THUNDER BAY – Goals have been at a premium for the Lakehead Thunderwolves this season.
At this point, they’ll take them anywhere they can find them.
On Saturday night, it was the blue-line’s turn to contribute.
Jayden Wojchiechowski scored a go-ahead goal in the third period on an Al MacInnis-like shot from just inside the zone, and when that lead didn’t stand, Colin Van Den Hurk scored the overtime clincher, his second game-winning goal in three outings, to lead the Wolves past the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Ridgebacks 4-3 in front of 3,315 fans at Fort William Gardens.
Van Den Hurk’s goal came on the power play, the Wolves with a 4-on-3 advantage in the extra frame, which starts with three skaters aside.
Both teams had plenty of chances in overtime.
Olivier Pouliot hit the crossbar earlier in the period, and UOIT’s Evan White and Alex Drover each had some quality one-on-one time with Lakehead goaltender Christian Cicigoi, who stood tall on a pair of point-blank backhand chances.
Van Den Hurk said they talked about what to do when Cullen McLean was assessed a tripping minor in the final minute of overtime, and the plan worked to perfection.
“We were not going to rush things, but just make sure we got one good shot off. Ed (McNeill) just dragged it across the top and I said I just had to hit this thing as hard as I can and it went in the net,” Van Den Hurk said.
The Wolves, who only tallied nine times in their first four outings, will take goals wherever they can, and if that means the defencemen have to step up, so be it, he added.
“It’s huge for depth scoring and good for our team. We’re hard to beat when we have depth scoring like that. Hopefully we can continue that next week in Toronto.”
Wojchiechowski’s goal was extra special. Not only did it give the Thunderwolves a 3-2 lead midway through the third, it also happened to be just his second in an LU uniform and first since 2021-22, after going all of last season without putting the puck in the net.
Just don’t ask him who MacInnis is.
“I don’t know who that is,” he said, the 24-year-old just five when the hall-of-fame defender with the hardest shot in the game retired from the National Hockey League.
Getting the two points is all that mattered.
“Obviously every game is important,” Wojchiechowski said. “To have just one game this weekend, it was nice to win that one and get some rest this week to be ready for Toronto next weekend.”
Lakehead opened the scoring 5:19 into the first, Griffin Fox notching his second of the season, beating Ontario Tech goaltender William Desmarais.
Seventy-seven seconds later the game was tied again. Ridgebacks forward Sean Ross banged the puck past Cicigoi, who made 30 saves on the night. The two sides remained tied until late in the second, when James White roofed a high, hard shot just under the crossbar with 8.9 seconds left on the clock, giving UOIT a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes.
Opportunist Joe Mack spotted a loose puck in the faceoff circle to Desmarais’ left, pounced on the puck and caught the UOIT goaltender in a bad spot, tying the game 2-2. Wojciechowski made it 3-2 50 seconds later, but less than four minutes later, White scored his second of the night on a low shot through traffic to send the game to overtime.
“It was obviously a huge win,” said LU coach Andrew Wilkins. “We’re keeping track of the scores for sure. Every game is big in a 28-game season. I don’t think we want to get too far ahead of it.
The lack of offence is concerning, but not alarming at this point.
“We have talked about it with out players and I think it’s sticking to fundamentals of hockey, winning your battles and being aggressive in front of the net,” Wilkins said.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Lakehead, Fox (unassisted) 5:19 pp. 2. Ontario Tech, Ross (White) 6:36. Penalties: Bench minor ONT (too many men) 4:18.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 3. Ontario Tech, J. White (Michaud, Bernier) 19:51. Penalties: Lanthier ONT (roughing), Calisti ONT (roughing), Van Den Hurk LAK (roughing), Pouliot LAK (roughing). 11:19, White ONT (interference) 11:45, Jakovljevic ONT (tripping) 16:26, Hurley ONT, Jakovljevic ONT (roughing), Blackwell LAK (roughing), Jette LAK (roughing) 20:00.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 4. Lakehead, Mack (unassisted) 9:19. 5. Lakehead, Wojciechowski (Ho) 10:09. 6. Ontario Tech, J. White (unassisted) 13:48 pp. Penalties: Lanthier ONT (roughing) 6:49, D. Massie LAK (holding) 8:00, D. Massie LAK (roughing), Michaud ONT (roughing) 14:34.
OVERTIME
Scoring: 7. Lakehead, Van Den Hurk (McNeill) 6:30 pp. Penalties: McLean ONT (tripping) 6:12.
GAME DATA – SOG – Ontario Tech 10-11-6-6-33, Lakehead 14-9-9-5-37; Power plays (goals-chances) – Ontario Tech (1-1), Lakehead (2-4); Goaltenders – Ontario Tech: William Desmarais, Lakehead: Christian Cicigoi; A: 3,315.
