Smith scores in OT, Wolves finish third

Jordan Smith potted the OT winner Saturday night to lead the Lakehead Thunderwolves to a come-from-behind 3-2 road victory over the last-place Brock Badgers.

The win clinched third place for the Wolves (19-7-2) in the OUA Western Conference and a date with the York Lions in the first round of the playoffs.

Soares’s goal came 37 seconds into the extra frame against Brock goalie Jordan Bent, who baffled the Wolves most of the night and paced them to a 2-1 lead until well past the midway point of the third period.

Scott Dobben beat Bent on the power play at 12:25, the first shot to beat him since Dan Speer’s ninth at 2:01 of the opening stanza. All told the Brock netminder made 26 saves on the night.

Ryan Allen and Steve Miller replied for the Badgers, who will sit out the 2009-10 postseason.

In other OUA play on Saturday night, the Wesern Mustangs secured top spot in the Western Conference, edging Wilfred Laurier 3-2. The Mustangs leapfrogged Waterloo, who squandered a 3-0 lead and fell 6-4 to the pesky University of Ontario Institute of Technology.

Western will take on UOIT in the opening round. Waterloo will play Windsor and Laurier takes on Guelph. Guelph beat York 4-3 on Saturday.

In the East, UQTR downed Carleton 6-4, McGill blanked Ottawa 9-0, Nipissing knocked off Queen’s 5-4 and RMC beat Toronto 5-2.

UQTR will play Concordia in Round 1. Other matchups include McGill hosting Nipissing, cross-city rivals Ryerson and Toronto and Carleton and Queen’s.