Fairbanks Salvages Weekend Split With Wild
January 5, 2014 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Wenatchee Wild News Release
Wenatchee, WA. - The Fairbanks Ice Dogs broke open a tie game with two third period goals Saturday night, skating to a 5-3 win over the Wenatchee Wild before 3,321 fans at the Town Toyota Center.
Nicholas Rivera (Pacific Palisades, California) picked up a rebound and gunned one home from in tight, off assists from Mike Coyne (Kenmore, New York) and Christian Salvato (LaVerne, California) at 2:49, for a 1-0 first period Wild lead. Lonnie Clary would score for Fairbanks in similar fashion just over three minutes later. The goal, at 6:01, was assisted by Willie Brooks and Yannick Vedel, tying the game 1-1. Coyne would force a turnover behind the net halfway through the period and fed Tanner Barnes (Burnsville, Minnesota) in front of the net for a one-timer goal. That score, at 10:30, gave Wenatchee a 2-1 lead.
The Ice Dogs tied the game in the opening minute of the second period. Brett Gervais scored a rebound goal from Doug Rose at 43 seconds, tying the contest 2-2. Fairbanks would take their first lead of the game at the 13:44 mark, as Tayler Munson tapped home a pass from the right corner. Hans Gorowsky and Viktor Liljegren drew assists, giving the Ice Dogs a 3-2 lead. Rivera tied the game for the Wild a couple of minutes later, as he shoveled home a redirect of a point shot on the power play. Coyne and Salvato assisted at 16:10 and the game was tied 3-3.
Gorowsky got the lead back for Fairbanks with a low wrister from the left side. Wyatt Ege and Munson assisted at 7:27, making it 4-3 Ice Dogs. Wenatchee would continue to battle, but couldn't get the equalizer, surrendering a Colton Wolter empty net goal, assisted by Rose at 19:59, which gave Fairbanks the 5-3 win. "I think we were satisfied with the win last night" said Wenatchee Wild Head Coach Bliss Littler. "Tonight, we were a little short of the effort that we needed to take a big step forward. I thought we were satisfied with ourselves." On the play of Coyne and Rivera, Littler said "I thought they were our two best players, I thought they grew a lot this weekend. Their compete level should have been an example as to how hard you can play and when you play that hard, good things happen for you." Littler continued, saying "Fairbanks showed why they're in first place. They didn't make many mistakes tonight."
The Ice Dogs outshot the Wild 30-22. Chase Perry (Andover, Minnesota) made 25 saves for Wenatchee; Kevin Aldridge had 19 saves for Fairbanks. The Wild was 1-for-3 on the power play and 4-of-4 on the penalty kill.
The Wild is now 16-14-3; Fairbanks is 24-11-0.
Wenatchee now hits the road for three games in Kenai River January 9th, 10th and 11th, then three games in Fairbanks on January 16th, 17th and 18th, before returning home to face Bismarck on January 24th and 25th. Individual and group game tickets for all home games are on sale now. Call 509.888.PUCK (7825).
North American Hockey League Stories from January 5, 2014
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- Fairbanks Salvages Weekend Split With Wild - Wenatchee Wild
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