Box Score The Waterloo Warriors have been acutely aware of their first-period struggles this season, but at no time was it more apparent than Saturday night in Thunder Bay.

The Lakehead Thunderwolves scored five times in the opening twenty minutes, and they scored the game's first eight goals as they upended the Warriors 9-3 in their last home game of the season at the Fort William Gardens on Saturday night.

Captain Adam Sergerie, fresh off being honoured during Lakehead's senior night, scored three times for the Thunderwolves, who moved into a tie for second in the OUA West division with the win. The Warriors fall to 11-10-5, and into seventh in the OUA West.

Waterloo bounced back with a string third period, as they scored three unanswered goals – including the first career CIS marker for grind line stalwart Jarred Parent (West Montrose/). Kain Allicock (Markham/) and Justin Larson (Buckhorn/) also counted for the Warriors.

Keaton Hartigan (Kitchener/), shouldering the load in goal for the Warriors with Justin Leclerc (Saskatoon/) ill at home, was in for all 9 goals against, making 27 saves in the loss. Lakehead keeper Alex Dupuis turned aside 36 shots in the Wolves victory.

Lakehead jumped out early and often off the opening faceoff, as Sergerie found twine before the game was five minutes old. The goals then came in bunches, as Ryan Magill, Sergerie again, and Jay Gilbert all scored before the 12-minute mark. Magill capped off the first period scoring with his second of the night at 18:24, and the Warriors found themselves down five after twenty minutes.

The Wolves continued with their foot on the gas in the second, as all three members of Lakehead's top line cashed in early in the stanza. Luke Judson, Mike Hammond, and Matt Caria scored before the game had reached its midway point, and the rout was officially on.

With little more to play for than pride – and to send a message for when these two teams meet next weekend in Waterloo – that's exactly what the Warriors did in the third period. Allicock scored on the man advantage just past the 8-minute mark to open the scoring, before Parent added his first goal, and Justin Larson (Buckhorn/) found the back of the net to make the score a more respectable 8-3.

With time winding down in the third, Sergerie completed the fairytale night with his hat trick goal to round out the scoring for the night.

The Warriors will now return home to finish out their home schedule next weekend, when they host the Windsor Lancers on Friday night, before hosting these Thunderwolves on Saturday night. Both games are possible first-round playoff previews, and both games will be broadcast on the streaming sports network at www.ssncanada.ca

Notes: The Warriors went 2-for-4 on the power play, while the Thunderwolves went 1-for-3…Larson's goal moves him back into a tie for first in the nation in scoring with 39 points…Parent's first career goal comes in his 47^th career CIS game.