York's star goaltender Derek Dolson got a frosty reception in Thunder Bay Friday night as the No. 3 Lakehead Thunderwolves hammered the No. 6 York Lions 9-2 before a noisy sell-out crowd of 3710 fans at the Fort William Gardens. The Lions had come into the Gardens with a perfect record in OUA play. The win puts Lakehead's record at 5-1-0 in OUA play (9-2-0 overall). The loss drops York's record to 6-1-0 in OUA play.
Lakehead was led by the line of Captain Joel Scherban, Jeff Richards, and Chris Shaffer, with the line accounting for 12 points in the game. Scherban had 3 goals and an assist, Richards recorded 2 goals and 3 assists, and Shaffer added 3 assists. Bryan Duce notched 1 goal and 2 assists and Leon Cooper and Kris Callaway had two assists for the Thunderwolves. York's goals came from Daryl Bat and Phil Knapp.
Lakehead started out fast in the early going, getting some good scoring chances. Lakehead's Chris Shaffer got the Thunderwolves fired up with a massive bodycheck on York's Trevor Penrose. Lakehead jumped on the scoreboard right after at 2:34 when Joel Scherban lifted the puck over a sprawled York goalie Derek Dolson. Dolson had been knocked down in his crease by a sliding Jeff Richards who had been hooked into Dolson by a York defenseman. Assists went to Jeff Richards and Chris Shaffer. The Thunderwolves kept up the pressure, keeping Dolson busy in the first 10 minutes. Lakehead kept incredible pressure on the Lions throughout the first frame, coming close to lighting the lamp many times. They were finally rewarded at 17:05 when Jason Lange picked the rebound off of Dolson and tucked it past him, with assists going to Jouni Kuokkanen and Kris Callaway. Lakehead's Mike Jacobsen made it 3-0 at 18:19 with a hard high wrist shot that beat Dolson over his shoulder. Assists went to Joel Scherban and Chris Shaffer. York went on a 5 on 3 powerplay in the last minute. The Lion's Sean Murphy took a blast from the point at 19:35 and was robbed with a stunning glove save by Lakehead goaltender Grant McCune. Shots on goal were 17-7 for Lakehead in the first.
The second period started with Lakehead's McCune making a great toe save off a blast from York's Daryl Bat during the York powerplay. McCune then followed with a great sprawling save to rob the Lion's Rich Williams. Lakehead speedster Jeff Richards made it 4-0 at 6:41 when he intercepted an errant York pass at the Lion's blue line and broke in alone on Dolson. Richards dropped Dolson with a fake and then went around the downed York goalie to the right and laid it in the empty net. Lakehead put on the pressure but it was York that got on the board next at 10:18 when Phil Knapp scored on a wraparound after Lakehead's McCune misplayed the puck in the corner. The goal gave the Lions some spark and York then had a couple chances on another powerplay but couldn't capitalize. The Thunderwolves' McCune then robbed York's Rob Shilton alone in front of the net at 14:00. McCune then followed by robbing Rich Williams with a great sliding save at 14:49. Williams then took an elbowing penalty that proved costly as Lakehead's Joel Scherban roofed a rebound past Dolson at 16:16. Assists went to Richards and Bryan Duce. Shot on goal in the second were 12-9 Lakehead.
The third started with Lakehead on the attack, pressuring York and keeping Derek Dolson busy. Lakehead's Scherban just missed with a redirect that slid just wide of the York goal at 4:00. Bryan Duce gave the Thunderwolves a 6-1 lead at 5:55. Duce tucked the puck just inside the left post to beat a diving Dolson, assisted by Robert Hillier and Wyatt Tunnicliffe. York's Daryl Bat made it 6-2 at 9:03 when he fired an unassisted seeing eye wrister over Grant McCune's left shoulder. Lakehead's Austin Wycisk replied at 11:23 when he found the far corn