THUNDER BAY – Ross Krieger had extra incentive to end Friday night’s overtime battle at Fort William Gardens.
His Toronto Varsity Blues facing elimination in Game 2 of their OUA West semifinal series against the ready-to-move-on Lakehead Thunderwolves, the 25-year was also facing his final university hockey game, ready to hang up his skates after three years with the team.
He scored once in the second to tie the game 1-1, but saved his best for last, stuffing the puck past LU goaltender Christian Cicigoi with 48.3 seconds left in the first overtime period to keep Toronto’s championship hopes alive with a 3-2 triumph in front of a sold-out crowd of 3,609 – the largest hockey crowd at the Gardens in 13 years.
“We know that’s a really good team out there so we knew we had to come out strong in overtime. It’s hard to put a team away when their backs are up against the wall. We just thought it was important to come out strong the first five minutes and luckily we were able to finish it off at the end, there,” Krieger said.
The winning goal was almost a matter-of-fact tally, surprising not only Cicigoi, who was battered with 15 shots in the extra frame, nearly double the eight the Thunderwolves managed to direct Jett Alexander’s way at the other end of the rink.
“It was kind of a nothing play. I dumped it in, got a lucky bounce. (Peyton Reeves) kind of whacked it out front and I took another whack at it and it went in. Honestly, I don’t how it went in,” Krieger said.
The Thunderwolves, who won Wednesday’s opener 5-3 in Toronto, looked overmatched in the overtime, unable to create great scoring chances, at least not at the pace of the Varsity Blues and their offensive attack.
“I think they were just a little more desperate that we were. Their backs were against the wall. It was a must-win game for them and I think it showed a little bit out there. We didn’t want it enough, I think, and that was kind of the deciding factor,” said captain Tyler Jette.
“We played well, just not good enough.”
The two teams played a scoreless first, Keighan Gerrie failing to complete a 3-on-1 early in the period and Troy Williams later saving Cicigoi from surrendering the game’s first goal, clearing a loose puck from behind the LU goalie, a horde of Toronto players swirling in the vicinity.
Greg Smith finally broke through for the Thunderwolves at 12:53 of the first, LU on the power play. The lead didn’t survive the period. Geoff Dempster was called for roughing and Toronto’s Owen Robinson took it off the halfway, skated to the hash marks and fired into the Thunderwolves net.
Krieger picked the top corner on Cicigoi at the 2:44 mark of the third to give Toronto a 2-1 lead, but Noah Massie sent the game to overtime with an incredible burst of speed, finishing it off with a high hard backhand that had to much juice for Alexander to handle.
Game 3 goes Saturday night at 7 p.m. Season ticket holders have until 5 p.m. to buy their tickets before they’re released to the general public. Tickets are also available online and at the Gardens box office on Saturday.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: None. Penalties: Potts TOR (boarding) 8:43.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Lakehead, Smith (G. Fox, Jette) 12:53 pp. 2. Toronto, Robinson (Purboo, Moskal) 14:45. Penalties: Smith LAK (interference) 10:17, Serensits TOR (interference) 11:10, Dempster LAK (roughing) 14:11.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 3. Toronto, Krieger (unassisted) 2:44. 4. Lakehead, N. Massie 1 (Pouliot, Van Unen) 13:46. Penalties: None.
OVERTIME
Scoring: 5. Toronto, Krieger (Reeves) 19:11. Penalties: None
GAME DATA – SOG – Toronto 8-10-9-15-42, Lakehead 12-12-11-8-43; Power plays (goals-chances) – Toronto (1-2), Lakehead (1-2); Goaltenders – Toronto: Jett Alexander, Lakehead: Christian Cicigoi; A: 3,609 (sell-out).
