POWERED BY

D'Alessandro Backstops Stangs past Wolves

Fri Jan 30, 2004
Written by Mike Aylward
Photo by James Mirabelli

The No. 2 Western Mustangs defeated the No. 3 Lakehead Thunderwolves 3-2 before a sold-out crowd of 3610 fans at the Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay on Friday night. The game was very fast, clean, and featured great goaltending. Western netminder Mike D'Alessandro was the story of the game, turning aside 38 Lakehead shots as the Wolves outshot Western 40-27 on the game. The loss drops Lakehead's OUA record to 13-3-2 (20-5-3 overall) and raises Western's to 16-2 (20-8-0 overall), giving the Mustangs a four point lead in the race for first in the OUA Far West Division.

Lakehead had a slight edge in early play with Jeff Richards just missing with a spin-around slapshot. The Wolves then went on the powerplay and Richards again just missed with a hard shot that deflected on a Lakehead player in front of the Stangs goal. Western then went on the powerplay and Lakehead netminder Grant McCune had to come up with a good stop off the Mustangs Jamie Chamberlain. Play returned to even strength and Lakehead's Steve Rawski fired a hard wrist shot from the high slot that was kicked out by Western's Mike Dalessandro. A Lakehead forward was knocked onto D'Alessandro by a Western d-man and the puck bounced right out to Rawski who fired in his own rebound at 7:49. The assist went to Jeff Adduono. The Stangs then went on the powerplay and came close when Ben Thompson fired a rocket from the point that was stopped by McCune. The rebound came right to Western's Tim Zafiris and McCune made a great stop on him. Lakehead then put on the pressure, buzzing the Stangs goal but D'Alessandro kept the puck out. D'Alessandro then made a good stop of Lakehead Captain Joel Scherban. Play became fast and furious as both goaltenders were forced to come up with a string of good saves each. McCune then made an incredible sliding save to rob Western's Mike Rice who was broke in all alone. Western's Tim Zafiris was robbed by McCune but the rebound went out to Chamberlain who hammered it in at 15:46 to tie the game. The assists went to Zafiris and Ryan Held. Lakehead then went on the powerplay, but couldn't put the puck past D'Alessandro. Western's Jeff Martin gave the Stangs the lead with 21 second left; converting a beautiful passing play from Michael Stathopoulos and Mike Sellan. Western outshot Lakehead 17-14 in the first.

Lakehead came out with jump and Jeff Richards laid a hard hit right off the opening faceoff. Lakehead carried the puck in and Joel Scherban dished a soft pass to Richards who backhanded it past D'Allesandro at the 23 second mark. The other assist went to Adduono. Lakehead then went on the powerplay but D'Alessandro did the job in the Western goal. D'Alessandro then made three great saves off Mike Wehrstedt and Jason Lange. Western picked it up at the halfway mark but couldn't convert. Lakehead's Richards then just missed with a quick deke and a fast low wrist shot. Western zipped back into the Lakehead end and Grant McCune had to make a lightning fast glove save to rob the Stangs Jeff Martin. Action became fast and furious again as both teams were skating hard. Lakehead's McCune made a nice face save off a bullet shot by Western's Ryan Held. Lakehead then came close, buzzing the Western net. Western went on the powerplay with 2:53 left, but it was Lakehead's Richards who almost scored when his wrist shot went off D'Alessandro's glove, deflected up and over him and was rolling in but D'Alessandro spun and dove and corralled the puck just before it rolled across the line. Western's Chamberlain made it 3-2 on the powerplay at 18:56 when he banked a shot off McCune's legs and behind the goaltender into the Lakehead net. The assist went to OUA points leader Justin Davis. Lakehead outshot Western 12-8 in the second.

Lakehead came out hard to open the third and peppered D'Alessandro with sho