Jeff Bosch wants to go out on a high note.
The fifth-year goaltender will have one more chance to salute the Fort William Gardens crowd, his five-year university hockey career about to come to a close with one last outing Saturday night against the visiting Wilfred Laurier Golden Hawks.
The Martensville, Sask. native stood tall Friday night in his second-to-last appearance for the Lakehead Thunderwolves, but a pair of second-period tallies by the Golden Hawks spoiled the storyline, LU falling 2-1, despite 31 saves from the oft-injured Bosch.
“It’s kind of a unique situation, where I’ve never really been in it before, where I know the end date of the season and the career,” said an emotional Bosch. “It was tough, but I’m just going go out there tomorrow and there’s 60 minutes left and just do what I’ve done here for five years and just work hard and give a good honest effort tomorrow.”
The reality of his numbered days at Lakehead started to sink in on Thursday night, he said, adding he’s tried his best to keep his mind off the situation.
“After our last practice for the last weekend, it just kind of set in that next week you don’t have any of that to worry about. It definitely set in on Thursday night. It’s been a tough week for myself and the other fourth-year and fifth-year guys.”
Bosch, captain Luke Maw and fourth-year forwards Kelin Ainsworth and Carson Dubchak will be honoured before Saturday night’s season finale.
Neither Ainsworth nor Dubchak is expected back for a fifth year in 2016-17.
Bosch wants to win the last one, not just for personal reasons, but to send the team into the offseason on a winning note, to help them forget about missing the OUA playoffs for the first time in the team’s 15-year history.
“Absolutely, some momentum for next year is definitely important. I know they’re two big points for Laurier. We know what the standings are. We know the situation we’re in, so we’re going to come out tomorrow and work as hard as we possibly can and at the very least thank our fans for the support this year and hopefully get a win for them,” Bosch said.
It was his counterpart, Laurier goalie Colin Furlong, who stole the show.
The sophomore from Cambridge, Ont. made 32 saves, but stood on his head in the third, the Wolves desperately trying to net the equalizer.
And it’s not like they didn’t have opportunities.
Furlong robbed Ainsworth on the power play early in the final stanza, somehow preventing a one-timer from in close from finding the back of the net. It was one of six power plays the Thunderwolves failed to score on.
“I think he was fighting the puck a little bit earlier with his rebounds and was able to find himself in the third period and made some key saves for us at the right time,” said Laurier coach Greg Puhalski, a Fort William native who once outscored hall-of-famer Brendan Shanahan in junior.
Jake Ringuette had another solid chance three minutes later, rifling a wrist shot that Furlong dove to stop.
The only puck that did get by him was Garick Gray’s carom off his pads 29 seconds into the second, the game’s first goal. Greg Cerelli tied it up at the 7:21 mark and Will Cook potted the winner on the power play at 11:36.
“I was kind of disappointed with our effort at times,” said Lakehead coach Bill McDonald. “I thought we were not bad in the beginning and I think in the third territorially we took it to them – and face facts, their goalie made some pretty good saves.”
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FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: None. Penalties: Cerilli WLU (slashing) 7:06, Pushka WLU (high sticking) 9:25, Clutsam WLU (boarding) 11:08, B. Dubchak LAK (high stickgin) 12:49, Cerilli WLU (hooking) 14:06.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Lakehead, Gray (Ainsworth, Sefton) 0:29. 2. Wilfred Laurier, Lopes (Mroczkowski, Cerilli) 7:21. 3. Wilfred Laurier, Cook (Braid, Tetley) 11:36 pp. Penalties: Bench minor LAK (too many men, served by Kunz) 9:42, Pushka WLU (roughing), C. Dubchak LAK (cross checking) 16:45.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: None. Penalties: Cook WLU (tripping) 5:03, Pushka WLU (cross checking) 11:28,
GAME DATA – SOG – Wilfred Laurier 9-17-7-33, Lakehead 8-12-13-33; Power play (goals-chances) – Wilfred Laurier (1-2), Lakehead (0-6); Goaltenders – Wilfred Laurier: Colin Furlong, Lakehead: Jeff Bosch; A: 1,918.
