THUNDER BAY -- If missed chances were nickels, the Lakehead Thunderwolves would have a pocketful of change to jangle around on Saturday night.
Instead next weekend they’ll still be seeking their first win of the pre-season after dropping a 5-4 decision to the visiting Lethbridge Pronghorns at Fort William Gardens, their Canada West opponent skating away with the two-game sweep.
The bounces just didn’t go the Thunderwolves way in the third, the team mounting attack after attack on Pronghorns goalie Garret Hughson as time dwindled away.
“The pucks seem to keep bouncing over us, but that was only our second game. A lot of these guys haven’t played since last February, so it’s going to come,” said forward Zach Whitlock, the rookie from New Brunswick who buried his first goal of his university hockey career in the with 40 seconds to go in regulation, the final goal of the contest.
“I think the more we play as a team, the more we’re going to get chemistry. You can see good out there right now and we’ve only had two games together. I think it’s going to come for us.”
Lakehead coach Bill McDonald said the breaks won’t always go his team’s way. Saturday night was ust one of those nights, he said.
“It sucks when you lose, but there were a lot of good things that we saw out there today,” he said.
McDonald, who still plans to cut two or three more players before the start of OUA play, had plenty of praise for his first-year class, singling out Whitlock, Red Rock’s Evan Mignault and walk-on Grant Valiquette, one of the players battling for those final few spots.
Mignault stuffed home his first Wolves goal on the power play in the first, the goal giving Lakehead a 2-0 lead at 13:38.
Fellow freshman Patrick Murphy also potted his first career goal, opening the scoring 8:29 after the opening faceoff.
“We played better as a team,” McDonald said. “I watched a little bit of the clip last night and I didn’t think we were moving our feet. We definitely moved our feet tonight.”
Devin Green started in nets for LU for the second straight night and allowed four goals on 36 shots. The first came with the Wolves a man down, Justin Valentino pushing it past the goal line – although the red light failed to ignite, the referee signalled goal with 3:13 to play in the first.
Spenser Jensen evened things up just 21 seconds later and the teams hit the break tied 2-2. Ryan Chynoweth broke the deadlock at 15:40 of the second, 10 seconds after Lakehead’s Carson Dubchak rang one off the crossbar.
Dylan Butler responded with the equalizer on the power play early in the third, but after an LU goal was disallowed for a dislodged net, Mitch Maxwell batted the go-ahead goal as the final stanza neared the midway point.
Torrin White added an empty netter with 1:14 to go.
After Whitlock closed the gap again to one, Lakehead’s Austin McDonald had one last chance to tie the game, but the puck bounced off Hughson’s pad as time ran out.
Claw marks: McDonald confirmed forward Jake Wright has left the team, after scoring 12 goals over his first two seasons … The Thunderwolves are still awaiting word on the severity of Billy Jenkins’ injured ankle. He’s doubtful to play at home next weekend against Manitoba … Forward Cody Alcock, out since January with a knee injury, may play in one of the two non-conference games.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Lakehead, Murphy (Whitlock, Valiquette) 8:29. 2. Lakehead, Mignault (B. Dubchak) 13:38 pp. 3. Lethbridge, Valentino (Moser, Orban) 16:47 pp. 4. Lethbridge, Jensen (Nikkel) 17:08. Penalties: Alexander LAK (interference) 9:23, White LTH (cross checking) 11:07, Campbell LTH (holding) 13:16, Ringuette LAK (high sticking) 15:09, Orban LTH (holding) 17:21, Green LAK (delay of game, served by Butler) 17:36,
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 5. Lethbridge, Chynoweth (Hansen, Kalashnikov) 15:40. Penalties: Hansen LTH (tripping) 4:18, Sward LTH (goaltender interference), Murphy LAK (roughing after the whistle) 5:05.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 6. Lakehead, Butler (Sefton, Ainsworth) 2:15 pp. 7. Lethbridge, Maxwell (White) 8:42. 8. Lethbridge, White (Maxwell, Merkley) 18:46. 9. Lakehead, Whitlock, (Valiquette, Anton) 19:20. Penalties: Campbell LTH (slashing) 1:57, Clowes LTH (boarding) 5:45,
GAME DATA – SOG – Lethbridge: 15-13-9-37, Lakehead 12-13-11-36; Power plays (goals-chances) – Lethbridge (1-3), Lakehead (2-6); Goaltenders – Lethbridge: Garret Hughson, Lakehead: Devin Green; A: 2,070.
