The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's hockey team lost 5-3 against the Lakehead Thunderwolves in their second regular season game on Saturday (Oct. 5th) night in Thunder Bay.
 
The first period saw plenty of action as the Blues came onto the ice flying, hoping to put up another win against Lakehead after a stellar game the night before. Lakehead's Olivier Pouliot managed to get his team onto the board early after a power play, but the Blues were quick to respond. Second-year forward Julian Recine snagged the first goal for the Blues, assisted by Ben Woodhouse. However, Dylan Massie from the Thunderwolves was able to add to their tally, and the first period finished at a score of 2-1 with the Blues looking to bounce back and turn the tide.
 
Both teams continued the pressure into the second, forcing some tough saves from both first-year netminder Sebastian Resar and Lakehead's Carson Cherepak. After a barrage of shots from Lakehead, Justin Paul managed to squeak a third goal in for the Thunderwolves. But nearly 2 minutes later, Recine sniped a second goal into the open backdoor of the net after receiving a beautiful two-pass-play from fourth-year forward Owen Robinson and first-year forward Cooper Way. With a minute left in the second, a 5-on-3 advantage led to countless opportunities for the Blues, but time ran out before they could capitalize.
 
For much of the third period, Toronto and Lakehead fought an evenly matched battle, with both teams trading chances. Despite the Blues' best efforts to close the gap, Lakehead put in their fourth from a breakaway goal by Malte Hasselgren. With just under two minutes left, Lakehead took a penalty, and Toronto pulled Resar to create a 6-on-4 advantage. The pressure paid off as Owen Luik found the back of the net, tightening the difference in the score. However, Lakehead's Justin Paul managed a last-second empty net goal to finish the third at 5-3.
 
The Blues will bounce back close to home as they face the Toronto Metropolitan University Bold on Wednesday (Oct. 9th). Puck drop at the Mattamy Athletic Centre is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. The game can be streamed on oua.tv.