Wild Win Season Opener at Showcase Tournament
Published on September 16, 2010 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Wenatchee Wild News Release
BLAINE, Minn. - TheWenatchee Wild won its first game of the 2010-11 season Wednesday, defeatingthe Owatonna Express, 5-3, during the first day of competition at the ShowcaseTournament at the Schwan Super Rink in Blaine, Minn.
After a scoreless first period, Wenatchee took control ofthe game with a 3-goal second period. The Wild opened up the second frame by capitalizingon a 5-on-3 power play at the 3:18 mark when Michael Di Puma (Chicago, Ill.) tipped in a shot from the point. Zach Frye (Spokane, Wash.) and Ben Carey (Centennial, Colo.) assisted.
Di Puma lit the lamp for the second time near the midpointof the second period on a spectacular individual effort when he lifted the puckpast Owatonna goaltender Brock Kautz from a low angle while falling forward tothe ice. The goal was unassisted. KyleKeenan (Colorado Springs, Colo.) put the Wild up 3-0 a little over twominutes later when he scored his team's second power-play goal of the game fromthe slot on a pass from Frye.
The Wild and Express combined for five third-period goals.Owatonna cut Wenatchee's lead to 3-1 on John Haeg's power-play marker less thanfive minutes into the period. Wenatchee regained its 3-goal lead a little overa minute later, however, when EliotGrauer's (Mukioteo, Wash.) whistling shot from the far circle kissed thetwine. Nathan Sliwinski (CastleRock, Colo.) assisted.
The Express' Nick Widing cut the Wild's lead down to 4-2with less than seven minutes remaining in the third period when he scored aneven strength marker. Frye went on to chip in a short-handed empty-net markerwith 29 seconds remaining for the Wild's fifth goal of the game on an assist byEvan Schmidbauer (Surrey, BC). Owatonna'sMatt Youso closed out the scoring with two seconds remaining in the contest onan even strength goal.
Frye, a defenseman, had a three-point game in his debut withthe Wild (1G, 2A) while Di Puma, one of the team's returning veterans, scoredtwo second-period goals.
Wild goaltender BrandonJaeger (Champlin, Minn.) made 25 saves on 28 shots. Wenatchee put 33 shotson net, 28 of which Kautz turned aside. Wenatchee went 2-for-5 on the powerplay and limited Owatonna to one power-play goal on eight chances.
The Wild will take on the Wichita Falls Wildcats at 12:30p.m. (PST) tomorrow. The Wildcats defeated the Chicago Hitmen Wednesday, 8-1, duringthe first day of play at the Showcase Tournament.
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