Series Preview Notes Vs. Alaska
Published on January 25, 2010 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Wenatchee Wild News Release
Wild Back on Track
The Wild are coming off a 2-game sweep of division foe Fairbanks last weekend. The Wild defeated the Ice Dogs 6-2 on Friday, and 5-1 on Saturday. It was an important sweep for the Wild for two reasons. First, it gave the Wild a comfortable 19-point cushion for first place in the West Division. Second, the Wild put an end to their 3-game winless streak, its longest non-winning streak of the season, in rather dominating fashion.
Need Tickets?
The Wild are home for nine straight games, including this weekend's series against Alaska. The Wild will also host: Texas on Feb. 19 & 20; Kenai River on Feb. 25, 26 & 27; Wichita Falls on March 6 & 7. The Wichita Falls series is the last home series of the 2009-10 season.
Fans can purchase tickets at the Town Toyota Center box office, by calling 1-888-PUCK (7825) or by logging on to www.wenatcheewild.com
Records
Alaska: 19-12-6 - 44 points,.595 winning percentage, 3rd place in West
Wenatchee: 33-7-3 - 69 points,.802 winning percentage, 1st place in West
Marked Man
Fans won't forget the name Mark Miller (Massena, N.Y.) anytime soon. Miller, 17, a Wild affiliate player, had a 3-point series against Fairbanks. The 5-foot-11, 177-pound forward recorded his first assist with the Wild Friday night on Mitch Torrel's (Monticello, Minn.) second-period power play goal. The following night Miller scored a power play goal of his own in the first period on a speedy wrist shot that beat Fairbanks goaltender Mike Taffe stick side. He added his second assist of the series Saturday night on another Torrel goal.
Torrel Named POW
Torrel was named the Sherwood/NAHL West Player of the Week on Monday after scoring three goals in a 2-game sweep over Fairbanks last week. He notched the game-winning goal in a 6-2 win on Friday. The next day he scored two goals in a 5-1 win, including his second game-winner in a row. An Air Force Academy recruit, Torrel has 10 goals and three assists in 29 games with the Wild this season.
Defenseman Eric Johnson (Madison, Wis.) was named an honorable mention selection for the POW award. Johnson had an assist in the team's 5-1 win over Fairbanks on Saturday, and he finished the weekend series with a plus/minus of plus-one.
Special Weekend
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the sweep over Fairbanks was the Wild's special team's play. Fairbanks entered the weekend with the top-ranked power play in the league, yet scored just two goals on 19 power play chances. The Wild, on the other hand scored six power play goals on 14 opportunities. Wenatchee's power play is the third best in the NAHL at 20 percent, and the team's penalty kill is the fourth best in the league at 87.9 percent.
Mingo Still Rolling
Forward Dajon Mingo (Canton, Mich.) has 12 points in the last nine games. The team's second leading scorer, Mingo has 35 points on the 2009-10 campaign (14G, 21A). He posted a 2-goal, 1-assist game against Fairbanks on Friday. One of those goals came shorthanded. Mingo is tied for the NAHL lead in shorthanded goals (4).
Top Scoring Threats
Alaska: Forward Zach Smith leads the Avs with 29 points (17G, 12A). Forward Kyle Pichler is the team's second leading scorer with 27 points (7G, 20A).
Wenatchee: Forward Jeff Jubinville (Edmonton, AB) is just one point shy of the 40-point plateau. He leads the Wild with 19 goals and also has 20 assists. Mingo is the team's second leading scorer with 35 points (14G, 21A).
Wild vs. Avalanche
Wenatchee is 6-1-1 against Alaska and has won the last four games of the season series, all of which were played at the Town Toyota Center. The Wild defeated the Avs 3-1 on Nov. 27, and 3-2 on Nov. 28; 6-1 on Jan. 2, and 5-1 on Jan. 3.
Michael Di Puma (Chicago, Ill.) and Jubinville each have five points against Alaska. Di Puma has four goals and one assist while Jubinville has three goals and two assists. Avalanche defenseman Jake Parenteau has eight points against the Wild (4G, 4A).
More Records
Wenatchee is 6-2-2 in its last 10 games and 17-2-1 on home ice.
Alaska has struggled as of late, going 3-6-1 in its last 10 games. Alaska is 8-9-3 on the road.
North American Hockey League Stories from January 25, 2010
- Top Prospects Brings Exposure, Opportunity - NAHL
- Series Preview Notes Vs. Alaska - Wenatchee Wild
- Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report - OSC Original by Dan Krieger
- Wildcats Weekly - Wichita Falls Wildcats
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
