Wedman Nets First WHL Goal, But Seattle Continues Hot Home Start with 4-1 Win Tuesday
WHL Wenatchee Wild

Wedman Nets First WHL Goal, But Seattle Continues Hot Home Start with 4-1 Win Tuesday

Published on November 12, 2025 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Wenatchee Wild News Release


Wenatchee Wild forward Grady Wedman
Wenatchee Wild forward Grady Wedman
(Wenatchee Wild, Credit: Austin Draude)

KENT, Wash. - The Seattle Thunderbirds have been tough birds to knock off their perch at home this season. Grady Wedman and the Wenatchee Wild gave it their best effort at Accesso Showare Center Tuesday night, but back-to-back goals in the first period proved to be enough for the home team to grab two points.

Wedman netted his first Western Hockey League goal, but Seattle used its two first-period tallies in a 74-second span to slingshot past the Wild in a 4-1 WHL decision, snapping Wenatchee's bid for back-to-back-to-back victories. The game was also a historic one for Wild head coach Don Nachbaur, who faced his first WHL team in a game that saw him tie Ken Hodge's league record with his 1,411 th game behind a WHL bench.

The teams each took their turns firing away at the net in the first period, getting five shots apiece in the game's first four-and-a-half minutes. Simon Lovsin broke the deadlock for the hosts with 8:19 left in the first period, pushing in a shot after a pass across the top of the crease from Matej Pekar. With 7:05 to go in the period, Brock England started a 2-on-1 rush for the Thunderbirds and found Antonio Martorana on the weak side for a one-timer and a transition goal, putting Seattle ahead by two.

Wedman's big moment came with 5:13 to play in the period, intercepting a clearing attempt along the boards before slithering his way to the slot and firing a wrist shot down the slot and into the top of the Seattle net.

The second period yielded no scoring, and was even on shots and faceoffs as well. Even the special teams mirrored each other in the middle stanza, with each team closing out the period with success on their single penalty-killing attempt.

Seattle resumed the scoring in the third, when England found Martorana again for a goal at 2:09 of the period, jamming home an opportunity from the top of the crease and stretching the Thunderbirds' advantage back to two goals. England scored one of his own at 6:26 of the third, tossing in a second-chance goal to cap the scoring for the night.

Martorana walked away with two goals and an assist, while England finished with a goal and two helpers. Sklenicka made 28 saves to earn his sixth win of the season and send the Thunderbirds to 8-8-1-0 on the year. Wenatchee fell to 5-9-1-1 despite a 38-save performance from Tobias Tvrznik. Each team finished perfect on three penalty kills, and Seattle continued its strong early run on home ice, running its record in Kent to 6-2-1-0 so far on the year.

The Wild continue their four-in-five stretch away from home on Friday, as they make their first visit of the season to Portland for a date with the Winterhawks. Friday night's puck drop at Veterans Memorial Coliseum is scheduled for 7 p.m., with live coverage of Tuesday's game available on Newsradio 560 KPQ and Victory+. A brief return to home ice follows for the Wild on Saturday against the Prince Albert Raiders before the club returns to Portland for a Sunday afternoon tilt.

Tickets for next Saturday's game and all regular-season Wild home games are on sale now by phone 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, X, Instagram and YouTube.

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Images from this story

Wenatchee Wild forward Grady Wedman
Wenatchee Wild forward Grady Wedman
(Austin Draude)		   



Western Hockey League Stories from November 12, 2025


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