THUNDER BAY – Having a quick answer could be key for the Lakehead Thunderwolves when the second half of the OUA men’s hockey season arrives next weekend.
Twice on Thursday night, during a non-conference affair against the visiting Windsor Lancers at Fort William Gardens, the Thunderwolves responded less than a minute after their opponent scored, ripping away any momentum the No.1 team in the OUA West and seventh-ranked team in the nation might have gained.
Kevin Stiles was first to silence the Lancers, cutting inside after taking a long feed and stuffing it past Windsor goalie Dakota Lund-Cornish, just 11 seconds after Brady Pataki had evened the game just 3:11 into the middle stanza.
Down 3-1, thanks to a Ben Badalamenti goal that restored LU’s two-goal lead, Grant Spence finished a rare two-man, shorthanded breakaway, beating Thunderwolves goaltender Christian Cicigoi – who split time with Max Wright in net – making it 3-2 with 2:38 to go in the second.
Undaunted, the Thunderwolves responded just 33 seconds later, while still on the man advantage, rookie Jeff Van Unen making it 4-2. Windsor would cut into the lead once more before the period ended, but the T-Wolves closed strong, scoring two unanswered in the third to double up the Lancers 6-3.
While the game doesn’t count in the standings, it’s a great confidence booster, said Badalamenti, who also had a helper and had two goals and seven points in 13 regular-season appearances.
“Obviously we want to get these two games under our belt as we head into the regular season and do some more damage,” said the 22-year-old Detroit native.
“There’s definitely not as much hype, I guess, but you still want to come out every night and compete. They all matter.”
His coach, Andrew Wilkins, said there was a lot to like about the Lakehead performance – albeit it was far from perfect.
“I thought the game itself wasn’t a spirited game, really, but I thought we controlled what we wanted. There were a couple of lulls in the second, there, but we’ve been off for a while and these games are very important,” Wilkins said.
Second-year forward Tyler Ho had the lone goal of the opening period, burying a wide-open Spencer Blackwell rebound that Lund-Cornish had no chance to stop, the goal coming at the 12:19 mark.
Pataki and Stiles traded goals early in the second, as did Spence and Van Unen later in the period, but the Wolves weren’t able to put it away just yet, as Anthony Stefano solved Cicigoi with 57 seconds left in the period to make it 4-3 for LU.
The break did the Thunderwolves well, as they rediscovered their defensive game, biding time until the offense struck again, which it did late in the third.
Joe Mack gave the home side a little more breathing room – and a 5-3 advantage – connecting on the power play with just over five minutes to go in regulation, and Kyle Auger lifted the puck the length of the ice and into the empty Windsor net with 37 seconds left to secure the win.
Wright, who left after Badalamenti’s goal at 11:22 of the second, made 19 saves on 20 shots, while Cicigoi cleaned up, good on 11 of 13. Lund-Cornish faced 32 shots and stopped 27.
Lakehead and Windsor tangle again on Friday night. The Thunderwolves open the post-Christmas portion of their schedule at home on Jan. 6 against Toronto, the fist of a two-game set.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Lakehead, Ho (Blackwell) 12:19. Penalties: Chudley WSR (hooking) 6:08, Gardner WSR (head contact, misconduct) 7:35.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 2. Windsor Pataki () 3:41. 3. Lakehead, Stiles (Smith, Badalamenti) 3:52. 4. Lakehead, Badalmaenti (Van Den Hurk, Smith) 11:22. 5. Windsor, Spence (McNamaara) 17:22 sh. 6. Lakehead, Van Unen (unassisted) 17:55 pp. 7. Windsor, Stefano (Olson, Burt) 19:03. Penalties: Whittaker LAK (interference) 4:20, Fortin LAK (boarding) 7:02, Chudley WSR (interference) 16:11.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 8. Lakehead Mack (Van Unen) 14:52 pp. 9. Lakehead, Auger (unassisted) 19:23 en. Penalties: Gardiner WSR (slashing) 2:02, Kohn WSR (high sticking) 13:59.
GAME DATA – SOG – Windsor 7-18-7-32, Lakehead 14-7-12-33; Power plays (goals-chances) – Windsor (0-2), Lakehead (2-5); Goaltenders – Windsor: Dakota Lund-Cornish, Lakehead: Max Wright (20 shots, 19 saves), Christian Cicigoi (11:22, second); A: 1,931.
