THUNDER BAY – The Lakehead Thunderwolves’ stay in the national rankings will likely be a short one.
Three third period goals from the York Lions erased a Thunderwolves lead, leading to the visitors coming away with a 4-2 win at the Fort William Gardens on Saturday night to complete a weekend sweep over No. 10 Lakehead.
For the second straight night, Lakehead had a significant advantage in the shots on goal category but it did not translate into two points.
“I think we played pretty hard for 60 minutes. It was just a couple of mental lapses here and there,” Lakehead captain Dillon Donnelly said. “I don’t think it was an effort issue. I think it was just mental lapses we have to tighten up and get rid of. Teams capitalize in this league on their opportunities.”
The weekend’s results propel the Lions (7-2-1) past a Lakehead (7-4-0) squad that had been featured in the U Sports top-10 for the first team in four years in the tight OUA West race.
Thunderwolves head coach Andrew Wilkins said it was a tough loss after his team played well for the majority of the game.
“They have the pedigree of what it takes to win. I don’t think we’re there yet. I think we still have a long way to go,” Wilkins said.
“There are some things we did well but you have to play the full 60 minutes and it showed what happens if you don’t.”
Lakehead came out firing in the first period, outshooting the Lions 17-9 in the frame. Their best chance in the first came when defenceman Caleb Boman fired a rocket from just inside the blueline that was turned aside by York goalie Mack Shields, who finished the night with 43 saves.
York opened the scoring just 44 seconds into the middle stanza when forward Justin Maiolino beat Thunderwolves goalie Nic Renyard.
The Thunderwolves answered back midway through the period with a pretty passing play between linemates Daniel Del Paggio and Jordan Larson setting up Scott Gall, who finally solved Shields.
Lakehead grabbed their first lead of the contest nearly six minutes later while shorthanded when penalty killer Josh Laframboise picked Shields’ pocket behind the York net, getting the puck in front to Austin McDonald who made no mistake with a wide-open cage.
“During the (penalty kill Wilkins) wants us to get up ice. Just pressure them and see what happens,” Laframboise said. “When you pressure the goalie like that, obviously they can play the puck if they have to but some times they get a little panicky.”
The Lions found the equalizer just past the five -minute mark of the third when Daniel Nikandrov got one past Renyard.
Then, with their fifth power play of the contest, York finally got their first goal with the man advantage when Scott Feser unleashed a laser into the back of the net. Just 66 seconds later, Jack Goranson redirected a puck past Renyard to give the visitors some insurance.
“It’s little things like that we can’t be giving up, especially with a one-goal lead in the third,” Donnelly said. “We have to come in and play a very tight defensive game and I don’t think we did that. Obviously we gave up three bang-bang goals.”
Claw marks: The Wolves fall to 35-27 all-time against York, though the Lions have claimed 14 of the last 15 meetings and ousted Lakehead from the playoffs in each of the last two seasons...Fifth-year senior forward Brennan Dubchak remained sidelined with an upper body injury though Wilkins said he hoped Dubchak would return before the winter break...Lakehead hits the road next weekend to face Guelph on Thursday, Laurier on Friday and Waterloo on Saturday.
