THUNDER BAY – If the Lakehead Thunderwolves miss the OUA playoffs, they may look back to Friday’s night’s game against the Wilfred Laurier Golden Hawks as a big reason why.
The visiting Golden Hawks scored three unanswered third-period goals in exactly a five-minute span and rallied back to beat the Thunderwolves 4-2 at Fort William Gardens, capturing their third straight triumph.
Sam Rhodes, Thomas Lenart and Patrick Brown each lit the lamp for Laurier, Brown adding an empty netter for insurance in the final minute of regulation.
Every point matters said Brown, who spent two years with the Ontario Hockey League’s Brampton Battalion before joining the Golden Hawks in 2021.
“Every game is playoff mode right now,” the Orillia, Ont. native said. “Wins are huge and they’re hard to come by in this league and every one we get is another stepping stone.”
The top six teams in the OUA West make the playoffs, the sixth- and seventh-place teams paired up in a one-game play-in contest to decide the final postseason berth.
Lakehead, at 9-10-1, is currently in the No. 6 spot, tied with fifth-place Windsor, and one point up on seventh-place Guelph.
The Golden Hawks (7-11-2) are now just three points back, and gaining fast.
Lakehead coach Andrew Wilkins said his team has to perform better or could face an early end of their season, one that started with plenty of promise after the T-Wolves came within a win last season of a national championship tournament berth.
It’s a bit of a gut punch, he said.
“I thought in the second period we gave up too many chances. I thought (goaltender Max Wright) played great. We’ve got to be better in the stretch here. It was just unacceptable play, not good enough, not where it needs to be,” said Wilkins.
The two teams played a scoreless first, the Thunderwolves power-play unable to connect in three man-advantage situations.
The T-Wolves, averaging just three goals a game this season, struck first, defenceman Colin Van Den Hurk ripping a low shot that pinballed off the skates of Christian Propp, who made 33 stops on the night.
It was another blue-liner who doubled the LU lead, rookie Ed McNeil wiring one off the crossbar and behind Propp and Lakehead led 2-0 after 40 minutes, thanks largely to Wright. The Lakehead netminder stopped Rhodes, Eli Reimer and Conor Ali on a breakway, and Sullivan Sparkes ripped one off the post, all in the second period.
Lakehead clung to it’s two-goal lead through most of the first half of the third, but Rhodes finally solved Wright to cut the gap to one. Lenart broke free up the middle and slammed a high, hard shot into the twine, tying the game at 11:29. Three minutes and 13 seconds later, the Golden Hawks jumped in front for good, Brown spinning and firing a backhand shot that Wright couldn’t corral.
“My linemate made a great play in the corner, balanced the puck. We were able to go low to high. Declan Graham got a great shot on net, I was able to get a piece of it and found the back of the net,” Brown said.
Wilkins pulled Wright for the final 1:22, but the Wolves were unable to net the equalizer, dropping their second straight game to a sub-.500 team.
Lakehead and Laurier will tangle again on Saturday night at the Gardens. Puck drop is 7 p.m.
Claw marks: Laurier assistant coach Jerome Dupont was a first-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1980 NHL draft and went on to play 214 games with the Hawks and Toronto Maple Leafs.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: No scoring. Penalties: Blackwell LAK (slashing) 1:37, Sooklal WLU (interference) 10:36, Kilbourne WLU (holding) 13:59, Sooklal WLU (roughing) 18:16.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Lakehead, Van Den Hurk 6 (Fox) 7:47 pp. 2. Lakehead, McNeill 2 (Badalamenti, Williams) 14:22. Penalties: McNeill LAK (hooking) 3:29, Bench minor WLU (too many men, served by Petrie) 6:33, Petrie WLU (cross checking) 11:16, Gerrie LAK (high sticking) 17:37.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 3. Wilfred Laurier, Rhodes (Kilbourne) 9:42. 4. Wilfred Laurier, Lenart (Dodig, Kilmourne) 11:29. 5. Wilfred Laurier Brown (Graham. Kilbourne) 14:42. 6. Wilfred Laurier, Brown (unassisted) 19:42. Penalties: None
GAME DATA – SOG – Wilfred Laurier 10-15-14-39, Lakehead 13-9-7-29; Power plays (goals-chances) – Wilfred Laurier (0-3), Lakehead (1-5); Goaltenders – Wilfred Laurier: Christian Propp, Lakehead: Max Wright; A: 2,419.
