Chronicle Journal - Stories -

Opinion Poll
A wind farm is proposed for the Nor‘Wester range south of Thunder Bay. What‘s your view on the proposal:
	In favour — green energy is the way to go
	No way, not in our backyard
	Well, it might spur much needed economic development
	Don't know — I hear many conflicting claims

More Links	tbayjobline	TbayWeddings	Play Games!	^New! eVents Calendar	Advertise with Us	Contact Us

Other Links	Movie Times	Airport	Bus Schedule	Road Conditions	Library	Weather

Thunderwolves come alive in 3rd period
By Graham Strong, Special to the CJ
Saturday, October 10, 2009

Email this article
Send a Letter to the Editor
Printer friendly page

It took them a couple of periods to get started, but the Lakehead Thunderwolves exploded for three goals in the third to beat the York Lions 4-1 and earned their first win of the OUA men‘s hockey season Friday night.
Although he said they were happy with the two points in what will likely be a tight conference, Lakehead coach Joel Scherban said he wasn‘t happy how they got there.
“I was disappointed with the way we played the first 40 minutes,” Scherban said after the game at Fort William Gardens. “We didn‘t execute, we didn‘t stick to the system, the fundamentals we‘ve been working on in practice for the past month. I think York outworked us and out-battled us.”
The Thunderwolves got on the board first. While playing four-on-four hockey, defenseman Mitch Maunu cleared the puck up the middle from the Wolves‘ zone, finding a streaking Kris Hogg who had a full stride ahead of the Lions‘ defense at the blue line. With a quick fake, Hogg slipped the puck five-hole on a stymied Lions‘ goaltender David Davenport at 7:01.
Things got chippy after that. While chasing the puck into the Lions‘ corner, Dan Speer took Brett Short heavily into the boards from behind, sparking a melee around the fallen defenseman. Short left the with what Lions‘ head coach Jim Wells called a “serious” injury to his shoulder or collar bone. Speer ended up with a five-minute roughing major and a game misconduct, and Brock McPherson and Lions‘ Chris Korte in the box with roughing minors.
The Wolves managed to stave the Lions off during the ensuing power play, and left the first period with a 1-0 lead.
In the second period, with Thunderwolves‘ defenceman Bryan Wilson already in the box for tripping, Scott Dobben was charged with a four-minute spearing major. Nathaniel Brooks took the puck from York captain Tyler Harrison off the face-off, and crept in down low before snapping it short side, top shelf just after Wilson‘s penalty expired, tying the game 1-1.
Lakehead cranked up the intensity for the third period, getting the edge on the Lions. On one rush, Dobben dropped the puck for Victor Anilane, and after a little bit of tic-tac-toe, the puck landed back on Dobben‘s stick as he scooped it short side for the goal.
The Wolves struck again less than three minutes later. Fighting in deep, Andrew Wilkins took a cross-crease pass from Hogg, tapping it in for the tally for the 3-1 lead.
“Hogg made a great pass to me,” Wilkins said. “Luckily there was a bit of a hole there because I didn‘t get much of the puck at all.”
At 15:28, the Thunderwolves got another on the point shot from Kalvin Sagert, again on the power play to round out the scoring.
“Every game is going to be tough,” Wells said after the loss. “We‘ve got to play hard and we‘ve got to compete. We did for two periods, and didn‘t for the third.”

DOG TAGS: Attendance for the game was 2,616. The Thunderwolves face off the Lions again tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Gardens. . . . Speer will be out with a game suspension, and Dobben will miss the game due to a mandatory academic trip for his kinesiology program.
Top of Page

Games!
Canadian Crossword
PlayFour!
Word Roundup