November 6, 2006 (OUA) - The Laurier Golden Hawks lead the OUA with 14 points in their first eight games after a pair of wins over the Windsor Lancers this past week, including an incredible 10-1 blowout Saturday in Waterloo. The 2005-06 OUA semi-finalists had 10 different players score, racking up 48 shots in the process. Matt Maccarone led the way with a goal and three assists, while Chris Di Ubaldo and Luke Girard chipped in a goal and two assist each. The Hawks took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission before erupting for five unanswered goals in the second period. They added three more in the third. Mike Thomson made 26 saves for the win, improving Lauriers record to 7-1-0-0. Windsor gave the Hawks a much tougher time in the first game of their home-and-home but fell 3-2 on home ice Friday. Mark Voakes scored the eventual winner for Laurier on the power play at 10:23 of the third period. Thomson, a second-year Business major from Barrie, Ont., made 23 saves for the victory. With the two wins, the netminder is a perfect 5-0-0 in five appearances. Jordie Preston and Wes Ewer had the Windsor goals.
The offensive-minded UQTR Patriotes rebounded a from a tough 3-2 OT loss to the Mid East leading Toronto Varsity Blues Friday in Quebec to overpower the Ryerson Rams 11-1 the following night. The 11 goals marked a single-game team high in the OUA so far this season. UQTR has yet to lose in regulation and now sit at 5-0-0-2, on top of Far East. Against Toronto, however, the Patriotes were held in check, mustering just 22 shots on Toronto goaltender Ryan Grinnell. Matt Stein scored the winner at 1:26 of the extra session after Blues winger Anthony Pallotta had sent the game to overtime with a crucial goal at 8:28 of the third, erasing a 2-1 deficit. Toronto followed the big win up with a 3-1 victory over the Concordia Stingers in Montreal Saturday. Joe Rand opened the scoring up in the first period and then added his second of the night at 19:31 of the third help the Blues to their fifth win of the year. Grinnell was sharp making 29 saves for his second win in as many days. Simon-Pierre Sauve had the lone Concordia goal.
The Western Mustangs climbed to within a point of Far West leaders Lakehead and Waterloo after posting back-to-back victories over the York Lions Thursday and the Brock Badgers Saturday. Jesse Bouchers power-play marker at 6:24 of the third period lifted the Mustangs to a 3-2 win over York at the John Labatt Centre. A determined Western team tallied 54 shots in the game, peppering Lion goalies Kevin Druce and Domenic Defrancesco. Ryan Riddle made 35 saves for the win in goal, while Yorks Matt Passfield scored twice, including the 2-2 equalizer early in the third period. Brad Topping made 20 saves and Sal Peralta chipped in a goal and an assist as Western dumped the Badgers 4-2 in St. Catharines Saturday. Brock led 1-0 on a goal by Ryan Del Monte, but the Mustangs scored three straight in the second period, beginning with Peraltas tally just 42 seconds into the frame. Craig Kennedy added a pair of assists for Western, which has 10 points on the season.
The Mustangs are right behind Waterloo and Lakehead, which took three of four points from the Guelph Gryphons in a two-game series in Guelph. Brad Priestlay was credited with the winner on a short-handed effort at 3:42 of the third period. Priestlay added an assist, Richard Molenaar had a goal and a helper and Mike Wehstedt chipped in two assists for Lakehead. Chris Whitely was busy in the Wolves goal, stopping 42 of the 44 shots he faced. Chris Baker and Thomas Laplanted had the Gryphons goals. Guelph had a 5-3 third-period lead in the second meeting Sunday but Mark Robinson scored his second of the night for Lakehead and second-year winger Andrew Brown grabbed another with just over seven minutes remaining to send the game to overtime. David Volpe paced the Gryphs with a pair of goals, while Michael nelson added a goal and two assists.