Davis Leads Wild to 3-1 Win in Pivotal Game 3
May 4, 2013 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Wenatchee Wild News Release
FAIRBANKS, Alaska - Jono Davis (La Verne, Calif.) scored two goals, Robert Nichols (Dallas, Texas) gave up just one marker and every other member of the Wenatchee Wild elevated their level of play to help their team secure a 3-1 victory Friday over the Fairbanks Ice Dogs in Game 3 of the NAHL West Division finals at the Big Dipper Ice Arena in Fairbanks, Alaska.
The Wild can punch their ticket to the 2013 NAHL Robertson Cup Championship Tournament, which will be held May 10-13 at the Dr. Pepper Arena in Frisco, Texas, with one more win over the Ice Dogs. Game 4 of the series is Saturday in Fairbanks. Faceoff is set for 8:30 p.m. For a small fee, fans can watch the game live by logging on to www.FASTHockey.com.
"It was a pretty good effort, that's for sure," Wenatchee Wild head coach Bliss Littler said. "Our best players were our best players, but everybody stepped up their game. That was a total team effort."
Davis lit the first lamp of the contest 5:16 into the first period. After receiving a pass from Blake Butzow (Plymouth, Mich.) in the neutral zone down the right wing, Davis slid the puck between a defenseman's wickets and scored one-on-one with a glove-side shot.
The Wild had chances to extend their lead later in the first period, but Max McHugh (Edgewood, Wash.) rang a shot off the post and Chris Kerr (Penticton, British Columbia) was denied on a breakaway. The Wild stayed on top 1-0 after 20 minutes of play after killing off an abbreviated 5-on-3 Ice Dogs advantage late in the first stanza.
Davis got back to work and doubled the visiting team's lead to 2-0 when he notched a 5-on-3 power-play goal 81 second into the second period. Josh Hartley (Coquitlam, British Columbia) and Jacob Barber (Dardenne Prairie, Mo.) assisted on Davis' eventual game-winning goal, which he scored on a one-time from the far point.
The Ice Dogs sliced the Wild lead in half with 3:13 left before the second intermission when Lawrence Cornellier scored on a breakaway after receiving a pass from Nick Hinz.
Nichols made two key saves on shots from the slot with under 10 minutes to play in the third before the Wild put the game away with 26 seconds remaining when Chris Jones (Normandy Park, Wash.) scored an empty-netter. Joe Sullivan (Las Vegas, Nev.) assisted.
As important as Davis and Nichols were, every Wild player contributed to the win. Littler pinpointed one line that was particularly effective, the fourth line combination of Trevor Stewart (East Wenatchee, Wash.), Nathan Flynn (Hastings, Minn.) and Brian Williams (San Diego, Calif.).
"They gave us some jump, some life," Littler said of the fourth line.
Nichols made 26 saves on 27 shots to earn the win, his fifth of the postseason. Fairbanks goalie Steve Perry made 30 saves on 32 shots. Wenatchee scored one power-play goal on six tries while Fairbanks went 0-for-4 on power play.
Eliminating the Ice Dogs, who qualified for the last three Roberts Cup Championship Tournaments and won the crown in 2011, won't be easy. But the Wild, who are seeking a return to the championship tournament for the first time since 2009, are ready for the challenge.
"Same formula as [Friday night]," Littler said when asked what his team needs to do to close out the series. "We just need an outstanding effort from everybody and good special teams."
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- Davis Leads Wild to 3-1 Win in Pivotal Game 3 - Wenatchee Wild
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