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WHL Wenatchee Wild

Wild Offense Provides Fireworks Sunday in Year-Ending 5-1 Win Over Seattle

January 1, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Wenatchee Wild News Release


Wenatchee Wild's Jonas Woo on game night
Wenatchee Wild's Jonas Woo on game night
(Wenatchee Wild, Credit: Russ Alman/Wenatchee Wild)

WENATCHEE, Wash. - Fireworks on New Year's Eve have become a tradition, and the Wenatchee Wild offense brought a few to their final game of 2023 Sunday at Town Toyota Center.

The Wild scored four unanswered goals through the second and third periods to earn a 5-1 win over the Seattle Thunderbirds, their first in three meetings in Wenatchee's inaugural season as a Western Hockey League member club. Briley Wood started the run with a second-period goal, earning his team's fourth straight game-winner.

It took almost 17 minutes for anyone to get on the board at all - the teams opened the game with plenty of pace, but no scoring until Wood snapped home a one-timer with 3:03 remaining on a pass from Kenta Isogai off the end boards. Jordan Gustafson's wrist shot banked off Sam Popowich with a minute-and-a-half left in the period, though, evening up the contest at 1-1 going to the second.

Wenatchee never looked back after taking the lead back at 4:49 of the second, when Wood scored his second goal of the night off another assist from Isogai. Evan Friesen doubled the lead with a shot to the back post on a 2-on-1 with 1:43 left in the period, and the hosts took a two-goal lead to the third.

With 5:12 off the clock in the third, Graham Sward walked the puck to the top edge of the slot and ripped a wrist shot past Spencer Michnik for a 4-1 Wenatchee lead. Wenatchee got back on the board one last time with 5:14 remaining, as Jonas Woo fired a shot from the right wing to the top corner of the net to take advantage of the final seconds of a head-contact major against Seattle's Simon Lovsin.

"We were gripping our sticks a bit. They were guarding the lines well," said Wild assistant coach Andrew Sarauer. "We couldn't get anything going in the offensive zone, and on the blue line they were holding the line well and our guys couldn't get the speed that we're used to. We told our guys to just stick with it and create chances other ways - we'd just have to cram pucks in the corners or go low to high. I thought our defensemen did a great job getting pucks on the net."

Wood's second career multi-goal effort included an assist on Sward's goal, while Friesen finished with a goal and an assist. Isogai outdid all other Wenatchee players, though, picking up four assists, with three of them coming as the primary assist. Daniel Hauser made 27 saves for his 14th win of the season and 92nd in his WHL career, moving him into a tie for 30th in WHL history.

Michnik was tagged for the Thunderbirds' loss, making 23 saves - Wenatchee picked up a power play goal for the first time since the Christmas break, going 1-for-5 on the man-advantage, while turning away both of Seattle's power play looks in the game. The Wild climbed to 23-12-3-0 on the year and a league-best 16-2 at home, while Seattle dropped to 12-18-2-0, including 11 of their last 13.

The next game on Wenatchee's schedule is its first of 2024 as the Prince George Cougars drop in on Wednesday evening. The opening puck drop at Town Toyota Center is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tickets for that game and all home regular-season contests are on sale now 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, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

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Images from this story

Wenatchee Wild's Jonas Woo on game night
Wenatchee Wild's Jonas Woo on game night
(Russ Alman/Wenatchee Wild)		   



Western Hockey League Stories from January 1, 2024


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