminder Chris Whitley. Lakehead took a too many men call at 17:18, but again it was a Lakehead player that had the first good chance when Mike Wehrstedt had a breakaway but Druce stood his ground and made a fine save off the quick shot. Play went the other way and Yorks Steve Chabbert fired a point blast that rang the left Lakehead post. The sides evened up with 38 seconds left and Lakehead buzzed the York goal and Druce made another good stop off a low shot by the Wolves Cava. Shot on goal were 22-5 Lakehead in the first.
The Wolves started the second on the powerplay but couldnt get anything going. Jeff Richards was hit by a beautiful long pass from Mike Self and Richards flew down the left side and blasted a rocket from the top of the circle that beat Druce 5-hole at 3:00. The other assist went to Murray Magill. Lakehead then went on the powerplay but it was Yorks Grennier who came close first as he had two good chances on Lakeheads Whitley but failed to put it in. The Lakehead line of Wehrstedt, Robinson, and Priestlay then put on some pressure but Druce made two good stops. The Lions went on the powerplay at 7:09 and then Lakehead took another minor to go two men down but the Wolves played some excellent penalty kill. Lakeheads Callaway then delivered another good open ice hit on York Jon Carney at 10:30.
Druce then came up with a fantastic save 12:06 when he stuck out his pad to rob Richards who again broke in on a breakaway. The Wolves took a minor at 12:24, and Whitley made a good save right away off a point shot by Yorks Chabbert. Whitley then made a fine glove save off the Lions Tyler Harrison at 13:57. Sides evened up when York took a minor and a Lions defenseman carried the puck right in front of his own goal and Lakeheads Peter Cava lifted the d-mans stick and backhanded the puck through Druces legs at 15:18. The assist went to Richards. Yorks Derek Montgomery was sprung for a breakaway at 17:20 but fired the puck wide left. Lakehead drew a minor with 12 seconds left and would start the third shorthanded. Shots were 16-8 Wolves in the second.
The Wolves didnt let the man advantage get them down as Joel Scherban made it 4-0 at 49 seconds, assisted by Richards and Drew Kivell. The Wolves struck again at 3:04, when Murray Magill whacked in a loose puck. The assist went to Jason Lange. The onslaught continued as Lange converted a beautiful tic-tac-toe passing play from Mike Jacobsen and Richa