BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
It was just what the doctor ordered.
The Sudbury Wolves beat the Toronto St.
Michael's Majors 4-1 yesterday at the Sudbury Arena to get
back in the win column and regain some confidence.
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The win ended a busy 12 days for the Wolves,
that saw them play seven games in that stretch.
It also ended a mini-slump by the
Wolves.
They skated to a 2-2 tie last Friday night
against the Mississauga IceDogs, lost 3-0 to the Barrie Colts
last Thursday and dropped a crushing 7-3 game to the Sault Ste.
Marie Greyhounds on Tuesday of last week.
The Wolves overcame a sluggish first period
and a one-goal deficit to bring home the win.
Â"We didn't come out playing great at the
start of the game, but I thought that we found a way to get
going and made some things happen, especially in the second
period,Â" said head coach Mike Foligno. Â"I thought we had a
lot more players involved today then we have had in the last
couple of games. It has made a difference for us. We're a
skating team. Once we start skating, good things happen for
us.Â"
But even with the positive outcome, Foligno
was concerned.
Â"I thought our defence was sporadic,Â"
Foligno said. Â"We need them to be more consistent. That's
what we are going to strive for. We have a young defence, and
we know that we are going to suffer in some games, but they
have to expect it out of themselves.Â"
The win was a much need boost for the local
boys.
Â"It's a positive thing for us to get
back in the win column,Â" said Zack Stortini. Â"It was
important to win against Toronto because they are a division
rival. It was a solid game. Everyone came out and worked hard,
and that's what we needed to win.Â"
The Wolves allowed Toronto to score the first
goal in the first period, when Darryl Boyce popped a loose puck
past Patrick Ehelechner at 9:40.
Kyle Mussleman tried to give the Wolves a
spark by dropping the gloves with the Majors' Ryan
Wilson.
Both men threw some damaging punches and
battled to a hard-fought draw.
The Wolves woke up early in the second period
to tie the game when Rafal Martynowski grabbed a loose puck in
the slot and fired a backhand shot past Majors' goalie
Justin Peters at 2:59.
Minutes later, the Wolves took the lead when
Marc Staal slammed the puck in the net at 9:35.
The Wolves added to their lead on the power
play when Ben Pouliot picked up the puck by the side of the net
and buried it at 19:13.
The gloves went flying again soon after as
Ryan Hastings, who earlier dropped Toronto's Cal
Clutterbuck with a hard check, answered the door with
Toronto's Nathan McIver knocking.
Once Hastings got loose, he let his fists
smash McIver into the ice.
Stortini scored the final goal for the
Wolves.
Ehelechner was sharp, making 29 saves.
With the win, The Wolves are now tied with
the IceDogs for second spot in the Central Division with 22
points, although Sudbury has played two more games.
Tied IceDogs on Friday
On Friday, the Wolves and the IceDogs battled
to a 2-2 draw at the Sudbury Arena.
Sudbury had built up a 2-0 lead by the second
period, but let it slip away.
Martynowski and Jonathan D'Aversa scored
for the Wolves.
Tom Zanoski and Kyle Quincey scored for the
IceDogs.
The Wolves are back in action this Friday
when they host the Barrie Colts at the Sudbury Arena. Game time
is 7:30 pm.
