THUNDER BAY – It’s do or die time for the Lakehead Thunderwolves.
The men’s hockey team did itself a real favour last weekend, storming back from two goals down on two occasions to edge the Brock Badgers on home ice.
The two points they managed to collect assured they only need one more to clinch a playoff spot.
But there’s much more at stake this weekend when the Waterloo Warriors, the ninth-place team in the OUA West and on the outside looking in at the playoff picture, arrive at Fort William Gardens on Friday night for the first of two games to wrap up regular-season play.
With some help, the Thunderwolves could conceivably jump up a notch or two in the standings, from eighth to as high as high as fifth.
The math isn’t all that complicated.
Lakehead needs to beat Waterloo twice on a home ice, a team that already has two wins in the books this season against the Thunderwolves.
Laurier would have to beat Western on Friday night and fall to last-place York on Saturday. Finally, Western would need to beat Brock.
Lose twice in regulation and Lakehead will miss the playoffs for the third time in five seasons – and the second in a row.
While the job isn’t done yet, it’s well within reach said LU forward Josh Laframboise, who netted a hat trick in Saturday’s victory.
“It’s better to have your fate in your own hands instead of somebody else’s,” he said. “We just need one point, so if we can get it done on Friday, obviously it will calm everyone’s nerves.”
Lakehead coach Andrew Wilkins said getting on a roll to hit the playoffs and playing the right way is almost as important as securing that postseason spot.
“You don’t want to just get one point and crawl in. At the end of the day, however you can get in you’ll take, but it’s important for us to try to move up,” Wilkins said. “We have the potential of playing a third- or a fourth-place team.
“I think when you look at the standings, you’d want to be in that situation. It’s so tight. It’s so hard to predict. There are so many different scenarios, you just want to worry about controlling what you can, playing the right way and peaking going into the playoffs.”
The Thunderwolves (12-12-2) will likely have to get that point without veteran Nic Renyard between the pipes. Renyard suffered a reoccurring injury – the team has been pretty vague about specifics – and is doubtful to play this weekend, leaving back-up Brock Aiken in the goaltending spotlight.
Aiken played well in Saturday’s 5-3 win, making 35 saves and is 2-2-0 with a 3.90 goals against average in six appearances this season.
The former Thunder Bay North Stars netminder also has the confidence of his coach, even though before Saturday he hadn’t played a league game since Nov. 23.
“I thought he handled himself quite well, after a tough first for our team. I thought we left him hanging for a couple of goals. He made some saves down the stretch and was a big part of our win,” Wilkins said.
Puck drop for Wolves and Warriors at Fort William Gardens is 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.
