THUNDER BAY – It took nearly two periods to launch the cascade of stuffed animals to start flying from the stands, but it was worth the wait.
Cooper Leitch scored the game-tying goal with 2:23 left in the second period in Saturday night’s annual teddy bear toss contest and the Lakehead Thunderwolves went on to dominate the third, Brennen Dubchak deflecting home the eventual winner at the 5:40 mark of the final frame of a 3-1 win over the visiting Toronto Varsity Blues.
The goal, Leitch’s second of the season, was a great way to show team brass he belongs in the lineup every game, a night after sitting out as a healthy scratch in a 3-2 overtime win over Toronto.
“It was definitely a great feeling, but honestly it just felt good to get the boys going there and get things started,” said the first-year forward and B.C. Junior Hockey League graduate, who upped his point total to four in 11 appearances.
LU coach Bill McDonald said he’s doing his best to get everyone regular playing time, so on Friday for Leitch it just came down to a numbers game.
“Cooper’s a great kid,” McDonald said. “He played on the road and to tell you the truth, when we got back we didn’t expect Billy Jenkins to get in the lineup. I want to try to keep everybody in the group playing at some time.
“He got a big goal in Ryerson, when we lost the game. But he found the net. He’s a big guy and he’s a competitor everywhere he’s played and had a letter on his jersey. He played really well tonight.”
Like most of his teammates, the goal was the icing on the weekend sweep cake, the two wins Friday and Saturday pulling the Wolves back to .500 at 6-6-1, with only the UOIT Ridgebacks on the road next week remaining on the first-half schedule.
“Obviously we didn’t have the weekend we wanted to last weekend in southern Ontario,” the London, Ont.-born Leitch said.
“Coming back up here it felt really good getting the two points and hopefully it leads into next weekend.”
It was the Varsity Blues who got on the board first, Corey Jackson silencing the 2,591 on hand at Fort William Gardens with a slapshot from inside the blue-line that found its way past LU goalie Devin Green, author of 29 saves on the night.
Leitch said he had a little insider knowledge on the equalizer, a goal that came at the expense of Toronto’s Evan MacEachern.
“He was my captain two years ago, so I kind of knew it was coming around the net that way. I lifted his stick and the goalie had left the short side open and I saw a chance.”
Dubchak’s game-winner came off a Jake Ringuette shot from just inside the blue-line.
“We kind of locked eyes there when he had the puck and I knew he was going to come my way. He made the perfect shot. He made the tip look really easy and it came right at my stick,” Dubchak said.
Sam Schutt added an empty-netter with 15.6 seconds to play, scoring his elusive first goal of the OUA campaign.
“He’s, I bet you, had six breakaways in the last four or five games. He can skate. The guys love him because he plays hard,” McDonald said, explaining why he chose Schutt to be on the ice with Toronto goalie Frederic Foulem on the bench for the extra attacker.
Claw marks: The Wolves were 0-5 on the power play and have failed to score in their last 31 man-advantage opportunities, dating back to their Oct. 27 tilt against Waterloo … Thirty garbage bags of stuffed animals were collected in the teddy bear toss.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Toronto, Jackson 1 (Campagna) 6:19. Penalties: Hanson TOR (interference) 1:48, Masters LAK (hooking) 11:23, Murphy LAK (tripping) 14:52, Connell TOR (interference), Ringuette LAK (roughing) 20:00.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 2. Thunder Bay, Leitch 2 (unassisted) 17:27. Penalties: Dubchak LAK (kneeing) 9:30, Wallace TOR (holding) 10:39, Brand TOR (roughing) 13:43.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 3. Lakehead, Dubchak 2 (Ringuette, Butler) 5:40. 4. Lakehead, Schutt 1 (unassisted) 19:44 (en). Penalties: Kereakou TOR (roughing) 7:50, Alexander TB (slashing) 13:58,
GAME DATA – SOG – Toronto 10-9-11-30, Lakehead 7-11-18-36; Power plays (goal-chances) – Toronto (0-5), Lakehead (0-5); Goaltenders – Toronto: Frederic Foulem, Lakehead: Devin Green; A: 2,591.
