If the Lakehead Thunderwolves are going to advance to the OUA West final, they’re going to have to do it the hard way.
The No.8 Windsor Lancers scored three goals in a five-and-a-half-minute span in the second period on Wednesday night at Fort William Gardens, keyed by a pair from league-leading scorer Spencer Pommells, to score a 4-3 win in Game 1 of their best-of-three second-round series.
Pommells iced it with his third of the night at 11:01 of the final stanza.
"It feels good," said Pommells, a Grand Prairie, Alta. native.
"When you get the chance to put the puck in the net against Lakehead you're always excited. We've had such good battles with them over the years.
Pommells, a fourth-year veteran with the Lancers, said after a scoreless, penalty-free opening period, Windsor wanted to limit their mistakes in the early going and keep the Thunderwolves from getting their transition game going.
"That's when they're at their best. But we made it through the first and we just wanted to keep doing the right things and fortunately we got a couple to start the second," he said.
"Every series is tough. We learned that in the last series. So when you get a chance to close out a team, that's always the toughest game and we know these guys are going to bring their best game, so hopefully we can get back home and continue to do the right things and hoepfully the bounces will go our way."
Lakehead coach Bill McDonald said his team made its share of errors in the first, but had plenty of chances, the best a Mike Hammond wraparound in the final minute of play.
The second was a different story, McDonald said.
"The first shift of the second period kind of sticks in my mind, McDonald said.
"We weren't good enough to beat them and if we're going to win anything, we can't have that five-minute span. We kind of matched lines and the five guys that were out there, they ended up getting scored on from a different line that had already changed ... We just didn't choose to make the right plays."
Lakehead's best chance to score came on a rare power play, trailing 1-0 after Pommells scored 1:18 in, when Carson Dubchak rang a blast off the cross bar.
Instead Dylan Denomme doubled the Windsor lead at 5:13, blasting a snap sot from the circle that ripped past Justin McDonad in the Lakehead net. Pommells upped the lead to 3-0 at 6:48, scoring on a backhand from his knees.
The Wolves now face the daunting task of taking two straight on the road at South Windsor Arena if they want to extend their surprising playoff run.
Lakehead forward Keith Grondin, who pulled the Wolves to within one early in the third, circling behind the Windsor net and catching Lancers goalie Parker Van Buskirk going the wrong way, said it won't be easy.
"It's going to be a challenge in their home barn. You've got to win the ones at home and try to sneak one out on the road. But now we're going to have to sneak out two on the road. We're going to have to come ready to play. It's going to be a big challenge and we're going to be up for the challenge," Grondin said.
Cody Alcock, who deposited a backhand past Windsor’s Parker Van Buskirk late in the second, scored the opening goal for the Thunderwolves, his first of the post-season. Jake Wright, who tallied on the doorstep with 31.6 seconds to play in regulation, had the other Wolves goal.
Both came on rebounds of Justin Sefton shots from the point.
Game 2 goes Saturday night. Game 3, if necessary, is Sunday night.
First period
Scoring: None. Penalties: None.
Second period
Scoring: 1. Windsor, Pommells (LeBlanc, Green) 1:18. 2. Windsor, Denomme (Palmer, Noel) 5:13. 3. Windsor, Pommells (Bradford, Green) 6:48. 4. Lakehead, Alcock 1 (Sefton, C. Dubchak) 18:37. Penalties: Blondeel WSR (hooking) 1:53, D. Quesnele LAK, Luciani WSR (unsportsmanlike conduct) 3:30,
Third period
Scoring: 5. Lakehead, Grondin 1 (Maw, Gilbert) 6:40. 6. Windsor, Pommells (Green, Beaudoin) 11:01. 17. Lakehead, Wright (roughing) 19:28 pp.Penalties: Bench minor WSR (too many men) 18:48, Wright LAK (cross checking) 19:28.
GAME DATA – SOG – Windsor 14-13-10-37, Lakehead 13-9-12-34; Power plays (goals-chances) – Windsor (0-1), Lakehead (1-2); Goaltenders – Windsor: Parker Van Buskirk, Lakehead: Justin McDonald; A: 2,583.
