The second game of the Bell Varsity Cup was a real treat as the Lakehead Thunderwolves defeated the Calgary Dinos 5-3 Saturday night at the Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay. The game featured fast action, hard hits, and great goaltending. Lakehead was led by Mike Jacobsen, Murray Magill, and Jason Lange who each scored a goal and added an assist. Ryley Layden led the Dinos with a goal and an assist and Jordan Walker added two assists.
The game opened very fast with the Thunderwolves applying pressure early. Calgary goaltender Donald Choukalos was sharp in the first 10 minutes, making a series of good stops. The period also featured some heavy hits from both teams. A penalty to Calgary's Ryley Layden proved costly as Lakehead's Jason Lange scored on the powerplay at 14:46. Lange banged in a rebound in from the slot, after a point shot by Matt Kenny. Shots on goal were 12 apiece in the first.
The second period was full of action. Lakehead's Chris Shaffer opened the period by ringing the right Calgary post with a quick wrist shot. Lakehead's Grant McCune then made a fine stop off a hard shot from Calgary's Richard Mueller. Lakehead's Shaffer then nailed Dinos' defenseman Sheldon Nedjelski at the Calgary blue line. Calgary's Ryley Layden then solidly hit Lakehead Captain Joel Scherban at center ice. Lakehead's Jeff Richards made a great rush up the right side, flying by the Calgary defender, and then lifted the puck off the right post. Another Calgary penalty to Layden hurt the Dinos as Lakehead's Jouni Kuokkanen knocked in a loose puck at 7:53, with assists to Lange and Murray Magill.
Calgary came right back with a powerplay goal of their own at 8:22, as Ryley Layden whacked the puck in during a goalmouth scramble in front of the Thunderwolves net. Assists went to Jordan Walker and Josh Woitas. The goal sparked the Dinos and they began to put the pressure on the Thunderwolves. Lakehead goalie McCune made a series of good saves to keep the Dinos from scoring. Dinos goalie Choukalos then made an incredible save to rob Mike Wehrstedt. Choukalos followed with a lightning fast pad save to stop a sure goal off a one-timer by Lakehead's Shaffer. Lakehead outshot Calgary 17-13 in the second.
The fast pace continued in the third period with both teams getting chances in the early going. Calgary's Adam Loncan tied the game at 8:15, set up by a beautiful pass from behind the net by Ryley Layden. The other assist went to Jordan Walker. The Dinos quickly took the lead at 9:04, when Bracken Kearns beat Lakehead goalie McCune between the legs with a low wrist shot. The assist went to Trevor Galan. The Thunderwolves came right back at 12:42 when a pass from behind the net by Joel Scherban deflected off a Calgary defenseman and rolled past Choukalos. The assists went to Richards and Shaffer. Lakehead's Mike Jacobsen then fired the goal of the game at 15:41, when he blasted a seeing-eye shot that a screened Choukalos had no chance on. Lakehead's Murray Magill then made it 5-3 at 16:17 when he beat Baker with a low slap shot. The assist went to Mike Jacobsen. Calgary outshot Lakehead 13-9 in the thirdwhile the shots were even for the game at 38.
The Molson's Three Stars, as selected by Leith Dunick of Thunder Bay's Source, were:
- Lakehead: Mike Jacobsen
- Lakehead: Jason Lange
- Calgary: Ryley Layden
Attendance for the game was 2874. Calgary sees action in the afternoon game of Day 2 of the Bell Cup vs York, while Lakehead will face off against No. 2 UNB in the night game.