The Lakehead Thunderwolves can relax – but not for long.
Matt Caria had two goals and an assist, including what proved to be the winner with 4:01 to play in regulation, leading LU to a second-place clinching 4-2 win over the visiting Brock Badgers on Friday night.
Keith Grondin added a third-period marker and Trevor Gamache – on a feed from Caria – iced the win, scoring into the empty net with 8.9 seconds to play.
Caria said the players on both sides of the ice knew exactly what was on the line as they hit the Fort William Gardens ice.
The result was just what a struggling Thunderwolves team (18-9-0), losers of six of their last seven games, needed to jumpstart their playoff run.
"It was definitely important," Caria said. "We took this week of practice and we knew the stakes that were on the line. We just wanted to come execute our game. There were a couple of things we weren't happy with, but besides that we found a way to win, so it's a big step for us."
Defenceman Mike Quesnele, who picked up an assist on Caria's first period equalizer, a quick reaction on a rebound off the pad of Brock goalie Kurt Jory, said the Thunderwolves accomplished what they set out to do, with nothing left to play for but OUA West runner up.
"Second place guarantees home ice in the first two rounds of the playoffs, and that's huge. We play good at home as a team, so that's a big deal for us," said Quesnele, who has one more regular season game to play, a rematch against the Badgers on Saturday, before setting his eyes on the Guelph Gryphons, the team Lakehead will play starting Wednesday in the opening round of the playoffs.
Coach Joel Scherban, who's ridden the roller coaster with his players through the recent slump, said afterward he told his troops he was proud of what they accomplished, despite the way they've limped home down the stretch.
"I think that's only the second time in the last seven years we finished above third in the division, so it's a great accomplishment and we'll look to build on that in the postseason," Scherban said. "We definitely (wanted to clinch). I thought Brock played extremely well and they competed hard."
Caria, who returned last weekend after sitting out a two-game league-imposed suspension, scored for the second straight outing, said personal stats aren't really important at this stage of the season.
"It's nice getting goals, it's nice helping the teams, but the individual stuff I just try to put in the back of my head. But when you can help the team when you score, it's a good feeling," he said.
Help them he did.
After Thomas Stajan gave the Badgers the early 1-0 lead on the power play, Caria scored his eighth of the season with 1:02 to play in the first, knotting the score after 20 minutes.
The two sides failed to score in the second – the Badgers wouldn't score again on Alex Dupuis, even though they fired 40 shots on him over 60 minutes.
Jake Carrick appeared to score the go-ahead goal three minutes into the third, but the officials immediately waved it off, saying the LU rookie kicked it in.
It was the right call.
"I think everyone in the rink saw it was kicked in," Scherban said.
That didn't stop Carrick from trying and four minutes later, after Ryan Magill fired an open shot over the Badgers net, Carrick pushed the puck into a pack in front of Jory, where Grondin fired it home.
Caria scored what appeared to be insurance, but turned out to be the winner, with 4:01 to play in regulation. But with slightly more than two minutes to play in regulation, Jordan Gignac pulled Brock (13-13-1) within a goal. But with Jory on the bench for an extra attacker, Caria and Gamache found themselves in the Badgers zone and no one to stop them from firing home the empty netter than secured the win.
"It was a tough game, no question," said Brock coach Murray Nystrom, a native of Thunder Bay. "Our inability, particularly on the power play, to muster up anything offensively, really hurt us. In terms of the number of power plays, I don't think in this building we've ever had so many power plays in a game. Coming up here, you've got to make those count. We didn't."
Brock finished 2-9 on the power play, the Wolves 1-5.
Claw marks: Dupuis was sporting a new mask and pads for the Wolves ... Brock forward Andrew Boudreau is the son of Mighty Ducks of Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau ... Stajan, the Badgers opening goal scorer, is the cousin of Calgary Flames forward Matt Stajan.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Brock, Stajan (Abercrombie, Jones) 14:48 pp. 2. Lakehead, Caria (Quesnele, Fillman) 18:58 pp. Penalties: Christmas BRO (elbowing) 1:10. Anilane LAK (interference) 4:00; Gignac BRO (hooking) 4:11, Sagert LAK (high sticking) 11:29, Tanel BRO, Gamache LAK (unsportsmanlike conduct) 13:18, Quesnele LAK (cross checking) 13:43, Smeltzer BRO (holding) 17:19.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: No scoring. Penalties: Smeltzer BRO (cross checking), Gamache LAK (unsportsmanlike conduct) 1:50, Geldart BRO (unsportsmanlike conduct) 7:07, McDonald LAK (tripping) 8:33, Caria LAK (hooking) 11:27, Carrick LAK (slashing) 14:34, Abercrombie BRO (cross checking) 16:44, Sagert LAK (elbowing) 19:27.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 3. Lakehead, Grondin (Carrick, Wilkins) 7:42. 4. Lakehead, Caria (McDonald, Frazee) 15:59. 5. Brock, Gignac (unassisted) 17:54 pp. Penalties: Frazee LAK (hooking) 10:06, Jones BRO (roughing), Welsh LAK (slashing) 11:56, Wilkins LAK (cross checking) 16:26.
GAME DATA – SOG – Brock 9-19-12-40, Lakehead 11-8-10-29; Power plays (goals-chances) – Brock (2-9), Lakehead (1-5); Goaltenders – Brock: Kurt Jory, Lakehead: Alex Dupuis; A: 2,642.
