THUNDER BAY – There were two different paths on which the Lakehead Thunderwolves could have emerged from this weekend’s series against their fiercest rival.
One would have the Thunderwolves marching towards home ice advantage in the playoffs, with the other forcing the team to spend their remaining weeks scratching and clawing to lock up a postseason bid.
But after picking up only one point in the past two games and dropping their fourth in a row overall, Lakehead doesn’t have the luxury of looking ahead.
Anthony Stefano tallied a pair of goals, including the overtime winner, as the Western Mustangs closed out a four-point weekend with a 3-2 extra period triumph over the Thunderwolves to cap the weekend sweep at the Fort William Gardens on Saturday.
That victory came 24 hours after the Mustangs trounced Lakehead 6-2, moving the hard charging Mustangs just a single point behind the sixth-place Thunderwolves in the OUA West after picking up their sixth straight win.
Western head coach Clarke Singer, who wasn’t satisfied with his team’s performance the night before despite the lopsided scoreline, said the Mustangs aren't in the position to afford a letdown.
“If you look at the standings we don’t have anything to be complacent about,” Singer said. “We’ve had a real tough first half in terms of wins and losses. I think we’re not traditionally where we usually are so we’re battling for every point. We’ve got our focus completely forward on every period, every shift.”
Despite the outcome, Thunderwolves forward Brennan Dubchak said his team’s effort was “night and day” compared to the previous game.
“We had a lot more energy out there,” Dubchak said. “We maybe deserved that one more than them but that’s the way hockey goes.”
In the rematch it was the Thunderwolves that came out flying. The home side was rewarded for their efforts when hardworking forward Austin McDonald registered his first goal of the season just 2:11 in, batting in a loose puck past Mustangs goalie Luke Perissini.
McDonald nearly doubled his scoring output just minutes later, picking the pocket of a Western defender while shorthanded and getting a clear shot but Perissini turned him aside.
Lakehead spent most of the frame as the more aggressive squad and controlled play but couldn’t escape with the lead. The Mustangs drew even when Lakehead captain Dillon Donnelly’s clearing attempt redirected off the stanchion, setting up a scoring opportunity that Mitchell Brooks used to beat Thunderwolves goalie Devin Green.
The Thunderwolves retook the lead in the middle stanza, when Dubchak buried a rebound just seconds after a Lakehead power play expired.
But again, Western used a Lakehead defensive miscue to find an equalizer before the intermission. This time, Thunderwolves defenceman Patrick Murphy fell near the blue line, allowing Stefano to find his way to the front of the net unchecked, where he converted a pass from teammate Kolten Olynek.
Lakehead had the best chance to prevail in the third period but sniper Daniel Del Paggio rang a shot from just inside the circle off the goal post with the less than three minutes remaining.
In overtime, the Mustangs got the puck into the Lakehead end off the opening faceoff and was able to trap the three Thunderwolves skaters. Billy Jenkins was unable to clear the puck on Lakehead’s best chance to escape their end and while Green denied two point-blank Western attempts, Stefano’s point shot found the top corner to end the game.
Claw marks: Lakehead falls to 28-43-2 all-time against Western…The Thunderwolves hold a one-point edge over the Mustangs for sixth and are five points up on eighth-place Windsor…Had Lakehead not gotten four points from UQTR forfeiting their October matchups, the Thunderwolves would be just two points ahead of ninth-place Toronto…Mustangs defenceman Stephen Desrocher was taken to hospital after being hit in the face with a puck…The Thunderwolves host the defending Queen’s Cup champion York Lions next weekend.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Lakehead, A. McDonald (Fullum, Murphy) 2:11. 2. Western, Brooks (Olynek) 17:06. Penalties: Wolframe LAK (high-sticking) 2:37; Bechtel WES (tripping) 18:09.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 3. Lakehead, Dubchak (Ringuette, Donnelly) 14:47. 4. Western, Stefano (Olynek) 18:23. Penalties: Bechtel WES (handling the puck) 12:44; Brooks WES (roughing), Whitlock LAK (roughing) 16:05.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: None. Penalties: Polesello WES (unsportsmanlike conduct, roughing), Fullum LAK (unsportsmanlike conduct, roughing) 8:49.
OVERTIME
Scoring: 5. Western, Stefano 2 (Cobbold) 1:19. Penalties: None.
GAME DATA – SOG – Western: 12-9-12-4-37, Lakehead: 19-11-12-0-42; Power plays (goals-chances) – Western (0-1), Lakehead (0-2); Goaltenders – Western: Luke Perissini (40 saves, 42 shots), Lakehead: Devin Green (34 saves, 37 shots); Attendance: 2,078.
