Wild Best Ice Dogs, 4-1
March 27, 2010 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Wenatchee Wild News Release
FAIRBANKS, Alaska - The Wenatchee Wild won the first game of a 2-game series against the Fairbanks Ice Dogs Friday night, 4-1. It was the Wild's fourth win in five games on an extended road trip in Alaska that began last Friday.
Friday's win sets up an intriguing regular-season finale Saturday night for the West Division champion Wild. The Wild will clinch the regular-season championship if it wins Saturday night. The game faces off at 7:30 p.m. (AKST) and can be watched live on the Internet via the B2 Networks.
Wenatchee lit the lamp three times in a rough, up-tempo first period Friday night. Duncan McKellar (Phoenix, Ariz.) netted the Wild's first goal, which was unassisted, near the midpoint of the frame on a wrist shot from the slot that flew over goaltender Mike Taffe's right shoulder. McKellar, who has 31 points on the 2009-10 campaign, has scored a goal in each of his last four games.
Forward Dajon Mingo (Canton, Mich.), who entered the game two points shy of the 50-point plateau, figured in on his team's second and third goals of the contest. Mingo scored the second goal of the game less than three minutes before the first intermission on a wrister from the slot after dragging around a defender. Jordan Young (Cave Creek, Ariz.) and Nathan Sliwinski (Castle Rock, Col.) assisted. With only two seconds left in the first period, Sliwinski snapped the biscuit past Taffe on a give-and-go in the low slot from Armand de Swardt (Dallas, Texas) and Mingo.
Fairbanks cut Wenatchee's lead to 3-1 when Matt Millis scored at the 14:37 mark of the second period. The Ice Dogs would get no closer. Nolan Youngmun (Anchorage, Alaska) tacked on the empty-netter for the wild with 69 seconds remaining in the contest. Brandon Burrell (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) and Ryan Timar (Novi, Mich.) were credited with the assists.
Brendan Jensen (El Granada, Calif.) was strong in net for the Wild, stopping 29-of-30 shots for his 10th win of the season. Taffe made 15 saves on 18 shots for the Ice Dogs before being relieved by Joe Phillippi, who stopped all 14 of the shots he faced. Wenatchee went 0-for-4 on the power play while Fairbanks went 0-for-6.
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North American Hockey League Stories from March 27, 2010
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- Rangers Win North Division - Marquette Rangers
- Stars roll 5-0, face Janesville in playoff opener - Traverse City North Stars
- Wild Best Ice Dogs, 4-1 - Wenatchee Wild
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