THUNDER BAY -- Hockey is a game of inches.
Had Cody Alcock fired his overtime shot a couple inches lower, the Lakehead Thunderwolves might have skated away with an upset win Friday night over the visiting University of Ontario Institute of Technology Ridgebacks.
Instead he hit the crossbar.
Seconds later Cameron Yuill fired a shot at Devin Green that banked off Ridgebacks forward Mike Robinson and into the net, giving the fourth-ranked UOIT squad a 3-2 win at Fort William Gardens.
It’s a difficult way to lose, said Green, who made 37 stops on the night – and not many of the garden-variety kind.
“It’s tough,” the second-year net-minder said. “Overall, and not just my game, I thought the boys played pretty well. We were skating all night and we were playing tough hockey along the walls. Sometimes you don’t get a bounce.
“We hit a crossbar and they come down and score. Sometimes that just happens. That’s hockey.”
Green said he’s not even sure how the puck made it past him, it happened so fast, just 2.5 seconds left on the first overtime clock.
“Honestly, I couldn’t really tell you. I didn’t really see it. I saw the guy release his shot. It went into some traffic. I was looking for it to come out of there, but I didn’t see it.”
Lakehead coach Bill McDonald certainly wasn’t laying the blame for the loss at Green’s feet. He’s had his struggles so far this season, but this performance was his best so far, McDonald said.
“It was his best game all year,” he said. “He was really good for us last year. He’s had moments this year when he’s been all right. But that one sort of soft one squeaks by him. But today he got us the point probably,” McDonald said.
It was the Wolves who struck first, Brennen Dubchak beating UOIT goalie Tyson Teichmann at the 17:12 mark of the first, the lone goal of the period.
Green made the Ridgebacks work for the equalizer in the second, making huge stops against Loren Ulett and Connor Jarvis before the latter caught him going the other way on the power play 6:14 into the middle stanza.
The Ridgebacks were already up and man and replacement goalie Brendan O’Neill had sprinted to the bench with a delayed call coming.
Austin McDonald had a chance to put Lakehead back in front early in the third with the Wolves a man down, but his shot was warded off by O’Neill.
Midway through the frame Jack Patterson broke free with the Ridgebacks killing a penalty and ripped a wrist shot past Green.
Kelin Ainsworth, getting used to the hero role with the Thunderwolves, tied the game with 2:23 to go in regulation, sweeping wide on O’Neill, waiting and firing the puck into the net.
The two teams will play again on Saturday night.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Lakehead, B. Dubchak (C. Dubchak, Murphy) 17:12. Penalties: Shaw UOIT (cross checking) 6:08, Faust LAK (hooking) 10:22, Mitton UOIT (high sticking) 19:53.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 2. UOIT, Jarvis (Yuill, Locke) 16:14. Penalties: Murphy LAK (boarding) 5:28, Ringuette (high sticking) 14:09 Doucette UOIT (hooking) 17:21, Mitton (interference) UOIT 18:21, B. Dubchak LAK (roughing) 20:00.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 3. UOIT, Patterson (Logan) 10:09 sh. 4. Lakehead, Ainsworth (Butler) Penalties: B. Dubchak LAK (cross checking) 2:18, Springer LAK (roughing) 5:57, Ulett UOIT (charging) 8:33, Butler LAK (tripping) 11:46, Sefton LAK () 18:28.
OVERTIME
Scoring: Penalties:
GAME DATA – SOG – UOIT 9-16-9-6-40, Lakehead 10-8-7-3-30; Power plays (goals-chances) – UOIT (0-7), Lakehead (0-5); Goaltenders – Tyson Teichmann (9 shots, 8 saves), Brendan O’Neill (17:50, first); A: 2,257.
