Looking to rebound from a tough shootout loss last Saturday at RMC, the Lakehead Thunderwolves mens hockey team will close the first half of their OUA regular season with games, Friday and Saturday at Guelph. Both games faceoff at 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live on Rock 94 and online at www.Rock94.com with Bryan Wyatt handling the call. Guelph will carry a webcast of the series on www.ssncanada.com.
The series is a rematch of the teams preseason games, in October at the Fort William Gardens. Lakehead won both those games handily but will be in tough against a Gryphons team that has improved steadily and has won its last four games.
"Guelph had a successful recruiting year and it seems like their large recruiting class has adjusted to CIS Hockey as the Gryphons have won 4 games in a row and 5 of their last six, says Thunderwolves head coach Joel Scherban. Playing in Guelph will be a very difficult series to end the first half of OUA play. Adding to the difficulty are the numerous injuries that we picked up against RMC.
Lakehead will field a 19-man lineup in the series with Arron Alphonso, Bryan Wilson, Pierre-Marc Guilbault and OUA leading scorer Brock McPherson all sitting out with various ailments. Alphonso and Wilson have both missed time this season while Guilbault and McPherson are out after sustaining respective back and collarbone injuries last Saturday at RMC.
Head to Head
In the teams two preseason meetings on October 2-3 at the Fort Williams Gardens, Lakehead won by scores of 7-3 and 4-1. The Thunderwolves swept the 2008-09 season series with the Gryphons, winning by scores of 6-4 and 6-3, November 28-29, 2008 at the Fort Williams Gardens.
Lakehead has an all-time record of 15-3-2 overall and 2-0 in the playoffs versus Guelph and has outscored the Gryphons 99-60 in those 20 games.
Lakehead Thunderwolves
With OUA leading score Brock McPherson sidelined with a broken collarbone, several Thunderwolves will be leaned on for scoring support. Fifth-year senior Scott Dobben enters the weekend seventh in conference scoring with nine goals, 11 assists and 20 points and has been one of Lakeheads most consistent players throughout the year.
Dan Speer leads the Wolves with 16 assists, adding two goals for 18 points while freshman Victor Anilane has continued to exceed a point-a-game pace in notching eight goals, eight assists for 16 points through 14 contests.
Forward Shandor Alphonso has picked up his offensive play of late and with five goals, six assists and 11 points on the year will be a cog in the LU attack against the Gryphons. Mark Soares (seven goals, seven assists), Adam Sergerie (five goals, seven assists), and Kris Hogg (five goals, six assists) will be counted on to contribute effective shifts.
With Pierre-Marc Guilbault out, the Thunderwolves will need balance on the blueline to replace their highest-scoring defenceman. Ryan Baird (two goals, six assists), and Andy Zulyniak (eights assists) have proven themselves as sound puck-movers, while Mitch Maunu and Jordan Smith will need to continue their physical play. Both Maunu and Smith have one goal and six assists, adding offensive depth for Lakehead.
Kyle Moir has been the Wolves' usual starter and has a 8-3-1 record with a a 2.81 GAA and a 0.892 SV%.
Guelph Gryphons
Freshman forward Thomas Kiriakou has made an immediate impact for the Gryphons and leads his team in scoring with six goals, nine assists and 15 points. Kiriakou has two goals and one assist against the Wolves so far this year.
Forwards Kris Belan (six goals, four assists), and Edward Gale (two goals, eight assists) give Guelph scoring depth while Derek Knowles (five goals, two assists) has shown an ability to put the puck in the net.
Freshman blueliner Jon Thomas MacDonald is quickly emerging as an elite CIS defenceman and has six goals, four assists and 10 points on the year. He is the second-leading goal-scorer among D-men in the OUA, trailing only Lakeheads Guilbault.
In goal, Matt Smith has seen the Lions share of the action, and has been solid with a 2.44 GAA and a 0.910 SV %.