Mike Wehrstedts 8th round OT shootout marker gave the Lakehead Thunderwolves their second consecutive OT shootout win over the visiting No. 7 Western Mustangs in a Satirday night thriller at the Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay.
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The win puts Lakehead's record at 6-2 in OUA play (7-5 overall) good for 12 points in the OUA Far West Division while the Mustangs, who are 5-2-2 in OUA action (8-5-1 overall), also have 12 points. Lakeheads better win record and two head to head wins against Western puts the Wolves in first place in the division.
Lakehead captain Andrew Brown and netminder Chris Whitley were the other Wolves heroes as Brown netted two goals and Whitley turned in his second consecutive shootout win; displaying nerves of steel in the Lakehead goal. Dan Speer scored Lakeheads other goal. Mark Soares and Pierre-Marc Guillbault also played very well; notching two helpers apiece.
Western freshman netminder Keyvan Hunt played a fantastic game for the Stangs; making a number of big saves throughout the game. Ryan Hare played an excellent game for Western; getting a goal and two assists. Westerns other goals came from Luc Martin and Ryan Martinelli.
Shots on goal were 41-29 Lakehead in the game. Penalties were costly for the Stangs as Lakehead got two of their markers with the man advantage. Saturdays game was a much faster game than Fridays with both teams displaying more finesse offensively.
Lakehead first period started with good saves by Lakehead Whitley; and a great one to rob the Stangs Kyle Piowarczyk at 7:40 during a Western powerplay. Lakehead went on the powerplay and Brown got his first of the night at 10:55; assisted by Kris Hogg and Matt Jacques. Westerns Hunt made an incredible diving glove save at 14:50 to rob Lakeheads Mark Soares.
The second period saw Lakehead apply some early pressure and Hunt making good stops during the first five minutes. Lakeheads Whitley then made a good save off Westerns Jeff Martens at 8:39. Western then applied pressure and were rewarded at 9:51 when Hare scored a great tip-in goal off a pass from Sal Peralta with the other assist going to Kevin Richardson. Western took a 2-1 lead at 15:53 when Ryan Martinelli fired a rocket over Whitleys shoulder assisted by Marcus Smith and Piwowarczyk. Lakehead came back at 14:51 when Dan Speer perfectly converted a 2-on-1 rush with Mark Soares with the other assist going to Pierre Mark Guillbault. The Wolves then put on the pressure and Hunt made two big saves and Lakeheads Matt Maisonneuve fanned on an open net at 19:35.
Westerns Hunt made more good saves during the first nine minutes of the third and Lakeheads Whitley countered with a big save of his own to rob the Stangs Jesse Boucher at 9:15. Play went back and forth and Hunt flashed his glove to deny Lakeheads Shandor Alphonso and then made a series of big stops during a Lakehead powerplay. Western, under pressure, quickly broke up the ice at 15:38 and Luc Martin converted a beautiful pass from Ryan Hare to give the Stangs a 3-2 lead; the other assist went to Sal Peralta. Lakehead applied furious pressure for the next few minutes and then Western took a two-many men minor with 1:06 leftand Lakehead Head Coach Don McKee decided to pull netminder Whitley to give Lakehead six attackers against four defenders. The Wolves barraged the Western goal and Hunt made another series of great saves and it seemed the Stangs would get the win. Then Western took another minor with 10 seconds left to go down six skaters to three and Lakeheads Brown banged the puck in with three seconds left to put the game into overtime.
Lakehead started the OT with the man advantage but neither team could get much going and the game went to shootout for the second consecutive night.
Shootout