Avs top Wild
Published on January 29, 2010 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Wenatchee Wild News Release
WENATCHEE, Wash. - Kyle Pichler scored two key goals and the Alaska Avalanche handed the Wenatchee Wild a 5-2 loss Friday night at the Town Toyota Center. The loss dropped the Wild's season record against the Avalanche to 6-2-1.
The Avalanche controlled the first period, earning a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes of play. Alaska took advantage of a 5-on-3 power play midway through the first period when defenseman Jake Parenteau scored on a shot from the top of the near side faceoff circle. Parenteau was also instrumental in the Avalanche's second goal when he drew extra attention entering the Wenatchee zone and slipped a nice pass to undefended Berkley Scott, who wristed the puck past Wenatchee goaltender Brendan Jensen (El Granada, Calif.) with less than five minutes remaining in the opening frame.
The Wild rebounded in the second period with a pair of even strength goals by Mitch Torrel (Monticello, Minn.) and Nathan Sliwinski (Castle Rock, Col.). Torrel's goal, his fourth in the last three games, came at the 8:12 mark of the second period when he beat Alaska netminder Landon Peterson with a wrist shot from the slot. Armand Deswardt (Dallas, Texas) earned the assist, his fourth point in the last three games. Sliwinski scored the game-tying goal at 11:34 on a low backhander. Duncan McKellar (Phoenix, Ariz.) recorded his 19th assist of the season on Deswardt's goal. Alaska reclaimed its lead, 3-2, late in the second period when Kyle Pichler stole the puck at the Wild blue line and scored on a breakaway.
Pichler did more damage when he scored his second goal of the game, this one on the man advantage, six seconds into the third period to give the Avalanche a 4-2 lead. The Wild had a golden opportunity to get back into the game on a 5-on-3 power play later in the third period, but could not get another puck past Peterson. Logan Rounds added an empty net goal for the 5-2 final. The win was Alaska's first at Wenatchee this season and only the Wild's third home loss of the 2009-10 campaign.
Peterson stopped 41 of the 43 shots he faced. Jensen, whose record fell to 7-2-2, made 15 saves on 19 shots. Alaska was 2-for-4 on the power play while Wenatchee was 0-for-7.
The Wild will try to even its weekend series against the Avalanche at 7:05 p.m. Saturday.
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