The Lakehead Thunderwolves will host the Windsor Lancers for game #1 of the OUA West Division semi-finals Wednesday night at the Fort William Gardens, with the opening face-off set for 7:30 p.m. This will be the only home game of the best-of-three series, as the Wolves will travel to Windsor for game #2 on Saturday night, and if necessary, game #3 on Sunday night.
Last Time Out
Lakehead is coming off a sweep of the second-seeded Western Ontario Mustangs in the West Division quarter-finals. After downing Western Ontario 4-3 in the series opener last Wednesday night in Thunder Bay, the Wolves finished off the Mustangs with a 4-1 win in London on Saturday afternoon.
The top-seeded Windsor Lancers barely got by the eighth-place Brock Badgers in the first round. After falling 2-1 in the first game at Brock, Windsor evened the series with a 4-2 win at home on Saturday. In the third and deciding game at the Windsor Arena on Sunday night, the Badgers took the Lancers to overtime before succumbing 4-3 to the home team.
Hammond Hot
After notching the winning goal in the first game against Western Ontario, senior forward Mike Hammond recorded a natural hat-trick and added an assist in the deciding game in London on Saturday.
Series History
Lakehead holds the edge over Windsor in the all-time series between the two teams with a record of 38-18 versus the Lancers.
Windsor visited the Fort William Gardens this past October and came away with a weekend sweep, winning 5-4 in the Friday contest and then 7-6 in overtime in the Saturday rematch. Both times the Lancers relied on late goals to pull the game out.
About the Lancers
The defending Queens Cup champions finished first in the OUA West Division this year with a record of 22-4-1.
The Windsor attack is sparked by senior forward Spencer Pommells, the leading scorer in the OUA this season. Dylan Denomme, Drew Palmer and Matt Beaudoin are also offensive threats for the Lancers.
Windsors defence is strong as well, with rearguard Kenny Bradford anchoring the Lancers blue-line.
Fifth-year senior netminder Parker Van Buskirk is the mainstay in the Windsor goal.