February 22, 2009
OUA M-HOCKEY ROUNDUP: NO. 10 THUNDERWOLVES SWEEP NO. 9 WARRIORS
WATERLOO, Ont. - The CIS No. 10 Lakehead Thunderwolves men's hockey team earned a 2-0 sweep of their OUA best-of-three first round playoff series with a 6-2 road win over the No. 9 Warriors Saturday night at the Columbia Ice Fields Arena in Waterloo.
Lakehead now has a 20-8-1-1 overall OUA record (2-0 OUA play0ffs), while Waterloo ends the season with an overall OUA mark of 18-9-0-3 (0-2 playoffs).
The Wolves controlled much of the play in the first two periods, building up a 5-0 lead over the Warriors. However, Waterloo did not give up and they played very well in the third period, notching two goals before Lakehead salted away the win with an empty netter.
Lakehead was led by Andrew Brown (Bancroft, Ont.) with a goal and three assists. Kris Hogg (Sicamous, B.C.) added a pair of goals while Lakehead's other tallies came from Mark Soares (Burnaby, B.C.) and Scott Dobben (Drayton, Ont.) with Brock McPherson (Brampton, Ont.) firing a long-distance empty netter to ice the game. Jordan Smith (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.) played a strong defensive game for the Wolves and added two assists.
Waterloo's goals came from Kyle Sonnenburg (Waterloo, Ont.) and Doug Spooner (Toronto, Ont.).
Final shots on goal were 29-26 Waterloo. Wolves fifth-year senior netminder and reigning OUA MVP Chris Whitley (Oshawa, Ont.) played another great game and won his second of the playoffs and fourth consecutive win, turning aside 24 Waterloo shots. Pier Pelletier (Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!, Que.) took the loss for the Warriors, stopping 12 Lakehead shots and allowing five goals. Backup Keaton Hartigan (Kitchener, Ont.) took over between the pipes in the third for Waterloo and didn't allow a goal, stopping eight Lakehead shots.
Lakehead was 1-of-2 on the power play while Waterloo was 1-of-8. However, Hogg's shorthanded goal at 18:28 of the first period could have been the turning point of the game as Hogg stole the puck at centre ice and stormed in to beat Waterloo netminder Pelletier. Soares also scored a shorthanded breakaway goal at 8:40 of the second to really shock the Warriors.
Lakehead is waiting to see who its opponent will be in the second round of the OUA playoffs, as Guelph tied their series with No. 6 Western with a big 2-1 OT win. That series will be decided Sunday in London.
Source: Thunderwolves Athletics
Photo Credit: Mike Lavoie
GUELPH 2, NO. 6 WESTERN 1, OT
Best-of-three series tied 1-1
GUELPH, Ont. - Zach Lillie (Bracebridge, Ont.) scored the game-tying and game-winning goals, as the Guelph Gryphons stayed alive with a come-from-behind 2-1 overtime win over the Western Mustangs at the Gryphon Centre on Feb. 21.
With the win Guelph forces a third and deciding game in the best-of-three OUA West quarter-final series on Sunday, at 7:30 p.m. at Thompson Arena in London, Ont.
Justin Gvora (Thunder Bay, Ont.) set up both Guelph goals, while Jeff Martens (Maple Ridge, B.C.) scored the lone Western goal.
Brad Topping (Strathroy, Ont.) played one of his better games of the season making 32 saves. But Adam Jennings (Calgary, Alta.) also make 32 saves, many of them game-saving glove grabs in the third period with the Mustangs pressing for an insurance goal.
Just over six minutes into the game, Jason Furlong (London, Ont.) had a glorious chance to score but despite his patience his shot slid off Jennings' stick and hit the side of the net.
Martens opened the scoring as his centring pass to Furlong went off Guelph defender Patrick Campbell (Sauble Beach, Ont.) and into the net.
The game remained at 1-0 lead for Western until the third period, despite a number of chances at both ends.
Geoff Guimond (Mississauga, Ont.) had a great chance to tie on a two-on-none breakaway late in the first, but Topping stopped the shot and the rebound was cleared with a great defensive back check by two Western forwards.
Topping robbed Guelph forward David Volpe (Bolton, Ont.) later in the period with just over three minutes remaining in the first.
Western had several chances to score an insurance marker in the second period. Mike Sharp (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.) fed senior defenceman Chris Petrow (Haliburton, Ont.) with just over three minutes left in the frame, but Jennings made one of many great glove saves to keep the Gryphons in the game.
Alex Magera (Edmonton, Alta.) missed a wide open net with Topping out of position and unable to recover midway through the third period.
But Guelph kept the pressure coming.
Volpe had another glorious chance with Topping down, but the shot slid up the stick of the Western goalie and hit the side of the net.
Magera had another chance to tie but his shot hits post and the juicy rebound was missed despite a few missed swats at the puck.
Jennings was the difference as he was solid late making several timely saves.
Kyle Lamb (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) had his second effort in front on the backhand go just wide, before Lillie finally tied the game for Guelph.
With just over five minutes remaining, Lillie took a Gvora pass in transition and snapped it high stick-side on Topping to break the shutout on Guelph's 24th shot of the game.
Lamb took a Farmanara pass and shot high, but Jennings came up with another big save
Captain Sal Peralta also had a chance to win it for Western late in the third, but Jennings slid across in a play that almost seemed like it was in slow motion with 50 seconds left.
In the opening minute of overtime, Derek Knowles (Vanderhoof, B.C.) saw his glorious opportunity to score sail wide.
