THUNDER BAY – Rookie goaltender Christian Cicigoi did just about all he could to keep the visiting Guelph Gryphons at bay.
But ultimately the Gryphons, winners of two of the past seven University Cup championships, proved a little too powerful for a Lakehead Thunderwolves team still coming down off the high of defeating six-time NCAA champion Wisconsin last weekend.
Nolan DeGurse scored twice for Guelph, the opening goal at 4:45 of the first and the final tally of the night into the empty net with 1:19 to go in regulation as the Gryphons skated off with a 5-2 win, out-shooting the host Thunderwoves 39-18 in the second-to-last non-conference game for both teams.
“I don’t know, we didn’t really love our game,” said T-Wolves coach Andrew Wilkins, his team set to open the OUA regular season on the road next weekend against Windsor.
“I thought Guelph was better in a lot of areas. I thought our goalie played really good. I thought Christian had a great home debut. I think we had our chances, but we just weren’t hard enough on pucks. I thought we were a little sloppy.”
The game’s first goal came less than five minutes in, a case of DeGurse being at the right place at the right time, the puck plopping down in front of him just outside the crease.
He reacted quickly and slid it past DeGurse for the only goal of the period.
Lakehead’s Joe Mack tied things up less than two minutes into the second, taking a rapid-fire shot from the faceoff circle that Gryphons goaltender Colton Incze couldn’t handle.
It proved to be a small blip on the Guelph radar.
The Wolves got into penalty trouble a few minutes later, and with two players in the box, and just two seconds left on the first penalty, Nathan Allensen returned the Gryphons to the lead, redirecting Griffin Wilson’s shot past Cicigoi.
Guelph doubled their lead at the 12:37 mark of the second when defenceman Cole Cameron blasted a high shot that clanged the crossbar and fell behind the LU netminder.
It was one goal too many, so it proved.
Lakehead’s Griffen Fox turned and one-time a wrist shot top shelf on Brendan Cregan, who took over in net midway through the game, the Guelph coaching staff wanting to get a good look at both goaltenders before the games start counting in the standings.
The goal came with LU’s Spencer Blackwell in the box.
Luke Kutkevicius restored the visitor’s two-goal lead with a high, short-side shot on Cicigoi, and put it away with less than two minutes to play with the LU net empty.
“That’s just the way it goes against a good team,” Wilkins said.
“We’ve got to be better than that.”
Lakehead outplayed the Gryphons in the third, but only managed three shots on net, finishing with just 18 on the night.
Lakehead and Guelph will lace them up again on Saturday night at the Gardens. Game time is 7 p.m.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Guelph, DeGurse (Allensen, Ham) 4:45. Penalties: Ham GUE (head contact, misconduct) 8:01, Reesor GUE (cross checking) 15:26.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 2. Lakehead, Mack (Blackwell, Wojciechowski) 1:53. 3. Guelph, Allensen (Ham, Tabak) 5:47 pp. 4. Guelph, Cameron (Gordon, Wilson) 12:37. 5. Lakehead, G. Fox (Van Den Hurk, Gervais) 16:59 sh. Penalties: Auger LAK (holding) 3:49, Fortin LAK (slashing) 4:59, Winterton GUE (roughing) 6:51, Bignell GUE (cross checking) 14:51, Blackwell LAK (slashing) 16:10, Ham GUE (unsportsmanlike conduct) 18:18.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 6. Guelph, Kutevicius (Tabak) 17:17. 6. Guelph, DeGurse (Cameron) 18:41 en. Penalties: Poirier GUE (holding) 15:06.
GAME DATA – SOG – Guelph 14-14-11-39, Lakehead 5-10-3-18; Power plays (goals-chances) – Guelph (1-2), Lakehead (0-6); Goaltenders – Guelph: Colton Incze (22 shots, 21 saves), Brendan Cregan (9:34, second), Lakehead: Christian Cicigoi; A: 1,555.
