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WHL Wenatchee Wild

Prince Albert Pulls Away Saturday For 5-2 Win Over Wenatchee

February 1, 2025 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Wenatchee Wild News Release


Wenatchee Wild's Shaun Rios in action
Wenatchee Wild's Shaun Rios in action
(Wenatchee Wild, Credit: Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

PRINCE ALBERT, Saskatchewan - The Wenatchee Wild held their grip on Saturday's game for as long as they possibly could. Then, the top team in the Western Hockey League's East Division snatched control and made a run for the win column.

Prince Albert scored four goals over the game's final 13 minutes on the way to a 5-2 win over the Wild in Wenatchee's first-ever visit to Art Hauser Centre, holding onto its lead in a crowded East Division title race. The Raiders climbed to 27-15-3-1 on the season, while the Wild moved to 17-26-3-1 as their six-game swing through Saskatchewan and Manitoba continues.

Wenatchee opened Saturday's game with a bang, as Shaun Rios found Luka Shcherbyna at the back post for a tap-in 3:16 out of the gate. Playing in his second WHL game, Boston Tait factored into Rios's goal with 2:02 left in the period, sending a pass up the left wing and catching him in stride. Rios's shot hit the net over Max Hildebrand's left shoulder, giving Wenatchee a brief two-goal margin.

16 seconds later, Prince Albert landed on the score sheet when Justice Christensen fired home a one-timer from the left point off a pass from Daxon Rudolph. That goal cut the lead to 2-1 going to the dressing room, but the Wild battled through the second period to maintain the lead going the final 20 minutes. Wenatchee finished the middle stanza with 15 shots on goal to the Raiders' seven, and erased a critical two-man advantage late in the period to hold onto the lead.

Just past the seven-minute mark of the third, Prince Albert made its move. Brayden Dube scraped in a second-chance goal on the power play following a shot from Lukas Dragicevic, tying the game at 2-2. Five minutes later, the Raiders gained the lead when a takeaway in the Wild end allowed Aiden Oiring to find Tomas Mrsic for a shot from the slot.

The Raiders finished the night with a power play tap-in from Niall Crocker with 5:56 to go, and an empty-net toss from Oiring from the edge of the Prince Albert slot with 4:04 to play. Caelan Joudrey looked to have trimmed the lead back to two with 2:35 to go off a point chance from Brendan Dunphy, but the puck was ruled to have been deflected in off a high stick, and the margin remained the same to the game's final horn.

Rios wrapped up the night with a goal and an assist, his fourth multi-point game of the season. Tait's assist marked his first point in the WHL, while Brendan Gee took the loss for Wenatchee with 26 saves.

Four Prince Albert players ended the night with multi-point showings, led by a goal and two assists apiece from Crocker and Oiring, and Hildebrand stopped 31 of 33 Wenatchee shots to earn his 23 rd win of the season. The Raiders finished 2-for-6 on the power play, killing off all four Wild power plays along the way.

Wenatchee's road trip continues Tuesday, as the Moose Jaw Warriors welcome the Wild. The opening puck drop at Moose Jaw Events Centre is set for 5 p.m. Pacific time, with live coverage on Newsradio 560 KPQ and WHL Live. The Wild return home to face the Portland Winterhawks for their "Hockey Is My Valentine" promotion on February 14, presented by Carl's Jr., with ticket specials for singles and couples available through the Wild front office.

2025-26 season tickets go on sale February 4 - for more information, call 509-888-7825, or visit 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, X, Instagram and YouTube.

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Images from this story

Wenatchee Wild's Shaun Rios in action
Wenatchee Wild's Shaun Rios in action
(Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)		   



Western Hockey League Stories from February 1, 2025


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