Box Score After a split on the road last weekend, the Nipissing Lakers men's hockey team returned home for a pair of games against the Lakehead Thunderwolves.

The Lakers welcomed the Thunderwolves to town, hosting them for the first time in almost a decade.

In the first of two contests between the teams, the Lakers dropped a tight 4-3 decision in a shootout to Lakehead.

It didn't take long for the teams to get on the board, with both finding the back of the net within the first three minutes.

Two minutes in, Elvis Slack snapped home his first career OUA goal to give Nipissing an early lead.

Elias Lieffers and Harrison Caines picked up helpers on the game's opening tally.

Just a minute later, the Thunderwolves replied, scoring on an odd-man rush to even things up.

Lakehead took the lead late in the period, scoring with two minutes left in the first thanks to a power play marker.

Shots favoured the Thunderwolves 13-9 after 20 minutes of play.

In the middle frame, the teams combined for three more goals, with the Lakers storming back to tie things up.

After Lakehead took a 3-1 lead, Parker Bowman took over for Nipissing, as the captain led his team back.

Bowman's third of the season came thanks to a fantastic stretch pass that sprung Bowman on a partial breakaway where he went upstairs to make it 3-2 Lakehead.

And just minutes before the end of the period, he tallied again, once again going top-shelf on the rush to make it 3-3.

Shots still favoured Lakehead, 24-21, but with 20 minutes to go, the game was tied.

After an offensive 40 minutes, neither team found the back of the net in the third or overtime, sending the game to a shootout.

The Thunderwolves managed the only goal, escaping with a win and the extra point.

Reece Proulx was in net for the Lakers, finishing with 32 saves, while Nipissing had 30 shots of their own.

The teams are back on the ice Friday night to wrap up the weekend series.

Game time is at 7pm at Memorial Gardens.