Wichita Falls Wildcats' Insider
November 29, 2010 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Wichita Falls Wildcats News Release
Unlucky 4: Cats losing streak goes to four, fall to fourth place
The Wildcats' hoped to open up some space between the teams trailing them in the South Division standings. Instead they dropped three in a row on the weekend, losing 4-2 against Corpus Christi on Friday, then getting swept by New Mexico 4-3 and 8-6 on Saturday and Sunday.
The Wildcats went down early on Friday, but battled back to tie before dropping a 4-2 decision to the Corpus Christi IceRays. A scoreless first period passed with the Wildcats outshooting the IceRays 14-9, but Corpus would get on the board twice in the span of a minute with Jonathan Sdao and Mike Benedict putting them up 2-0. Moments later, gloves went flying as Jason McAloon took it to Tommy Dowell in an exchange at center ice, the second time in three games against the IceRays at the Kay Yeager Coliseum that Dowell got dropped at center ice. The fight sparked with 'Cats, and with Mychal Monteith in the box, Tanner Fahlstedt got the Wildcats on the board with an unassisted goal. Mac Olson then struck with 4:07 left in the second to tie things back up at 2.
The Wildcats would again outshoot the IceRays in the third, but it was Jordan Miller scoring a power play goal that would prove to be the game winner. With the net empty late at the Wildcats' end, goaltender Pheonix Copley made an attempt on the open net, missing by only four inches. Miller would tap the puck in for his second goal of the period to cap off the 4-2 game.
After an overnight bus ride, the Wildcats played a rare afternoon game in New Mexico, losing by a 4-3 final. Things started off nicely for the Wildcats, as Daniel Hildebrandt's blast from the point snuck through traffic for a 1-0 lead with three minutes left in the first period. The second period was a shooting gallery, as the Wildcats and Mustangs combined for 29 shots on goal, but only two goals. Evan Johnston knotted things at a goal apiece, but the tie would last for only 45 seconds before Alex Betts slipped one in for a 2-1 lead.
Scoring started similarly in the third, with the Mustangs tying the game again on a James Poston goal, then Dakota Klecha followed it 14 seconds later with another goal to give the Wildcats a 3-2 lead. Midway through the period, Klecha and Daniel Chang met at center ice for a face-to-face, and fist-to-face meeting, with Klecha taking a clear decision. It was a pyrrhic victory though as Klecha was ejected and assessed 27 penalty minutes. Former Wildcat Jake Webber tied the game at three, but the Wildcats were unable to strike back quickly and with 28 seconds to go and with Jason McAloon in the box for a boarding call that confused everyone on the Wildcats' bench, Charles Baldwin tapped a puck in on a scramble in front of Tyler Green for the 4-3 victory. Protesting the call against McAloon, head coach Mark LeRose was assessed a game misconduct at the conclusion of the game.
On Sunday, New Mexico rode the strength of four goals in the second period to an 8-6 victory over the Wildcats, thus completing their weekend sweep. The Mustangs got on the board midway through the first period on an Ian McGilvrey power play goal, but the Wildcats quickly matched it on a Mac Olson tap-in in front. Charles Baldwin, the previous night's game-winner would score with 19 seconds left in the opener, setting the tone for the second.
Despite being on the penalty kill, the Mustangs would open a 3-1 lead as Patrick Anderson scored a shorthanded goal, followed midway through the period by Charles Baldwin scoring his second of the night, ending Eric Garavaglia's night. Mac Olson would stop the bleeding temporarily with a power play goal of his own, but the Mustangs would go into the intermission with a 6-2 lead, adding goals by Charles Baldwin and Joe Smereck. Just 18 seconds after Smereck's goal, the Wildcats ended up on a five-minute power play after Diego Breckenridge charged Dakota Klecha from behind, sending him head first into the boards. Breckenridge and Chris Leone each picked up an additional five minutes each for fighting following the cheap shot.
