The Sudbury Wolves suffered a 3-0 shutout at the St. Catherines' Meridian Centre Friday, in what would be their final regular season matchup against the Niagara IceDogs.
Wolves' Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen had an exceptional performance, saving 34 of the 36 shots on goal; but it wasn't enough to keep the team from their second season loss against the IceDogs. Final shots on goal were 37-30 in favour of Niagara.
Strong defence by both teams created a stalemate in the first period. Niagara looked to open the scoreboard with a shot past Luukkonen, but it was waived off a delayed penalty given to Jason Roberston. Shots on goal were 11-10 in favour of Sudbury.
Things got physical five minutes into second between Wolves' Ryan O'Bonsawin and IceDogs' Kyen Sopa, sparking a fire on the Niagara bench. Not long after, IceDogs' Jack Studnicka flew through the slot to give Niagara their first of the night.
The IceDogs extended their lead in the final frame with a shot by Niagara's Oliver Castleman, making a comeback by Sudbury that much more improbable. Despite considerable effort by the pack, they were unable to catch the IceDogs lead. One final empty-net goal by Niagara's Studnicka, ended the match with a 3-0 final for the IceDogs.
The Sudbury Wolves look to claim another win against the Hamilton Bulldogs on the road this evening at 4 p.m., after which they will take a short break before their final home game 7:05 p.m. Mar. 15, against the Bulldogs.
