The No. 7 ranked Thunderwolves finished the first half of the season with a 9-3-0 record in OUA conference play (11-5-1 overall), good for second place in the OUA Far West Division behind the Western Mustangs. The Thunderwolves are riding a six game winning streak that saw them outscore their opponents 46-15. The Thunderwolves have been ranked in the Top 10 in all eight CIS Top 10 polls.
Head Coach Pete Belliveau is very happy with the team's first half performance but says that the hard work must continue through the Bell Varsity Cup tournament, non-conference matches against Alberta, and the second half of the season.
"We are half way there, but we have lots of work to do yet. The Bell Canada Varsity Cup and the Alberta non-conference games will give us a good indication of where we stand against tough opposition, and what we need to do to keep improving as a team. However, the OUA playoffs is where the "real" hockey begins, we have to be ready to go Feb. 19th (opening playoff date) against any opponent. The road to the University Cup in Fredericton begins now."
The team now prepares for the Bell Canada Varsity Cup Tournament in Thunder Bay from Dec. 27-30 against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues (OUA conference), the University of Calgary Dinos (Canada West Conference), and the Saint Francis Xavier UniversityX-Men (AUS conference: Antigonish, Nova Scotia). The Thunderwolves will also face off against the No. 1 ranked University of Alberta Golden Bears in two non-conference games in Thunder Bay January 3-4.
OUA Far West Division Standings
School Games Wins Losses Ties For Against Points
Western 11 11 0 0 56 17 22
Lakehead 12 9 3 0 57 23 18
Windsor 11 5 5 1 47 44 11
Waterloo 12 0 11 1 34 76 1
CIS Top 10 Ranking by week:
Dec. 10: No. 7
Dec. 3: No. 7
Nov. 26: No. 6
Nov. 19: No. 6
Nov. 12: No. 8
Nov. 5 : No. 9
Oct. 29: No. 5
Oct. 22: No. 3
First Half Season Results:
Sat Nov 23 Lakehead 8 Queen's 1
Fri Nov 22 Lakehead 10 Queen's 1
Sun Nov 17 Lakehead 3 Ryerson 1
Sat Nov 16 Lakehead 7 Ryerson 2
Sat Nov 9 Lakehead 5 Laurier 1
Fri Nov 8 Lakehead 8 Laurier 4
Sat Nov 2 York 3 Lakehead 0
Fri Nov 1 Lakehead 5 York 2
Sat Oct 26 Lakehead 3 Waterloo 1
Fri Oct 25 Lakehead 8 Waterloo 5
Sat Oct 19 Western 1 Lakehead 0 (Forfeit Loss) 3-1 W
Fri Oct 18 Western 1 Lakehead 0 (Forfeit Loss) 5-3 W
Non-Conference Games:
Wed Oct 16 MN-Duluth 4 Lakehead 1 EX
Sat Oct 12 Lakehead 4 UQTR 2 NC
Fri Oct 11 Lakehead 4 UQTR 0 NC
Fri Oct 4 Lehtbridge 6 Lakehead 4 NC
Fri Oct 4 Lehtbridge 3 Lakehead 3 NC TIE
Team Stats:
1) Power Play (First in OUA) 15 goals on 53 opportunities for 28.3%
2) Penalty Kill (First in OUA) 47 of 52 opportunities killed successfully for 90.38%
Individual Stats Leaders:
Points Leaders:
1) Chris Shaffer: 13 goals and 6 assists for 19 points
2) Joel Scherban: 6 goals and 12 assists for 18 points
3) Jeff Richards: 10 goals and 7 assists for 17 points
4) Jason Lange: 5 goals and 9 assists for 14 points
5) Bryan Duce: 5 goals and 8 assists for 13 points
5) Matt Kenny: 3 goals and 10 assists for 13 points
Plus/Minus Leaders:
1) Matt Kenny +22
2) Erik Lodge +11
3) Joel Scherban +10
3) Chris Shaffer +10
3) Jeff Richard +10
3) Bryan Duce +10
Goaltending:
NO. NAME GPI W L T GA SOGAA G A PIM