Wolf Pack Open Preseason with 4-1 Win
September 23, 2009 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Connecticut Whale News Release
Hartford, CT, September 23, 2009 - Derek Couture scored two goals, and Ryan Munce came within 2.1 seconds of a shutout, Wednesday night at the Koeppel Community Sports Center at Trinity College, as the Hartford Wolf Pack defeated the Worcester Sharks 4-1 in the AHL preseason opener for both teams.
Hartford also got goals from Chris Chappell and Andrew Carroll, and Ryan Hillier had two assists. Munce made 25 saves.
The Wolf Pack jumped out to a 2-0 first-period lead, as Chappell and Couture both scored on close-range shots. Chappell gave Hartford the game's first lead on a power play at 12:50, taking a centering pass from Ryan Garlock and burying it behind Shark goaltender Ryan Nie. Couture made it a two-goal advantage at 15:06, when his shot from the left side of the slot hit Worcester defenseman Jon Landry's leg and deflected past Nie.
The Wolf Pack controlled the second period, outshooting the Sharks 13-4, but could not get anything further past Nie.
Hartford then added two more goals in the third frame. Couture upped the Wolf Pack's lead to 3-0 at 13:08, off of a feed from Hillier on a three-on-two. Carroll then scored on a shorthanded rebound at 17:11, while he was being knocked down in front of the net.
The Sharks' Evgeni Saidachev ruined Munce's shutout bid at 19:57, with Worcester on a power play.
The Wolf Pack outshot Worcester 38-26 in the game.
The game was a fund-raiser for the Ryan Gordon/Hartford Wolf Pack Community Scholars Fund, a memorial to young Wolf Pack fan Ryan Gordon, who passed away in 2006 and asked that a portion of the monies set aside for his college education be donated to the Wolf Pack Community Foundation. Spectator donations at the game raised a total of $1,549 for the fund.
The Wolf Pack continue their preseason schedule this Friday night, September 25 at Champions Skating Center in Cromwell, CT at 7:00, when they take on the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
American Hockey League Stories from September 23, 2009
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- Falcons Fall Just Short In Preseason Opener - Springfield Falcons
- P-Bruins Defeat Falcons To Open Pre-Season - Providence Bruins
- Wolf Pack Open Preseason with 4-1 Win - Connecticut Whale
- Tallackson Becomes Latest Addition to Rivermen Roster - Peoria Rivermen
- Four Assigned to Providence - Providence Bruins
- Amerks Announce 2009-10 Training Camp Roster - Rochester Americans
- B-Sens Sign Forward Brandon Svendsen - Binghamton Senators
- Monsters Announce Broadcast Schedule And New Announcer - Cleveland Monsters
- Columbus Assigns Goaltenders Dan LaCosta and Kevin Lalande - Syracuse Crunch
- B-Sens Release Two Players From Training Camp - Binghamton Senators
- Phantoms To Raise Money For Warren County D.A.R.E. Program - Adirondack Phantoms
- Amerks Invade Rochester Thursday - Rochester Americans
- Worcester Sharks Summer Days Concludes at KidsFest - Worcester Sharks
- Wolf Pack Community Foundation Golf Outing Set for October 12 - Connecticut Whale
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