THUNDER BAY – The last-place Laurier Golden Hawks were bound and determined to leave Thunder Bay with at least one win.
Thanks to three unanswered goals in the third, they got it.
Connor Graham, Anthony Conti and Grayden Gottschalk were the difference makers at Fort William Gardens on Saturday night, after Lakehead battled back from two goals down to tie the game 3-3 after two periods.
Momentum is a mysterious mistress.
The Wolves seemed to have it after Tomas Soustal and Brendan Martin scored 12 minutes apart to
restart the game heading into period No. 3.
But it was the Golden Hawks that took advantage, making the most of some sloppy play by an opponent looking to hit the Christmas break on a winning note.
“I think they had all the momentum,” said Laurier coach Greg Puhalski, a third-round pick of the Boston Bruins in 1983, who was born and raised in the Lakehead.
“I think for us it was to just manage the puck, put the puck in good areas and don’t hurt yourselves. I think that’s what we did. We were up 3-1, two turnovers and two goals and it was a 3-3 game. We’ve got to do a better job and that was my message.”
Graham stripped the puck from a T-Wolves defender and fired it past goaltender Brock Aiken, making a second straight start with Nic Renyard sidelined with an undisclosed injury.
The Golden Hawks bought some insurance 73 seconds later when Conti stole the puck cut across in front of Aiken and out-waited the Lakehead goaltender, depositing the puck into the open net.
It was sloppy hockey, said Wolves captain Patrick Murphy.
“It was a couple of tough bounces. I know on one, I tried to block it and it hit me and went right in the slot to the guy,” Murphy said. “I think we’ve just got to weather the storm there. They’re a really good team. Their record doesn’t show the kind of team they are over there. I think they were desperate for a win tonight and came out and showed it.”
Matt McJamet and Conti staked Laurier to an early 2-0 lead in the first, but the Thunderwolves got one back late in the period, Murphy letting loose a shot from just inside the blue-line that eluded Golden Hawks goaltender Tyler Fassl.
Neil Aird scored for a second straight night five minutes into the second, but 50 seconds later Tomas Soustal responded, netting his eighth of the season, after Daniel Del Paggio stole the puck at his own blue-line, raced down the ice on a 2-on-1 and deposited the puck on Soustal’s stick at Fassl’s goal mouth.
Martin, who’d been held without a goal in 12 appearances, finally broke through with two minutes to go in the second.
“It’s obviously a relief getting the first one here. It definitely feels good. I’ve played around 13 games so far. It’s been a while, so it’s nice to have one,” said Martin, a 31-goal scorer with Steinbach of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League last season.
Aiken allowed five goals on 31 shots, while Fassl was good on 29 of the shots directed his way.
The Thunderwolves hit the Christmas break at 7-7-2, good for sixth in the OUA West. Laurier, at 4-9-2, is 10th.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Laurier, McJannet 3 (Herrfort, Batt) 4:25. 2. Laurier, Conti 6 (Dybowski, Pullara) 13:31. 3. Lakehead, Murphy 1 (Gall, King) 17:08. Penalties: MacLean LAU (cross checking) 15:14.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 4. Laurier, Aird 2 (Hanon) 5:09. 5. Lakehead, Soustal (Del Paggio) 5:59. 6. Lakehead, Martin 1 (King) 18:00. Penalties: Smith LAK (roughing) 1:45, Hetherington LAU (roughing) 19:00.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 7. Laurier, Graham 2 (unassisted), 6:28. 8. Laurier, Conti 7 (Herrfort, McJannet) 7:41. 9. Laurier, Gottschalk 2 (unassisted) 18:06 en. Penalties: None.
GAME DATA – SOG – Laurier 7-13-12-32, Lakehead 12-11-9-32; Power plays (goals-chances) – Laurier (0-1), Lakehead (1-2); Goaltenders – Laurier: Tyler Fassl, Lakehead: Brock Aiken; A: 2,079.
