Suspensions rescinded

Five Thunderwolves players suspended for breaking team rules have had their team-issued sentences rescinded.

Lakehead hockey coach Joel Scherban on Thursday confirmed the team unanimously decided not to keep the quintet out of the lineup this weekend. However Scherban said the reinstatement of Matt Caria, Ryan McDonald, Jake Carrick, Ryan McGill and third-string goalie Josh Mrakic has nothing to do with the Wolves starting the season in an 0-2 hole.

“We’ve come up with an alternative punishment for those five guys, plus something to ensure no one violates rules anymore this year or they’ll face a much longer suspension,” Scherban said. “We think we’ve fixed that problem and can move on forward.”

Scherban, who would not reveal what the alternative punishment was, said the players involved in the unidentified incident the night before the Michigan Tech game showed remorse for their actions, and more importantly picked up their game on the ice.

“The way we performed the last two games, we were happy with the way they performed and their work ethic and we’re confident they won’t do it again,” Scherban said. “We have word from the team that they’re going to take our rules seriously.”

The third-year coach said the team leaders feel they have a handle on the situation and the dressing room and it’s in the past.

Goalie Jeff Bosch, who wasn’t involved in the incident, weighed in, saying it was time to let bygones be bygones.

“You don’t want something like that to linger over your team,” said Bosch, who got his first OUA start last Saturday, a 3-2 home-ice loss to McGill.

“They’re good players on the ice and we need them to help us out in Ottawa this weekend.”

Caria and McDonald, the latter of whom won’t play this weekend because of a leg injury suffered in last Saturday’s defeat, finished first and third respectively in team scoring in 2010-11, netting almost a quarter of Lakehead’s goals during regular season play.

McGill was a solid in his rookie campaign, compiling 10 points in 23 outings, while Carrick is a highly touted rookie and Mrakic has the unenviable task of trying to unseat Bosch and Alex Dupuis to earn the first playing time of his two-year stint with the Wolves.

Turning things around has to start in a hurry, said Bosch, knowing more losses will put the team in a deep hole just two weekends into the season.

“It’s huge, especially when the season is only 28 games long,” said Bosch, a Martensville, Sask. native who spent his fifth and final junior campaign with the Western Hockey League’s Kamloops Blazers, after splitting his first four seasons between Regina and Moose Jaw.

“When you have a weekend like we did, you definitely put yourself behind the ball a little bit. This weekend coming up is huge for us and our goal is obviously two wins.”

The Gee-Gees (2-1-0), who will host the Wolves (0-2-0) for a pair this weekend, are coming off wins over Guelph and Laurier, after starting the season with a loss to Nipissing.

Bosch, who had a birds-eye view of the action on Saturday, said he and his teammates have watched a lot of video and know they have to stop the careless mistakes that cost them dearly against the Redmen.

“For the most part we’ve been playing well, but when we have made a mistake we’ve given up a few penalty kill goals when we’re shorthanded. They’re pretty glaring mistakes that can change the complete momentum of the game.

“We just need to tidy those up a little bit and be a little more consistent and I think it will be able to turn things around for us.”