The Wildcats finally got things going while on the power play, scoring three times in the third period on the Breckenridge penalty, cutting it to a 6-5 deficit. Mikhail Sentyurin scored 19 seconds into the period, followed by Drew Allen at 1:13, and Sean Keane at 2:57. New Mexico would jump back to a two-goal advantage on Evan Johnston's power play goal. The Wildcats would again cut it to a goal, with Dakota Klecha coming back from the dirty hit earlier to get a marker on the power play, but the Mustangs put the final nail in the coffin with 4:07 to go, with Charles Baldwin scoring his fourth goal of the night to make it an 8-6 final.
WEEKEND NOTES: Ryan Frost missed all three games injured. He is expected to be back in the lineup when the Wildcats play in Corpus Christi on December 10 and 11. Baldwin's four goals on Sunday mark the second time a player has tallied 4 goals in a game against Wichita Falls this season. Dakota Klecha is currently on pace for 247 PIM this season (the Wildcats' single-season record is 184). But unlike many leaders in penalty-related categories in the NAHL, he also is on pace to score 30 goals and 17 assists for 47 points. He is currently third in the league in PIM, but is the only player in the top 15 with more than 20 points.
Preview: 12/10-11 at Corpus Christi
The Wildcats get a much-needed week off this coming week before hitting the road to finish off the pre-holiday portion of the season with four games against the Corpus Christi IceRays. We'll tell you all about the games in next week's edition of the Wildcats' Insider!
Upcoming Wildcats' Events
The Wildcats' Coaches Radio Show continues this week at Oyster Bar and Grill on Kell Boulevard! Come down and hear Drew and the coaches talk about this past week's games against Corpus Christi and New Mexico, and see what's in store for the Wildcats' week off. Plus you'll get to hear from one of your favorite players in the "Talk to the Team" segment. It all happens Tuesday at 7:30; if you can't be there tune in on 94.9 KOLI, The Outlaw.
Broomball, adult hockey, and open skating: Check WFWildcatsHockey.com for the schedule under the Games and Ice Events tab! Any questions about our ice programs? Contact Brandon Miller in the Wildcats office, 940-716-5587.
Come play in the broomball league! We're looking for teams for the Wildcats' adult broomball league. Price is $50 per player for a 10-game season. Get a team together with your co-workers and friends, or sign up solo and be placed on a team. Call the office for details, 940-716-5587.
Alumni Report
A stint in the AHL did Dan Sexton good. Playing with the Syracuse Crunch on a rehab assignment after suffering a broken nose in October, Sexton returned to the Ducks last Sunday with an assist in a 4-2 loss to Edmonton. He tallied Anaheim's goal on Friday against Chicago, then had an assist in Saturday's 6-4 win over Phoenix. He is on a three-game scoring streak after posting a goose egg in his first seven games before the injury and AHL assignment.
After being out of the lineup for two weeks, Andrew Conboy returned to the Hamilton Bulldogs with a bang, scoring what would prove to be the game-winner in a 3-2 win over Adirondack on Wednesday.
Jack Wolgemuth went on a tear this week, picking up four assists in four games for the Mississippi Surge in their four victories, bringing his assist total to ten. Teammate Nick Klaren, Wolgemuth's teammate with the Wildcats and in college, had his first goal of the season and an assist in the four games.
Brett Kaneshiro picked up a goal and three assists in a pair of wins over the weekend for Curry. They beat Tufts 3-2 on Tuesday and Trinity 6-1 Saturday.
Kyle Gallegos put up his first points of the season, scoring two goals and adding an assist as Tufts beat Becker 6-3 on Sunday.
North American Hockey League Stories from November 29, 2010
- Motor City Metal Jackets To Announce Mutal Partnership With The Farmington Hills Hockey Association - Motor City Metal Jackets
- Monsters Weekly - Fresno Monsters
- Port Huron Falls to Motor City in Holiday Weekend Road Trip - Port Huron Fighting Falcons
- Wichita Falls Wildcats' Insider - Wichita Falls Wildcats
- Rays Report: We're Coming Home - Corpus Christi IceRays
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