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WHL Wenatchee Wild

Hauser Pitches 39-Save Shutout as Wild Return Home, Top Vancouver 4-0 Friday

October 20, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Wenatchee Wild News Release


Wenatchee Wild's Briley Wood on game night
Wenatchee Wild's Briley Wood on game night
(Wenatchee Wild, Credit: Russ Alman/Wenatchee Wild)

WENATCHEE, Wash. - There's just something about being home.

After an eight-game road swing, their longest of the 2023-24 season, the Wenatchee Wild put on a show for their fans at Town Toyota Center on Friday night, using three second-period goals and a 39-save shutout from Daniel Hauser to post a 4-0 victory over the Vancouver Giants in a Western Hockey League matchup. The win starts a welcome homestand for the Wild, with six of the next seven games scheduled to be played on home ice.

The teams played to a scoreless tie in the first 20 minutes, but the Giants got the looks they wanted, with two power plays and a 19-8 edge on shots in the opening period. The Wild got all the offense they needed from their veterans in the middle stanza, starting with a sharp-angle toss from Conor Geekie at the 3:07 mark - his shot hit the top of the net and put the Wild on top, 1-0.

Briley Wood used his hand-eye coordination for a goal at 6:40 of the period, batting in a rebound out of midair on a left-wing shot from Graham Sward for a 2-0 advantage. Kenta Isogai pushed the lead out to three goals with 2:11 left in the period, ripping a wrist shot into the top corner over Brett Mirwald's left shoulder.

The Wild saw a milestone moment for Luka Shcherbyna with 2:15 remaining in the game, grabbing a Vancouver turnover below the blue line and tossing it past Mirwald from the slot for his first WHL goal to put the cap on a 4-0 victory.

"Our leaders definitely stepped up," said associate head coach Chris Clark. "We challenged the power play, and they got us on the board in the second period, and then Woody gets to the net and bats the puck out of midair. [Luka's] first goal, he was awesome tonight for a kid who hasn't played in a month - when you don't get to practice for a month because of an injury, your coordination gets off and your conditioning gets off, but he came with a ton of energy tonight and played a really strong game."

Hauser earned his 81st career victory and 11th career shutout, even picking up an assist on Isogai's goal in the second period. Sward and Wood both tacked onto their scoring streaks, with Sward posting two assists to extend his run to nine straight games to start the season. Wood celebrated his 100th WHL contest Friday and pushed his point streak to eight straight outings with his second-period goal.

Isogai notched a goal and two assists to lead all scorers in the game, while Geekie returned to the score sheet and helped Wenatchee to a 1-for-5 mark on the power play. The Wild penalty kill also did its share, turning away all four Vancouver power plays in the game. Mirwald made 33 saves in the loss for the Giants.

Wenatchee's homestand continues Saturday as the Brandon Wheat Kings visit Town Toyota Center for the first time. Saturday's game is Healthcare Workers' Night presented by Columbia Valley Community Health, with the opening puck drop slated for 6 p.m.

Tickets for that game and all Wenatchee Wild home regular-season contests are on sale now at 509-888-7825, or by visiting the team office at Town Toyota Center. Updated news and information on Wild hockey are always available through the team's website and on the team's social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

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Images from this story

Wenatchee Wild's Briley Wood on game night
Wenatchee Wild's Briley Wood on game night
(Russ Alman/Wenatchee Wild)		   



Western Hockey League Stories from October 20, 2023


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