Wolves rebound with huge win

It was their final regular season hockey game at Fort William Gardens, and on Saturday night the graduating seniors made it count.

Scott Dobben scored twice and added an assist, Dan Speer had a goal and an assist and Mark Soares, who plans to leave the team after four seasons to seek a pro deal elsewhere, potted his 10th of the campaign, leading the Wolves (18-6-2) to an 8-2 thrashing of the visiting University of Ontario Institute of Technology Ridgebacks (10-15-1).

It`s a good way to go out, said Dobben, who played just two seasons at Lakehead after spending three years in the pros.

“It’s a nice feeling, on seniors night, that we all get on the score sheet and the team does well. That’s the main thing,” Dobben said.

The win pulled the Wolves even with Western in the OUA Western Conference standings and to within  one of division-leading Waterloo, who scored a come-from-behind 6-4 win over Brock on Saturday night. While Dobben said it’s hard not to look at the standings, with just two games remaining in regular-season play, the Wolves are doing their best not to focus on what the other teams are doing.

“You’ve got to control your own destiny, and I think last night we took a half step back ... It’s going to come down to these last two games and we really control our own fate and we’ve got to take it to them next weekend,” he said.

The Drayton, Ont. native is just happy fate didn’t repeat itself on Saturday, a night after the Wolves blew a 3-0 lead and dropped a 6-5 heartbreaker to the Ridgebacks, a team fighting for its playoff life. Outhustled and outmuscled on Friday, UOIT came to play again on Saturday, at least in the first 25 minutes of the contest, when they held Lakehead to a 3-2 advantage.

Dobben said they weren’t going to be guilty of letting their foot off the pedal on this night.

“I think as soon as the pucks went into the net, everybody relaxed a bit. Last night we really tried hard at the end of the third period to get one more to go in the net, but it just seemed like the bounces weren’t going our way.

“Even tonight the pucks were bouncing all over the place a little bit, but once you get a couple in the net, everybody calms down a little bit and knows that the goalie can be scored on.”

And scored on he was, was Jason Guy, starting with Dobben’s 13th of the season, a power play shot from the slot that beat the UOIT goalie at the 3:30 mark of the first. Josh Vatri got it back three minutes later with the Ridgebacks up a man, but Dobben responded just shy of the midway mark and for the second straight night the Wolves took a lead to the break.

Matt Dias made it 3-1 early in the second, only to have Scott Baker cut the gap to a goal at 5:12 of the second, his second marker in as many nights.

It was as close as the Ridgebacks would get, however, as the Wolves reeled off six unanswered goals to rout their opponents.

Soares and Ryan McDonald rounded out the scoring in the second, with Speer, Kalvin Sagert and Kris Hogg wrapping up the scoring in the third. Guy was chased after Soares's goal, seven minutes into the second, and replaced by Jeff Dawson.

Hogg, who had a goal and three assists and was named the game’s first star, said the slow start had the club worried, but they didn’t let it get them too down.

“You’ve got to give UOIT credit. They’re fighting for their playoff lives right now. You could see it yesterday and today that they’re a desperate hockey club and they’re going to try to do whatever it takes to win a game,” Hogg said. “I think it’s a combination of them just playing their game – they got over 30 shots both nights – and us maybe getting a little bit too confident over here. It’s definitely a wake-up call for us. But tonight we started firing on all cylinders.”

LU coach Joel Scherban called it a much better effort, though he’s still at a loss to explain Friday night’s output.

“I wish I knew. I’m not quite sure why we came out flat. We talked about that we got taught a lesson last night and let’s not forget that. We can’t come out and not play strong either mentally or physically against anyone in this league. It’s only getting tougher from here on now. Laurier’s playing well again and they’re going to be a big test Friday night. Brock’s probably going to be desperate on Saturday and they’re going to come hard and then we’re right into the playoffs then,” Scherban said.

Over on the other bench, UOIT coach Marlin Muylaert said the Wolves had a little more jump in their skates in Saturday’s rematch and got a better effort from goaltender Kyle Moir in nets.
Still, despite the lopsided loss, Muylaert is happy to head back to Oshawa with a split and a much-needed two points that gives his club a tw0-point cushion on Brock for the eighth and final playoff spot.

“I think every point’s important, with us and Brock going neck-and-neck. I was coming in going, boy if we can even squeeze a point, I’m happy, so obviously two points I’m happy,” he said.

Claw marks: Defenceman Andy Zulyniak and forward Victor Anilane were pulled from the lineup as Scherban attempted to shake things up a little. Called to duty as replacements were seldom-used blue-liner Mike Thibert and forward Arron Alphonso, who assisted on Dobben’s opening goal ... Matt Caria’s point-scoring streak ended at nine games. Caria, who left the ice with two minutes to go in the second when his stick was lifted into his face, returned for the third looking none the worse for the wear ... Fellow newcomer Matt Dias has goals in three straight games ... Lakehead president Fred Gilbert was also honoured before the game. Gilbert is retiring from his post this year. A replacement is expected to be named soon.

FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Lakehead, Dobben 13 (A.Alphonso, Sergerie) 3:30. 2. UOIT, Vatri 14 (Spaling, Baker) 6:20 pp. 3. Lakehead, Dobben 14 (Sagert, Hogg) 9:58 pp. Penalties: Hogg LAK (roughing) 5:14, Spencer UOIT (tripping) 8:12, Baird LAK (hooking) 12:52.

SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 4. Lakehead, Dias 8 (Smith, Baird) 2:25. 5. UOIT, Baker 7 (Legge, Vatri) 5:12. 6. Lakehead, Soares 10 (Speer, Dobben) 7:38. 7. Lakehead, McDonald 6 (Hogg, Wilkins) 9:34. Penalties: Turner UOIT (hooking) 2:27, Legge UOIT, A. Alphonso LAK (roughing) 10:10, S. Alphonso LAK (slashing) 11:53.

THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 8. Lakehead, Speer 8 (Baird, McDonald) 2:36 pp. 9. Lakehead, Sagert 3 (Hogg, McDonald) 12:58. 10. Lakehad, Hogg 13 (McDonald, Smith) Penalties: Vatri UOIT (roughing) 1:03.

GAME DATA – SOG – UOIT 10-14-10-34, Lakehead 15-15-14-44; Power plays (goals-chances) – UOIT (1-3), Lakehead (3-3); Goaltenders - UOIT: Jason Guy (21 shots, 17 saves), Jeff Dawson (7:38, second); Lakehead: Kyle Moir; A: 2,828.