Wild Start Year With Sweep
January 3, 2010 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Wenatchee Wild News Release
WENATCHEE, Wash. - The Wenatchee Wild swept their 2-game weekend series against division rival Alaska Sunday night, defeating the Avalanche 5-1. It was Wenatchee's second straight win and fifth straight win over Alaska.
Duncan McKellar (Phoenix, Ariz.) scored the lone first-period goal when he buried a rebound past Alaska goaltender Landon Peterson with just over three minutes remaining before the first intermission. Tyler Mort (Post Falls, Idaho) and Jake Flynn (Wenatchee, Wash.) earned the assists.
The Wild went up 3-0 on a pair of second-period goals by Christian Hilbrich (Clarendon Hills, Ill.) and Alex McLean (Duluth, Minn.). Hilbrich's goal, his ninth of the season, came on the power play when he jammed the puck past the goal line from right in front of the net. Kyle Brodie (Northglenn, Col.) and Nathan Sliwinski (Castle Rock, Col.) were credited with the assists. Hilbrich's goal was the eventual game-winner. His resume includes six game-winning goals, the best total in the NAHL. Hilbrich has registered a point in each of his last six games, and he has scored five goals in those six games. McLean gave his team a 3-goal lead when he one-timed Brandon Brossoit's (Los Alamitos, Calif.) pass past Peterson. Chris Rumble (Chesapeake, Va.) earned the second assist on McLean's goal.
The Wild went up 4-0 at the 3:25 mark of the third period on a goal by Michael Di Puma (Chicago, Ill.). He took the shot on the back of his blade, still managing to elevate the puck on the glove side of Peterson. Dajon Mingo (Canton, Mich.) and Ben Hughes (Jacksonville, Fla.), the newest member of the Wild, assisted on Di Puma's goal.
Blake Huppert scored Alaska's lone goal on the night a little less than six minutes into the final frame. Mingo closed out the scoring late in the third when he scored an empty-netter. McKellar and Di Puma assisted. Huppert's goal was the only one that Wenatchee goaltender Brendan Jensen (El Granada, Calif.) allowed. Jensen stopped 32-of-33 shots and earned his fifth win with the Wild. Wenatchee took 44 shots against Peterson.
Wenatchee's next five games are on the road in Texas, beginning with Wednesday's game against Wichita Falls. The Wild also play the Wichita Falls Wildcats on Friday and Saturday. All three games against the Wildcats are scheduled to begin at 7:05 p.m. Central time.
North American Hockey League Stories from January 3, 2010
- Wild Start Year With Sweep - Wenatchee Wild
- Stars Bounce Back For 4-1 Triumph - Traverse City North Stars
- Wenatchee Wins Fourth Straight Game Over Alaska - Wenatchee Wild
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