Wild Tame Brown Bears, 5-2
Published on April 4, 2010 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Wenatchee Wild News Release
WENATCHEE, Wash. - The Wenatchee Wild took a 2-0 lead in its divisional semifinal series against the Kenai River Brown Bears with a 5-2 win Saturday night. The Wild can sweep the series with a Game 3 win on Sunday. Faceoff is slated for 5:05 p.m. at the Town Toyota Center.
Wenatchee drew first blood at the 16:34 mark of the first period on a spectacular individual effort by Christian Hilbrich (Clarendon Hills, Ill.). With the Wild down a man, Hilbrich pressured a Brown Bears defender behind his own net, forced a turnover, then wrapped around the far the side of the net and scored on his backhand. However, Brad Duwe tied up the contest with less than two minutes remaining before the first intermission when he one-timed a power-play marker from the point.
The Wild retook the lead, 2-1, 3:39 into the second period when Dajon Mingo (Canton, Mich.) cleaned up a rebound off a Nathan Sliwinski (Castle Rock, Col.) wrist shot from the top of the far circle. Jeff Jubinville (Edmonton, AB) also assisted on the play. The Brown Bears tied up the contest again after capitalized on the power-play for the second time in the game at the 15:37 mark of the second frame when Josh Royston deflected the puck past netminder Brandon Jaeger (Champlin, Minn.) on Johan Skinnars' slap shot from the top of the near faceoff circle.
The Wild got the lead back, 3-2, with 42 seconds remaining in the second period when Ryan Timar (Novi, Mich.) launched a top shelf slapper from the top of the left circle during a power play. Jordan Young (Cave Creek, Ariz.) was credited with the lone assist, though Armand de Swardt (Dallas, Texas) also played a pivotal role in the goal by screening Brown Bear goaltender Dainis Vasiljevs. Timar's goal, his third of the series, was the Wild's first power-play marker of the series.
In the final period, Michael Di Puma (Chicago, Ill.) chipped in a goal with a little over eight minutes remaining on an assist by Timar to put the Wild up, 4-2. Shawn Pauly (Bellingham, Wash.) closed out the scoring with a shorthanded empty-net goal with 2:02 left on a pass from Duncan McKellar (Phoenix, Ariz.).
Timar, who scored a pair of goals in Game 1, added a goal and an assist Saturday night. Mingo picked up his third point of the series in Game 2 on his second-period goal. Jubinville, who figured in on Mingo's goal Saturday night, has four assists in the series.
Wenatchee outshot Kenai River, 34-17. The Wild went 1-for-4 on the man-advantage while the Brown Bears were 2-for-5.
Jaeger turned aside 15 of the 17 shots he faced en route to his second straight postseason win. He made a critical save early in the second period with the Wild clinging to a 1-goal lead when he closed the door on Royston on a breakaway. Royston tried to score on his backhand on the left side of the net but, Jaeger, up to the task, slid on his pads and smothered the puck without giving up a rebound. Vasiljevs made 29 saves for the Brown Bears.
North American Hockey League Stories from April 4, 2010
- Wild Sweep Brown Bears - Wenatchee Wild
- Wild Tame Brown Bears, 5-2 - Wenatchee Wild
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