THUNDER BAY – A nightmare start to the regular season continues for the Lakehead Thunderwolves as hopes of picking up an elusive first win in their seventh attempt ended in the back of their own net.
MacKenzie Kierstead scored the overtime winner 50 seconds into extra time as his harmless looking shot ricocheted off at least two bodies in front as the Nipssing Lakers shocked the Thunderwolves 4-3 in OUA regular season play at the Fort William Gardens on Friday night.
Even though the overtime defeat marks the first point of the campaign for Lakehead (0-6-1), the pill isn’t an easy one to swallow.
“That’s a terrible bounce our way. It’s definitely frustrating. It seems like the way things have been going,” senior forward Kelin Ainsworth said after the game.
Lakehead head coach Bill McDonald said his team’s play isn’t as bleak as the record would indicate.
But the continued losing is starting to take a toll in the locker room.
“The toughest part for me is mentally getting these guys up. It sucks,” McDonald said. “They’re going through a lot and it would be different, I could yell and scream and do it if there was no effort but there is effort and we had some pretty good moments all game.”
After a scoreless opening 20 minutes the Thunderwolves got on the board first as defenceman Lindon Springer fooled Lakers netminder Kirk Rafuse, emerging from behind the net to jam home a wraparound tally.
That lead only stood for about three minutes before Lakers forward Erik Robichaud capitalized on a failed clearing attempt, firing a shot past Green.
The two squads traded goals one more time in the second frame. Lakehead briefly restored the lead with a Jake Ringuette goal that found the back of the net off a defender’s skate, followed by the Lakers drawing even with a Colin Campbell marker.
The Thunderwolves pulled ahead once again in the third period with Jake Wright deflecting a Justin Sefton point shot for the power play goal.
Nipissing netted the equalizer with less than five minutes to play in the period when Brock Morrison pounced on a mistake by Green playing the puck behind the net, potting the puck into the empty net.
The Lakers took their first and only lead of the contest with the overtime goal, the third of the season for Kierstead.
The only thing the Thunderwolves can do is try to put the losses past them and keep searching for that first victory.
“The only way to overcome that stuff is to keep working hard and just eventually those bounces will come our way. It’s definitely a frustrating time but we have to battle through this,” Ainsworth said.
“This is where good teams are determined, when things aren’t going their way and how they’ll respond to it.”
Claw marks: The seven-game losing extends the longest drought in Lakehead program history…
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: None. Penalties: None.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Lakehead, Springer (Gray) 8:28; 2. Nipissing, Robichaud (Co. Campbell Thibodeau) 11:36; 3. Lakehead, Ringuette (Sefton, Schutt) 12:46; 4. Nipissing, Co. Campbell (Gleason, Thibodeau) 16:20. Penalties: Deon NIP (roughing), Gray LAK (roughing) 1:01; Naud NIP (interference), Alcock LAK (roughing) 12:17.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 5. Lakehead, Wright (Sefton, Ainsworth) pp. 4:33. 6. Nipissing, Morrison (Cr. Campbell) 15:03; Penalties: Alcock LAK (roughing) 0:28; McNeill NIP (tripping) 2:56; Keirstead NIP (boarding) 3:04; Sefton LAK (high-sticking) 9:11; Wren NIP (interference) 11:23; Schutt LAK (holding) 13:54.
OVERTIME
Scoring: 7. Nipissing, Kierstead (Naud) 0:50.
GAME DATA – SOG – Nipissing (9-12-15-1-37), Lakehead (11-16-6-0-33); Power plays (goals-chances) – Nipissing (1-3), Lakehead (1-2); Goaltenders – Nipissing: Kirk Rafuse (30 saves, 33 shots), Lakehead: Devin Green (33 saves, 37 shots); A: 2,118
