Overtime Reversal: Saylor Goal Lifts Wild
November 27, 2011 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Wenatchee Wild News Release
FRESNO, Calif. - Blake Saylor (Centennial, Colo.) turned a neutral zone turnover into a breakaway goal that lifted the Wenatchee Wild to a 4-3 overtime victory Saturday over the Fresno Monsters at the Selland Arena in Fresno, Calif. The win was a fitting reversal of fortune for the Wild after suffering an overtime loss to the Monsters Friday night.
Saylor scratched out the win for the Wild with a backhand-to-forehand deke, finishing with a top-shelf shot that sailed over the blocker of Monsters goaltender Macauley Haight. Chris Kerr (Penticton, British Columbia) earned the only assist on the play when he hit Saylor with a pass in the neutral zone.
Jerad Tafoya (Highland Ranch, Colo.) provided an early spark when he put the Wild on the scoreboard 95 seconds into the contest when he lit the lamp from a very sharp angle just above the goal line on the near side of the ice. Max McHugh (Edgewood, Wash.) and Ben Carey (Centennial, Colo.) assisted.
Fresno evened the score 23 seconds into the second period when Zack Wallace scored on a backhander from the slot. Petr Mainer collected the lone assist. The game would not stay tied for long as the Wild would take a 2-goal lead into the third stanza on a pair of second-period power play markers.
The Wild evened the score, 2-2, just over two minutes into the second period on a power-play goal by Carey. Kerr, Shawn Pauly (Bellingham, Wash.) and Carey entered the Fresno zone on a 3-on-2 situation. Kerr, who carried the mail into the zone down the left wing, centered to Pauly whose shot landed on Carey's blade for an easy tap-in from the near side of the net.
Carey then set up Pauly during another power play with four minutes remaining in the second period to give the Wild a 3-1 lead.
Fresno came back in the third period. Mainer scored 77 seconds into the third period to cut Wenatchee's lead in half. Then, with 36 seconds remaining in regulation, Wallace sent the game to overtime when he scored from the slot off of a pass from Jeffrey Pauluk with an extra attacker on the ice.
Saylor's game-winning goal came with 58 seconds remaining in overtime. Carey led the Wild with three points (1G, 2A) while Pauly (1G, 1A) and Kerr (2A) each recorded two points.
Wallace scored two goals for the Monsters while Haight made 31 saves. Greg Lewis (Mars, Pa.) made 21 saves on 24 shots for the Wild to pick up his fourth win of the season. Wenatchee scored two power play goals and did not allow Fresno to score a power play marker.
The Wild (10-7-3) will host the Dawson Creek Rage for a 3-game series at the Town Toyota Center next weekend (Dec. 2-4). The first two games of the series will begin at 7:05 p.m., and the third game is set to start at 5:05 p.m.
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North American Hockey League Stories from November 27, 2011
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- Overtime Reversal: Saylor Goal Lifts Wild - Wenatchee Wild
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