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WHL Wenatchee Wild

Isogai Scores on First Shot of Overtime, Wild Extend Run with 4-3 Win Friday

October 28, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Wenatchee Wild News Release


Wenatchee Wild's Conor Geekie and Kenta Isogai celebrate win
Wenatchee Wild's Conor Geekie and Kenta Isogai celebrate win
(Wenatchee Wild, Credit: Evan Morud/Everett Silvertips)

WENATCHEE, Wash. - The Wenatchee Wild and Everett Silvertips have only met three times, and that includes a preseason get-together almost two months ago. Early returns seem to show, though, that the excitement between the two teams simply can't be contained in just 60 minutes.

Everett erased a two-goal Wild lead in the third period Friday, but Kenta Isogai scored just 36 seconds off the opening draw of overtime, giving the Wild a 4-3 victory and extending the team's win streak to four games. The brief visit to Angel of the Winds Arena came amid a six-game homestand for Wenatchee.

It was the Silvertips who got off to the hot start, when Ben Hemmerling stuffed home a goal 1:54 into the game after a pair of shots were blocked in front of the Wild net. Wenatchee tied the game going to the first intermission when Rodzers Bukarts passed the puck to Luka Shcherbyna, who hammered the puck past Tyler Palmer with 5:48 left in the period.

The Silvertips controlled the tempo for much of the second period, putting 25 shots on the board to Wenatchee's five. However, two of those Wild shots also beat Palmer, starting with an uncontested shot from Miles Cooper 5:19 into the second. As the puck was rimmed in behind the Everett net, it took an odd carom out to the goal line from the end boards - with Palmer's attention turned to the other side of the rink, Cooper collected the puck and walked it into the net for the go-ahead goal.

Conor Geekie put the Wild up by two with 47.4 seconds left in the period, sending a shot down the slot that popped off of Palmer and over the top into the net. The Silvertips would come back in the third to even the contest, though, with Austin Roest tapping in a loose puck in front at 7:31 to cut the lead to one, and Teague Patton batting in a chance off a setup pass from Hemmerling with 15.8 seconds remaining in regulation.

The Wild only needed one shot in overtime to end the game - Isogai shed a defender at the blue line before skating the puck to the net, deking twice to his forehand before snapping it into the net and sending the Wild players charging off the bench in celebration.

Daniel Hauser made a career-high 46 saves, earning his fifth win of the year and the 83rd in his WHL career, putting him alone in second on the team's all-time list and two shy of the franchise record. Geekie led the offense with a goal and an assist, followed by Graham Sward with two assists. The game was the 13th straight regular-season contest for Sward with at least one point.

Wenatchee was outstanding on special teams again, going 1-for-4 on the power play and erasing both of Everett's man-advantages. Hemmerling had a goal and two assists to highlight the Silvertips' offense, while Palmer turned away 22 of the 26 Wild shots he saw.

The Wild return home Saturday for HOWL-oween against the Kelowna Rockets, presented by the Kenady Group - the opening puck drop at Town Toyota Center in Wenatchee is slated for 6 p.m. Tickets for that game and all 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 Conor Geekie and Kenta Isogai celebrate win
Wenatchee Wild's Conor Geekie and Kenta Isogai celebrate win
(Evan Morud/Everett Silvertips)		   



Western Hockey League Stories from October 28, 2023


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