THUNDER BAY – The Lakhead Thunderwolves are still looking good for a bid at a third straight trip to the ACHA Division 2 women’s hockey championship.
A 2-1 loss on Saturday night to the visiting North Dakota State University Bisons didn’t help their chances
But the Wolves (12-5-0) managed to rebound on short rest on Sunday morning, riding Victoria Darosa’s first-period goal and the shutout goaltender Jessie Pettinger, pressed into emergency duty when starter Callie Bevilacqua went down to injury the night before, to pick up a 1-0 win and a weekend series split.
“Hopefully it doesn’t impact us too much. We’re sitting No. 2 in the nation right now. That loss last night doesn’t help things, but we have four more games to go until the end of the season and if we do as we should and win those four, I think we’ll stay ranked high enough to make it to nationals,” said LU coach Kate Clower.
Defensively, the team has been stellar all season long, allowing just 16 goals in 16 games. Normally the offensive side of things also take care of business. However, against the Bisons (10-9-1), the goal-scoring dried up, the Wolves managing just two goals in two outings.
It’s a bit concerning, Clower said, but nothing she’s going to lose sleep over.
“No, that wasn’t our best performance. We played a lot of games in Duluth a couple of weekends ago, so we tried to make things a little bit lighter at practice, but I think moving forward we can’t take any time off and from here on out it’s going to be hard work and it’ll come. I think we’re good,” Clower said.
Thunderwolves captain Kalie Verheyen, one of just five players back from last year’s team that lost out in the ACHL Division 2 championship, said it was important for the Wolves as a team to get back into the win column as quickly as possible at their home rink, Port Arthur Arena.
“Definitely it wasn’t our best game, either of the two games this weekend, but we did what we had to do today to get the win,” Verheyen said.
The team takes pride in its defence, said Verheyen, who was also a member of the 2018 national championship Thunderwolves squad.
“Our best foot forward is definitely our defence. We can score, we just seem to have trouble with it sometimes. Our defence and defensive play is definitely our strong suit,” she said.
Darosa’s goal, the lone tally of the contest, came on the power play with 5:06 to go in the opening period, a low shot from the left faceoff circle that slid through the skates of Bisons goaltender Brooklyn Myrvik.
The two teams each had chances in the second, but neither could find the back of the net. Lakehead’s Grace Young missed on a deflection with 6:27 to go in the period and North Dakota State’s Logyn Cone on a shot from the slot that Pettinger smothered.
Lakehead’s Mackenzie Lehto was stopped on a point-blank shot off a pass from Verheyen from behind the North Dakota net, the Wolves on yet another power play, while Emma Arstein had back-to-back chances with two minutes to go to tie it up, only to have Pettinger stand strong.
“She was definitely kicking today,” Clower said.
The Thunderwolves travel to Sault College for a pair next weekend and wrap up regular-season play on Feb. 29 and March 1 on the road against Rainy River Community College.
