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Lakehead comes up short against No. 5 Ryerson

Wolves suffer fifth loss in the team's past six games.
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Thunderwolves forward Jordan King tries to shovel the puck past Ryerson goalie Taylor Dupuis. (James Mirabelli photograph)

THUNDER BAY – Since entering the national rankings for the first time in four years, the Lakehead Thunderwolves have been trending in the wrong direction.

Having dropped four of five coming into this weekend, facing off against the division leading Ryerson Rams looks to be serving as a recipe for more of the same.

Matt Mistele provided a pair of goals to pace No. 5 Ryerson to a 5-3 win over the Thunderwolves at the Fort William Gardens on Friday night.

Lakehead senior blueliner Dillon Donnelly, the squad’s captain, said answers on how to right the ship have to come from within.

“There’s no concern. It’s just a matter of coming to the rink and getting out of it,” Donnelly said. “We’re the ones who dig ourselves a hole and we have to dig ourselves out.”

The contest did not get off to a favourable start for the home side, with the Rams opening the scoring less than two minutes in when Gregory Di Tomaso fired a shorthanded shot that beat Lakehead goalie Nic Renyard.

The visitors doubled their advantage just past the five-minute mark with a Mistele one-timer.

The Thunderwolves, who had been buzzing around the Ryerson net, got one back before the end of the period from Czech freshman Tomas Soustal, who tried to get the crowd fired up after scoring.

After killing off a four-minute power play from Soustal taking a pair of slashing penalties, Lakehead got an equalizer from Sam Schutt to draw even in the middle frame.

That deadlock lasted for less than two minutes before Mistele restored the Ryerson lead, finding the back of the net just six seconds into a Rams power play.

The Rams added insurance in the third, first when John Carpino eluded Renyard just 34 seconds into the period. The backbreaker came off the stick of Mathew Santos shortly after the 10-minute mark.

Lakehead came up empty with the man advantage throughout the contest, including a four-minute power play late in the third.

Wilkins admitted the power plays were missed opportunities, and said it’s been a struggle.

“It was tough. They were retrieving pucks when we should have been there. We didn’t get many scoring opportunities at all,” Wilkins said.

“I think it comes down to work ethic along with execution. We’ll look at the game and make some adjustments.”

The blackout on the power play has accompanied the team’s recent skid.

“I think it’s been pretty much since we started losing that it’s gone a bit downhill,” Donnelly said. “It’s not just on the power play guys. On the penalty kill we gave up one (Friday). Everybody has to be better. It’s not just our power play, but if your power play can get going and score us a goal or two it will definitely relieve a bit of pressure.”

Cooper Leitch added a late tally to Lakehead some hope but Rams netminder Taylor Dupuis, who stopped 24 shots, didn’t let the home side claw any closer.

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