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Thunderwolves stop Laurier
By Reuben Villagracia
Thursday, February 26, 2009

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Enter Drew Kivell and Mitch Maunu.
Offensive machines.
That description would rarely be used to describe the Lakehead Thunderwolves‘ two bruising defenceman. But, lo and behold, they were Wednesday night, combining for three goals and the double-overtime winner as the Thunderwolves slipped past the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks 4-3 at Fort William Gardens.
Lakehead leads the best-of-three OUA West semifinal 1-0. Game 2 goes Saturday in Waterloo, Ont.
“It was pretty surprising. Three out of the four goals,” said Maunu, who scored 5:33 into the second overtime from 50 feet out after a face-off win.
“I was coming out, dragged it a bit and it was a knuckle puck. Good things happen when you put the puck on the net.”
Kivell netted two and Brock McPherson also scored for Lakehead while Chris Whitley made 36 saves to record his 82nd university hockey victory – one more than Grant McCune on the Thunderwolves‘ all-time list.
Laurier‘s Jeff MacDougald faced 34 shots. Jean-Michel Rizk, Luke Girard and Chad Kennedy replied for the Golden Hawks, the country‘s No. 3 team now facing elimination on home ice.
“By winning (Wednesday) it puts all the pressure on them in their building,” Thunderwolves coach Don McKee said. “We‘re going to be upbeat for the next 72 hours.”
Kivell said the Thunderwolves‘ improved defence – which has led to five-straight wins dating back to the final.
“We had some good shots and played physical against them,” he said. “That‘s our game.”
Rizk took a long and low rebound at 6:21 of the first period and fired a wrist shot through traffic and over Whitley‘s glove for the game‘s first goal.
The Thunderwolves marked the best chances, including a disallowed Arron Alphonso goal and a missed shot at the side of the open net from Andrew Brown.
At 11:50, Dan Speer made a pretty move to get free in the slot and feed McPherson, who buried his fourth of the playoffs past MacDougald.
After Girard and Kivell traded goals, Kennedy scored another go-ahead goal for the visitors at 17:08 of the second period when he tipped in a rolling pass from Mark Voakes at the side of the net.
The Thunderwolves, fighting the Golden Hawks‘ lead-sitting defence in third, found enough room on a face-off and Kivell fired a low shot that hit something in front and sailed through MacDougald‘s legs.
Lakehead‘s Richard Molenaar and Craig Voakes of Laurier had the best chances in the first overtime. Molenaar skated in untouched but couldn‘t get a shot away with a screen.
Voakes sent his backhand rebound over the net on a Golden Hawks‘ rush. The Voakes brother tandem needed treatment as the session expired.

Dog Tags: Forwards Devin Welsh and Adam Sergerie as well as defenceman Bryan Wilson were among Lakehead‘s healthy scratches. Matt Maisonneuve (concussion) and defenceman Pierre-Marc Guilbault (foot) were the other scratches. . . . Forwards Tobias Whelan and Shandor Alphonso returned to the Lakehead lineup Wednesday after lengthy absences due to injury. They played on a line with Arron Alphonso, but were used sparingly after the first period. “It‘s great for our momentum right now,” Kivell said. “They‘re solid guys out there and played a great, physical game.” . . . The Thunderwolves‘ last three home playoff games have gone into overtime. . . . Wednesday‘s attendance was 2,676. Lakehead has yet to hit the 3,000-fan mark in two playoff games. . . . Referee Eric Vastamaki called a total of two minor penalties.
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