But the Gryphons kept the pressure on and Lillie netted his game winner just over five minutes into overtime from 10 feet out, through traffic, to force a third and deciding game.
Source: Mustangs Athletics
Lakehead now has a 20-8-1-1 overall OUA record (2-0 OUA play0ffs), while Waterloo ends the season with an overall OUA mark of 18-9-0-3 (0-2 playoffs).
The Wolves controlled much of the play in the first two periods, building up a 5-0 lead over the Warriors. However, Waterloo did not give up and they played very well in the third period, notching two goals before Lakehead salted away the win with an empty netter.
Lakehead was led by Andrew Brown (Bancroft, Ont.) with a goal and three assists. Kris Hogg (Sicamous, B.C.) added a pair of goals while Lakehead's other tallies came from Mark Soares (Burnaby, B.C.) and Scott Dobben (Drayton, Ont.) with Brock McPherson (Brampton, Ont.) firing a long-distance empty netter to ice the game. Jordan Smith (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.) played a strong defensive game for the Wolves and added two assists.
Waterloo's goals came from Kyle Sonnenburg (Waterloo, Ont.) and Doug Spooner (Toronto, Ont.).
Final shots on goal were 29-26 Waterloo. Wolves fifth-year senior netminder and reigning OUA MVP Chris Whitley (Oshawa, Ont.) played another great game and won his second of the playoffs and fourth consecutive win, turning aside 24 Waterloo shots. Pier Pelletier (Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!, Que.) took the loss for the Warriors, stopping 12 Lakehead shots and allowing five goals. Backup Keaton Hartigan (Kitchener, Ont.) took over between the pipes in the third for Waterloo and didn't allow a goal, stopping eight Lakehead shots.
Lakehead was 1-of-2 on the power play while Waterloo was 1-of-8. However, Hogg's shorthanded goal at 18:28 of the first period could have been the turning point of the game as Hogg stole the puck at centre ice and stormed in to beat Waterloo netminder Pelletier. Soares also scored a shorthanded breakaway goal at 8:40 of the second to really shock the Warriors.
Lakehead is waiting to see who its opponent will be in the second round of the OUA playoffs, as Guelph tied their series with No. 6 Western with a big 2-1 OT win. That series will be decided Sunday in London.
Source: Thunderwolves Athletics
Photo Credit: Mike Lavoie
GUELPH 2, NO. 6 WESTERN 1, OT
Best-of-three series tied 1-1
GUELPH, Ont. - Zach Lillie (Bracebridge, Ont.) scored the game-tying and game-winning goals, as the Guelph Gryphons stayed alive with a come-from-behind 2-1 overtime win over the Western Mustangs at the Gryphon Centre on Feb. 21.
With the win Guelph forces a third and deciding game in the best-of-three OUA West quarter-final series on Sunday, at 7:30 p.m. at Thompson Arena in London, Ont.
Justin Gvora (Thunder Bay, Ont.) set up both Guelph goals, while Jeff Martens (Maple Ridge, B.C.) scored the lone Western goal.
Brad Topping (Strathroy, Ont.) played one of his better games of the season making 32 saves. But Adam Jennings (Calgary, Alta.) also make 32 saves, many of them game-saving glove grabs in the third period with the Mustangs pressing for an insurance goal.
Just over six minutes into the game, Jason Furlong (London, Ont.) had a glorious chance to score but despite his patience his shot slid off Jennings' stick and hit the side of the net.
Martens opened the scoring as his centring pass to Furlong went off Guelph defender Patrick Campbell (Sauble Beach, Ont.) and into the net.
The game remained at 1-0 lead for Western until the third period, despite a number of chances at both ends.
Geoff Guimond (Mississauga, Ont.) had a great chance to tie on a two-on-none breakaway late in the first, but Topping stopped the shot and the rebound was cleared with a great defensive back check by two Western forwards.
Topping robbed Guelph forward David Volpe (Bolton, Ont.) later in the period with just over three minutes remaining in the first.
Western had several chances to score an insurance marker in the second period. Mike Sharp (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.) fed senior defenceman Chris Petrow (Haliburton, Ont.) with just over three minutes left in the frame, but Jennings made one of many great glove saves to keep the Gryphons in the game.
Alex Magera (Edmonton, Alta.) missed a wide open net with Topping out of position and unable to recover midway through the third period.
But Guelph kept the pressure coming.
Volpe had another glorious chance with Topping down, but the shot slid up the stick of the Western goalie and hit the side of the net.
Magera had another chance to tie but his shot hits post and the juicy rebound was missed despite a few missed swats at the puck.
Jennings was the difference as he was solid late making several timely saves.
Kyle Lamb (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) had his second effort in front on the backhand go just wide, before Lillie finally tied the game for Guelph.
With just over five minutes remaining, Lillie took a Gvora pass in transition and snapped it high stick-side on Topping to break the shutout on Guelph's 24th shot of the game.
Lamb took a Farmanara pass and shot high, but Jennings came up with another big save
Captain Sal Peralta also had a chance to win it for Western late in the third, but Jennings slid across in a play that almost seemed like it was in slow motion with 50 seconds left.
In the opening minute of overtime, Derek Knowles (Vanderhoof, B.C.) saw his glorious opportunity to score sail wide.
But the Gryphons kept the pressure on and Lillie netted his game winner just over five minutes into overtime from 10 feet out, through traffic, to force a third and deciding game.
Source: Mustangs Athletics
