THUNDER BAY – Through their first four preseason games, the Lakehead Thunderwolves are learning some valuable lessons.
Their newest lesson: don’t take an undisciplined penalty right as a game is about to head into overtime.
Dylan Fitze capitalized on an overtime powerplay, finding the back of the net and propelling the Laurentian Voyageurs to a 4-3 comeback victory over the Thunderwolves in non-conference play at the Fort William Gardens on Saturday afternoon.
That man advantage was created by a careless slash from senior forward and team alternate captain Carson Dubchak, who whacked a Laurentian player with his stick right as the third period horn sounded.
Count Lakehead bench boss Bill McDonald as one person not impressed by the play.
“I just don’t know what he was thinking and I don’t get it,” he said. “It was a 3-3 hockey game and we would be happy if we won in overtime like (Friday) but we’re not happy because he took what everybody knows is a bad penalty.”
The penalty and ensuing goal, which saddled rookie netminder Devin Green with his first loss, cost the Thunderwolves a chance to sweep their Northern Ontario rivals.
Despite falling short, McDonald said the contests were a good measuring stick for his squad, which also split their season-opening series last weekend against Manitoba.
“Over the weekend I thought there were real good signs. You can see the type of team we’re trying to build with lots of speed and passion to play,” McDonald said.
“Those were two hard fought games. It was good for us, to tell you the truth. That’s a really improved team over there for the past three years. They play hard and we played as hard as them but at the end it was obviously a dumb penalty that cost us the game.”
That goal gave Laurentian their first and only lead of the weekend, as the Voyageurs were left to constantly chase Lakehead.
For the second straight day the Thunderwolves opened the scoring in the first period just as a power play expired when freshmen forward Sam Schutt beat Laurentian goalie Charlie Millen from a bad angle.
This time Lakehead was able to double the lead in the second period, when the checking line of Dylan Butler, Trevor Hynnes and Matt Alexander struck as Butler finished a nice pass from Hynnes for a 2-0 edge.
But either the Voyaguers woke up or Lakehead became complacent, as the visitors scratched their way back into it shortly afterwards. Graham Yeo broke Green’s shutout bid when he pounced on a rebound.
After being outshot 13-7 in the first period, Laurentian turned the tables in the second by outshooting the Thunderwolves 17-13 in the middle frame.
“To me it was like two games. The first half of the game we were completely dominant,” McDonald said. “Towards the end of the second, I don’t know if we lost energy or focus but they seemed to come a little bit.”
Less than two minutes into the third Laurentian pulled even when Blake Forslund capitalized on an error by Green playing the puck behind his own net.
Jake Ringuette restored the Lakehead edge with a power play tally and his second of the weekend with less than nine minutes to play.
That lead held up until the final 60 seconds as Yeo netted his second of the contest, grabbing a loose puck in the slot and firing it past Green.
Claw marks: Attendance was announced at 1,740...Wolves defenceman Justin Sefton left the game after the first period with an undisclosed injury....Lakehead is now 6-1-1 all-time against the Voyageurs...Lakehead hits the road for a Sunday afternoon contest in Duluth against the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. That game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m...McDonald anticipates sophomore forward Jake Wright returning to practice on Thursday after missing the past month with a broken hand...The Wolves kickoff their OUA regular season campaign on Oct. 16 on the road against UQTR.
