BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
The Sudbury Northern Wolves rode a total team effort to a 4-2 win over the visiting North Bay Skyhawks in a big game in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) action Wednesday night at the McClelland Arena.
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Head coach Jason Stos was thrilled with his team's total team effort after a horrible 6-0 loss to Northern Michigan on the weekend.
"It was unbelievable," said Stos. "We had all the horses going. We took it pretty good in Michigan the other night and, as a group, I think we felt we felt we were much better than that. We came out and rebounded with a full effort from everybody tonight."
Mills knows the win was a big one.
"We had a good game," said Mills. "We played good defence and scored when we had to. It was a big win for us. That 6-0 loss was a big wakeup call for us."
Tyler MacKenzie knew Sudbury had to get back in the win column.
"Coming off that loss was tough and it was great to beat North Bay because they're a good team," said MacKenzie. "We went hard the whole game."
Skyhawks head coach Guy Blanchard was not impressed with his team's performance at all.
"We're still a hockey team playing on last year's performance," said Blanchard. "We just got outworked. We have a bunch of veterans that just want things to come to them."
Skyhawks defenceman Jason Gauthier echoed his coach's comments.
"We got outperformed by a younger team tonight," said Gauthier. "We have to improve our heart and guys have to work harder."
Sudbury opened the scoring early in the first period when Mike Mills picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone, raced down the right side and wired a wicked wrist shot past Skyhawks goalie Martin Perreault to make it 1-0 at 4:26.
The rest of the period was a rough affair as both teams waged war for on-ice supremacy.
There was plenty of hacking and slashing as many players got involved a war of words.
There was only one penalty called and it was at the end of the period. It went to North Bay and it would eventually cost them early in the second period.
Starting the period with 3:58 on the power play, Sudbury cashed in when Jeffrey Christison completed a nifty passing play with Corey McGillis and Christian Cundari to make it 2-0 at 2:26.
North Bay got right back into the game moments later when Ryan McKee jammed home a loose puck in a ballistic goal-mouth scramble to make it 2-1 at 8:29.
Sudbury answered right back, when Jesse Graham outhustled North Bay defenders to a loose puck in the neutral zone, skated in alone on Perreault, deked him and tucked the puck into the net to make it 3-1 at 17:50.
Sudbury continued their assault in the third period.
Scott Lavigne blasted a rocket from the point, that eluded Perreault to make it 4-1 at 7:19. It was Lavigne's first goal of the season.
North Bay got a late goal by Bruce Winn at 14:47 to make it 4-2, but it was as close as the Skyhawks would come as Sudbury skated away with a hard-fought victory.
Sudbury's next home game is Wednesday, Nov. 19 against the Soo Thunderbirds. Game time is 7:30 pm.
Snap shots
-Kevin Beech made 27 saves in the game, including four key saves from in close throughout the game.
-Lavigne was named the game's first star, he finished with one goal and one assist.
-Mills also racked up a goal and an assist.
