THUNDER BAY – It was newcomers’ night at the Gardens.
First-year Thunderwolves forwards Justin Paul and Malte Hasselgren found the net for the first time in a Lakehead uniform and NCAA transfer netminder Carson Cherepak made 17 saves to earn his first triumph, leading LU to a 5-3 win over the visiting Toronto Varsity Blues, securing an opening weekend split on home ice.
The animated Hasselgren, a Swedish import who two year ago scored 20 goals playing two seasons ago in the North American Hockey League, scored what proved to be the winning tally, snagging the puck away from a Toronto player to send himself in alone on Varsity Blues goaltender Sebastian Resar.
“I just went for it and (Richard Whittaker) made a great play. I just tried to score, tried to light it up,” Hasselgren said of his third-period goal.
“It was amazing. You could probably see by my reaction. It was pretty fun and I was really happy about it.”
Paul, who spent four years south of the border at St. Lawrence University, scored midway through second period to give the T-Wolves a 3-1 lead, then added a crucial empty netter, firing the puck the length of the ice to crush Toronto’s comeback bid, having scored a power-play goal to close the gap to one a minute earlier.
“The crowd was electric tonight and helped us (win) that game,” said Paul, a Thunder Bay native who spent his junior years in the Ontario Junior Hockey League.
“The guys were playing hard tonight. It was a great pass by (Ben Badalementi). He set me up right in the middle of the slot. I just took the shot. It went in and it worked out well. It was a great night.”
It’s a good sign, seeing the first-year players step up, said acting coach Jeremy Adduono, filling in for a second straight night, coach Andrew Wilkins serving the second game of a two-game suspension incurred during last season’s playoffs.
For a second straight night, the Wolves struck first.
Just 1:19 in, Lakehead on an early power play, Pouliot took the puck in the slot and fired it past Resar.
Toronto’s Julian Recine, who kept the play alive in front of Cherepak, kept digging and it paid off when he spun and fired the puck past the first-year LU netminder, the goal coming at 7:26 of the opening period.
Unlike Friday, the T-Wolves had an answer – and it came quickly.
Dylan Massie snagged a pass in the right circle and let loose a high, hard snap shot that just found its way under the cross bar and Lakehead took the lead for good.
Recine added his second of the night at 12:50 of the second and Toronto ended the period on a lengthy two-man advantage that carried into the third, but were unable to pot the equalizer.
It was a turning point in the game, Adduono said.
“The penalty kill was huge. Obviously going down five-on-three, you’re in a tough spot there. But our killers did a good job and to be able to win tight games, you have to make big plays at big times,” Adduono said.
Zack Smith pulled the Varsity Blues within a goal at 18:12 of the third, tipping home Mark Cooper’s shot from the point, Toronto with a six-on-four power-play advantage, Resar on the bench for an extra attacker.
Claw marks: Blueliner Ed McNeill is no longer with the T-Wolves, the former Canadian Junior Hockey League defenceman of the year leaving after one season … Defenceman Noah Massie is sporting the ‘C’ for LU this year.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Lakehead, Pouliot 1 (Van Unen, Gerrie) 1:41 pp. 2. Toronto, Recine 2 (Woodhouse) 7:26. 3. Lakehead, D. Massie 1 (Paul, Badalamenti) 8:51. Penalties: Moskal TOR (interference) 0:27, L. Whittaker LAK (goaltender interference) 3:53, R. Whittaker LAK (hooking) 9:19, Stevens TOR (slashing) 12:44.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 4. Lakehead, Paul 1 (Porter, Badelementi) 9:33. 5. Toronto, Recine 3 (Robinson, Way) 12:50. Penalties: Serensits TOR (cross checking) 6:31, Van Unen LAK, Moskal TOR, (unsportsmanlike conduct, misconduct), Gerrie LAK, Reeves TOR (roughing) 8:10, Sharun TOR (hooking) 10:33, Gerrie LAK (cross checking) 18:19, R. Whitaker LAK (cross checking) 18:42.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 6. Lakehead, Hasselgren 1 (Blackwell, Murphy) 12:48. 7. Toronto, Smith (Cooper) 18:12 pp. 8. Lakehead, Paul 2 (unassisted) 19:10 en. Penalties: Wightman TOR (cross checking) 9:45, Gerrie LAK (roughing) 17:55.
GAME DATA – SOG – Toronto 9-7-7-23, Lakehead 10-14-15-39; Power plays (goals-chances) – Toronto (1-5), Lakehead (1-4); Goaltenders – Toronto: Sebastian Resar, Lakehead: Carson Cherepak; A: 1,984.
