Despite limiting the visiting team to only 19 shots, the Lakehead Thunderwolves fell 6-3 to the Windsor Lancers before 2099 fans in a game that was much closer than the final scoremight suggestat the Fort William Gardens on Saturday night.
Windsors Todd Ratchford got the Lancers on the board 5:44 into the first, but Lakeheads Kelin Ainsworth rifled the puck into the net on a nice set-up from Dylan Butler and Cody Alcock with the Wolves on the power play to even the score late in the period.
Windsor broke the game open with three goals in less than two minutes midway through the second.
Brennan Feasey scored on a one-timer on a Windsor power play at 9:31, and then Tyson Ness beat Wolves goalie Devin Green just under a minute later.
Feasey notched another power play marker at 11:24 with a hard shot that eluded Green low on the stick side.
Lakehead narrowed the gap to 4-2 at 16:10 when Cody Alcock fired the disc past Lancers netminder Kris Joyce while the Wolves held the man-advantage, with Brennen Dubchak and Sam Schutt getting the assists.
Feasey completed his hat-trick 1:06 into the third period with a blast from the high slot to put Windsor up by three, but Carson Dubchak replied for Lakehead at 7:32 on a goal assisted by Schutt and Evan Mignault.
Lakehead pulled Green for an extra attacker late in the game, but Ratchford got his second goal of the game with an empty-netter with 1:13 remaining to seal the deal for the Lancers.
The Wolves went 2-for-8 on the power play, while Windsor was 2-for-4.
Shots on goal for the game were 30-19 in favor of the Thunderwolves.
The Molson three stars of the game were:
1.Brennan Feasey, Windsor
2.Cody Alcock, Lakehead
3.Todd Ratchford, Windsor
The loss evens Lakehead's OUA record to 1-1.
TheWolveswill head out on a three-game road trip beginning next Thursday at Ryerson, followed by a pair ofgames at Toronto on Friday and Saturday.