Slump snapped

The roller coaster ride that’s been the Lakehead Thunderwolves hockey season was on the ascent on Saturday night.

The Wolves (5-4-1) got goals in all three periods – plus an extra pair in the third for good measure – and snapped a two-game slide with a 5-1 win over the visiting Laurier Golden Hawks (5-3-1) in front of 2,856 fans at Fort William Gardens.

Brock McPherson, who scored the Wolves fourth goal and drew assists on two others, including Kris Hogg’s second period power play winner with 4:15 to go, said once again the Gardens faithful had to guess which Wolves squad was going to show up.

Luckily they got the top dogs on Saturday night.

“We wanted to come out tonight and just put a solid 60 minutes together because we haven’t done that many times this year,” said McPherson, who now has 11 points in 10 games.

“We definitely did that and we came out on top.”

The fifth-year veteran, a one-time runner-up in the OUA scoring race, has been off to a slow start, and said putting multiple points on the board felt great. He’s hoping it leads to better things as the season rolls along.

“I’ve been a little bit snake-bitten this year. To finally get rolling and get going here, hopefully I’ll continue in the weeks to come.”

It was a physical contest that got more chippy as time ticked away and the Wolves lead began to grow.

It came to a head as the second period neared completion, with Lakehead up a goal thanks to Hogg.

During a skirmish to the right of Laurier goalie Ryan Daniels, a water bottle flew onto the ice, which appeared to have originated at the Thunderwolves bench.

Normally that would lead to a penalty on Lakehead, but none was called. When Laurier coach and Thunder Bay native Greg Puhalski protested at period’s end, he was instead given a bench minor. Within seconds Puhalski was in the press box, pleading his case with the off-ice officials overseeing the game.

“It was the first time in my hockey career where I’ve seen a water bottle thrown at a referee and no penalty was assessed. Where do you think that bottle came from? So, that’s a first and I thought (referee Grant Sherrad) lost control of the game,” Puhalski said.

Asked about the bottle, Lakehead coach Joel Scherban pleaded ignorance.

“I don’t know anything about a water bottle,” Scherban said. “I don’t know. I didn’t see what happened. I saw a water bottle on the ice, but I’m not sure what happened.”

Scherban was too busy trying to keep track of his ever-changing line combinations to notice.

Matt Caria and Andrew Wilkins both found themselves double-shifted throughout the night, taking turns between Devin Welsh and Andy Hyvarinen, back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch the night before.

“We did shake up all the lines before tonight. I thought (Ryan) Magill, (Victor) Anilane and (Brennan) Menard played really well the last two games and probably deserved to play more than they did. We tried to go with the veterans a bit. That didn’t work as well as we’d have liked, so we got those three more involved in the game.”

Ryan Bellows scored the lone goal of the game for the Golden Hawks, beating Kyle Moir through the five-hole less than three minutes into the contest. But Hyvarinen answered back with his second of the season at 10:56 to tie the score.

Up 2-1, Matt Caria netted some insurance, potting just his third of the season, and first in three games, early in the third to give the Wolves some breathing room. McPherson and Ryan McDonald, with his team-leading seventh, rounded out the scoring.

Lakehead out-shot their opponent 43-23.

Claw marks: The Jordan Smith forward experiment lasted all of one game. Smith who scored once in Friday’s 6-5 loss to Laurier, was back on defence alongside Mitch Maunu ... Rookie Trevor Gamache was a healthy scratch. Forward Arron Alphonso, listed as day-to-day, also sat ... The Wolves take to the road next weekend to play the UOIT Ridgebacks.

First period
Scoring: 1. Laurier, Bellows 4 (Williams, Bernardi) 2:32. 2. Lakehead, Hyvarinen 2 (Wilkins, Welsh) 10:56. Penalties: Sagert LAK (checking from behind, misconduct, served by McDonald) 8:30, Gauthier LAU (high sticking) 13:38, Hogg LAK (slashing) 16:45.

Second period
Scoring:  3. Hogg 4 (McPherson, Guilbault) 15:45 pp. Penalties: Marsden LAU (hooking) 7:50, Poulter LAU (hooking) 13:56, Sergerie LAK, Rizk LAU (unsportsmanlike conduct) 15:45, Sinfield LAU (tripping) Marsden LAU (unsportsmanlike conduct), Wilkins LAK (unsportsmanlike conduct) 17:23, Vand De Bospoort (unsportsmanlike conduct) 18:12, Bench minor LAU (unsportsmanlike conduct, served by Allicock) 20:00.

Third period
Scoring: 4. Lakehead, Caria 3 (Sergerie,Quesnele) 4:21. 5. Lakehead, McPherson 3 (Wilkins, Hogg) 11:23 pp. 6. Lakehead, McDonald 7 (Quesnele, McPherson) 17:00. Penalties: Allicock LAU, Caria LAK (unsportsmanlike conduct), Bernardi LAU (tripping) 10:06, Van De Bospoort LAU (slashing, unsportsmanlike conduct), Allicock (misconduct), Hyvarinen (slashing, unsportsmanlike conduct), Welsh LAK (misconduct) 17:32.

Game Data – SOG – Laurier 9-5-9-23, Lakehead 12-17-14-43; Power plays (goals-chances)- Laurier (0-2), Lakehead (2-7); Goaltenders – Laurier: Ryan Daniels, Lakehead: Kyle Moir; A: 2,856.