This Friday evening in Thunder Bay the York Lions men's hockey program hit the ice at the Fort William Gardens searching for their first win of the season. Sitting at the bottom of the OUA West with a 0-5 record, the Lions entered a challenging match up against the Lakehead Thunderwolves, who came into the match with a 3-3 record and looking to maintain their standing in front of the home crowd. With pressure mounting and points becoming harder to come by as the season rolls on, York stepped onto the ice determined to turn their season around.

Lakehead opened the scoring halfway through the first period at 10:26, giving the Thunderwolves early control. York had chances on the power play but couldn't capitalize, trailing 1-0 after 20 minutes despite a strong stretch of forechecking.

Lakehead extended their lead early in the second period on the power play striking at at 2:44 to make it 2-0. York responded with urgency, and the comeback began at 8:07 when Brendan McCarthy snapped home his first of the night, assisted by Harry Clark. McCarthy stayed hot, scoring again just three minutes later at 11:04 from Aiden MacIntosh and Olivier Lamothe, tying the game 2-2 heading into the third.

The intensity ramped up in the final period of regulation play. Lakehead regained the lead at 6:13 to make it 3-2. However, York answered quickly, just a minute later, when Aiden MacIntosh tied things back up at 7:34 off a setup from McCarthy. Lakehead grabbed the lead once more at 8:48 scoring off a shot through high traffic, but York pushed back relentlessly. With time winding down, MacIntosh struck again at 16:29, burying his second of the game to send things to overtime as the game was tied 4-4.

Overtime didn't last long. Just 1:12 into the extra frame, Clark played hero for York, finishing a cross-ice pass from Brandon McCartney and Lamothe to complete the comeback victory.

LOOKING AHEAD
Riding their first win of the season, the Lions remain in Thunder Bay for the second game of the doubleheader against Lakehead on Saturday, October 25. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. as York looks to turn their momentum into their first winning streak of the year.