Vandercook Notches Game-Winner
April 2, 2011 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Wenatchee Wild News Release
WENATCHEE, Wash. - The Wenatchee Wild won Game 1 of its Robertson Cup divisional semifinal series Friday night at the Town Toyota Center, 4-1. Game 2 of the best-of-five series will be played Saturday at 7:05 p.m.
Michael Di Puma (Chicago, Ill.) opened scoring with two minutes remaining in the first period when he wristed the puck top shelf over Landon Peterson's left shoulder from below the near faceoff dot after one of several long offensive zone possessions by the Wild. Shawn Pauly (Bellingham, Wash.) and Jacob Barber (Dardenne Prairie, Mo.) assisted.
D.J. Vandercook (Farmington Hills, Mich.) gave the Wild a 2-goal lead 2:01 into the second stanza on what was the eventual game-winner. After an Avalanche turnover at the Wild blue line, Di Puma lobbed a long pass to Pauly. Pauly then slipped a pass behind the Alaska defense to Vandercook, whose forehand-to-backhand shot slid past Peterson.
Third period power-play goals by Mario Puskarich (Fort Walton Beach, Fla.) and Tyler Hope (McKinney, Texas) gave the Wild a commanding 4-0 lead. Puskarich scored his goal at 6:20 during a 2-man advantage off of a rebound on Chris Rumble's (Chesapeake, Va.) one-timer from the near point. Vandercook picked up the second assist. Hope's goal came on a one-timer from the high slot on a feed from Barber with 6:10 remaining in regulation.
Alaska's Grant Dye broke up Brandon Jaeger's (Champlin, Minn.) shutout with 3:44 left in the contest when he beat him glove side with a wrist shot during a power play. Jaeger stopped 19 of the 20 shots he saw to secure his first win in the 2011 playoffs. Peterson made 33 saves on 37 shots. Wenatchee scored two power-play goals on eight opportunities while Alaska was 1-for-5 on the man-advantage.
Di Puma and Vandercook each scored a goal and added an assist. Pauly and Barber both notched two assists.
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North American Hockey League Stories from April 2, 2011
- Bulls Beat Texas 5-3 to take big series lead - Amarillo Bulls
- Jets tie up series with St. Louis - St. Louis Bandits
- Vandercook Notches Game-Winner - Wenatchee Wild
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