Wild Defeat IceRays 3-2 in First Game of Quarter Finals
April 7, 2015 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Wenatchee Wild News Release
With a stunning performance in the first game of their post season, the Wild were able to stop the IceRays in their tracks with the 3-2 OT win. Determined to leave the past in the past, Wenatchee is conquering all of their road blocks with patience and ease. These games are being played one step at a time, and now with a 1-0 lead in a best of 3 series, the chances of advancement are looking quite favorable for the incredibly concentrated Wild. At the end of the night, Chris Jones, David Powlowski, and Brendan Harris would go on to take the American Bank Center's 3 Stars of the Game.
Frankie Melton would get this game rolling with the IceRays' first point six minutes and thirty seven seconds into the first period. Mason Kreuger and Griff Jeszka picked up the opening assists of this match. Ending the scoring game at the 17:31 minute mark, David Powlowski tied the score up for Wenatchee when he received the puck on passes by Kyle Stephan and Jake Ahlgren.
With another competitive twenty minutes gone, the second period ended with both benches still competing in a tie game. The first goal would go to Wenatchee fifteen minutes into the frame when, on a pass from Donovan Ott, Brendan Harris lit the lamp behind Corpus Christi netminder Andrew Lindgren. The host team retaliated roughly two minutes later when Wes Michaud pocketed the IceRays' second goal of the night after he was fed the puck by team mates Connor Kelly and Tanner Lomsnes.
As soon as the timer for the third period started counting down, crunch time began and it would be a dash to the finish as to who would break this seemingly unbreakable deadlock. The third period would fade out with a 2-2 score still represented on the scoreboard and it wouldn't be until two minutes and thirteen seconds into the overtime period that this game would be given the chance to close. With the assistance of Dan Bailey and Kyle Stephan, Chris Jones was credited with the game winner and Wenatchee would take the critical first match.
The Wild ended this game outshooting the IceRays 39-33 and only being called out on one infraction. The lone penalty was taken by Kyle Stephan in the second period for Interference.
Totaling 31 saves out of 33 shots on goal, Zach Quinn would take the night's title of winning goaltender.
Coach Littler stated after Friday's game, "Its nice to get the first one. I thought we played with some jitters tonight which is understandable. Big challenge tomorrow night. They are so well coached they make you earn everything."
The second game of this series is scheduled to be played on Saturday, April 4th, in the American Bank Center. If the Wild take this game, they will advance to the second round, but if Corpus Christi takes the second win, this series will be pushed to three games.
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