The Lakehead Thunderwolves skated to a 4-1 win over the Windsor Lancers Saturday night before 3383 fans at the Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay. Lakehead Captain Joel Scherban led the way with two goals and Jeff Richards had two assists. Dene Poulin and Mike Self scored the other Lakehead goals. Kyle Trudell scored for the Lancers and Windsor netminder Reese Kalleitner had a strong game in goal. The win puts Lakehead at 3-1-0-0 in OUA play and Windsor's record goes to 0-2-0-0 in OUA action.
The early stages of the first saw a lot of checking in the neutral zone with neither team developing any really dangerous chances; shots were 2-2 after 8 minutes. Lakehead Jeff Richards had the first good chance at the 10:00 mark, when he batted at a floating puck just to the right of Windsor netminder Reese Kalleitner but Kalleitner kept the puck out. Windsor went on the powerplay and Lakehead goaltender Chris Whitley came up with two good stops. The Lancers kept up the pressure for a couple minutes, pinning the 'Wolves in their end. The 'Wolves showed some life at the 16:00. Mike Wehrstedt blasted a slapshot that rocketed over the Lancers'crossbar. Lakehead kept up the pressure around the Windsor goal and the Lancers drew a minor. However, the Thunderwolves couldn't capitalize on their chance. Shots were 8 each in the first.
Windsor opened the scoring at 1:11 of the second period when Kyle Trudell beat Whitley from the front of the net, assisted by Michael McIlveen. Lakehead Captain Joel Scherban then stormed up the right side and fired a hard low shot that trickled between Kalleitner's legs and Scherban followed through on the trickling puck and whacked it in at 1:53. The assist went to Chris Shaffer. Lakehead's Whitley came up with a good stop off Windsor's B.J. Gaylord at the 6:00 mark. The 'Wolves' line of Wehrstedt, Robinson, and Lange then put on some concentrated effort and had some good scoring opportunities. The action picked up and Windsor's Gaylord was robbed by Whitley who reached out his glove arm to block a sure goal. Lakehead went back up the ice and Erik Lodge fired a shot that was stopped nicely by Kalleitner. Windsor then had the edge in play for about three minutes but it was the hard work of Lakehead's Sean Stefanski that set up the next goal. Stefanski twice hustled to keep the puck in the Windsor end, then raced behind the Lancer goal and fired the puck out to Dene Poulin in the slot who fired it home at 12:28. The other assist went to Murray Magill. Lakehead's Scherban then dove on a loose puck and banged in his second of the game at 12:57, assisted by Jeff Richards. Both teams fired hard shots over each others' goals and then Kalleitner made a big stop off Jeff Richards and Murray Magill couldn't control the puck to knock it in the empty net. Lakehead outshot Windsor 14-11 in the second.
Lakehead came out very fast in the third, pinning the Lancers in their end. Joel Scherban came close when he blasted a hard shot over the Lancers' goal. The 'Wolves kept up the pressure, directing a steady stream of shots at the Lancers' Kalleitner. Windsor went on the powerplay and came close on two occasions but couldn't connect. Lakehead then had a great chance when Tobias Whelan broke in alone but Kalleitner did a diving poke check to prevent a goal. Windsor then took the puck back and Windsor's Kody Mintenko blasted a point shot that Lakehead's Whitley deflected over the goal with his shoulder. Kalleitner made two great saves near the end of the period including an excellent pad save off Murray Magill. Windsor pulled their goalie but it was Lakehead who put on the pressure and Mike Self put the game away with an empty net goal at 19:52, assisted by Tobias Whelan. Shots on goal were 11-8 Lakehead in the third and 33-27 for the game.
The Molson Three Stars, as chosen by Dave Trifunov of the Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal, were:
1)Lakehead: Joel Sc