Lakers Earn First Win

The Wallaceburg Lakers avoided unlucky number 13, picking up their first win of the season on Friday night.

Devil’s Night was more than kind to the Wallaceburg Lakers, offering their first win of the season while proving scary for the Dresden Jr Kings in a 12-goal affair on Friday night.

Dresden’s Will Tetzlaf opened the scoring on the power play at 6:18 of the first period. A John Montgomery point shot was deflected by Macks Holmes. Tetzlaf buried the rebound at the side of the net. Justin Browning tied the game at one less than a minute later, beating an unsuspecting Travis Moore short side. Dresden wouldn’t see the lead again. After two additional first period goals from the Lakers’ Kadin Ritchie, Wallaceburg took a 3-1 lead into the first intermission.

Thanks to a second period goal by former Jr King Justin Melo and terrific goaltending from new Lakers goaltender George Hill, Wallaceburg was able to stay in the game while trying to avoid an 0-13 start, despite a continued Lakers march to the penalty box. Dresden’s Geoffry VandenBoorn was one of the best players on the ice Friday night and was rewarded with two second period goals, including a 5-on-3 powerplay goal. Macks Holmes and John Montgomery assisted on both VandenBoorn goals.

Wallaceburg entered the third period with a 4-3 lead. Just 24 seconds into the frame, George Wood extended that lead, scoring the eventual game-winner while on a 5-on-3 Lakers powerplay, held over from penalties at the tail end of the second. Dresden’s Macks Holmes and Isaac McLean helped make it interesting mid-way through the third period, tying the affair at 5. That tie game lasted four and a half minutes until the Lakers’ Bronson Bea capitalized on a penalty shot after being taken down during a breakaway attempt. George Wood added an empty net goal for his second of the night to put the game on ice and ensure the first Lakers victory of the 2015-16 season.

The Lakers’ George Hill stopped 41 of 46 shots, making plenty of key saves throughout the game. Dresden’s Travis Moore stopped 21 of 28 shots. Wallaceburg’s Brendan Ritchie added three assists to his growing point tally, now at 10 points in 7 games played. Dresden’s John Montgomery had 3 assists while Macks Holmes led all players with one goal and three assists for four points.

The Lakers remain in ninth place with a 1-12 record, hoping to rise in the standings. Dresden remains seven points ahead of Wallaceburg in eighth place.