THUNDER BAY – A strong start to the season has taken a wrong turn of late for the Lakehead Thunderwolves.
The men’s hockey team twice lost the lead on Friday night and couldn’t find the equalizer in the second or third, generating just nine official shots on net in the final 40 minutes, and were edged out 3-2 by the Brock Badgers (6-2-0) in front of 2,080 at Fort William Gardens.
It was the fifth straight loss for the Thunderwolves (4-4-2), including the third straight on home ice.
“Yeah, it’s been a tough five games. There was only one I can think of that we were really out of it. The boys are working hard, but it’s just the bounces right now. Once we get one win, I think we’ll be right back on track and we’ll be moving forward again,” said second-year forward Spencer Blackwell, whose shorthanded hustle led to the game’s first goal in the opening period.
Blackwell out-hustled Brock defenceman Cole Thiessen for a loose puck at centre ice, fended off his third-year opponent and managed to get a shot off against Badgers goaltender Andy MacLean. The puck didn’t go in, but bounced out to a trailing Griffen Fox who ripped it into the net for a 1-0 LU lead.
“Me and Griff were killing (penalties) all night and I thought we did a good job. We got a good out there and I just had more speed than (Thiessen) and Griffen just finished it up,” Blackwell said.
“It worked out pretty well.”
Blackwell also rang one off the post on his next shift out.
Lakehead coach Andrew Wilkins said he made some changes to special teams, after giving up six power-play goals to Toronto Metropolitan last weekend, it seemed to pay off.
The T-Wolves also scored a power play goal, Josh Van Unen netting his fifth of the season at 11:43 of the first, putting Lakehead in front 2-1 at the time.
“I thought for the most part it was pretty good, a couple of big kills to start the third. Unfortunately, when you’re doing that, some guys don’t touch the ice for a few minutes, so it’s a little tough. The one PK goal in the first I thought was a bit of tough bounce. We were in our spots and the shooter got the puck. But we got a power play goal in the first,” Wilkins said.
“We’ll just continue to work and get points.”
Thiessen more than made up for his miscue on the opening goal, evening the score 1-1on the power play at the 8:17 mark of the first.
He got the game-winner with 6:39 in the second, firing a low slap shot along the ice that eluded goaltender Christian Cicigoi, after rookie forward Keighan Gerrie turned the puck over in the Thunderwolves zone.
Tyler Rollo had the Badgers other goal, tying the game a second time in the first, less than two minutes after the Wolves went ahead 2-1.
“We just struggled to get to the interior in the offensive zone, for sure,” Wilkins said.
The two teams will complete their two-game set on Saturday night at the Gardens. Puck drop is 7 p.m.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Lakehead, G. Fox (Blackwell) 4:12 sh. 2. Brock, Thiessen (Tymkin) 8:17 pp. 3. Lakehead, Van Unen (Mack, Van Den Hurk) 11:43 pp. 4. Brock, Rollo (Melancon, Roach) 13:21. Penalties: Badalamenti LAK (hooking) 3:48, Ho LAK (goaltender interference) 6:24, Barnes BRO (interference) 10:17.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 5. Brock, Girhiny) 13:22. Penalties: Desroches BRO (cross checking) 10:58, Dempster LAK (high sticking) 18:12.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: None. Penalties: G. Fox LAK (holding) 0:32, Auger LAK (slashing) 2:41, Barnes BRO (interference) 10:20.
GAME DATA – SOG – Brock 13-15-6-34, Lakehead 14-5-4-23; Power plays (goals-chances) – Brock (1-4), Lakehead (1-3); Goaltenders – Brock: Andy MacLean, Lakehead: Christian Cicigoi; A: 2,080.
