Wild Earn Home-And-Home Split With Tri-City

The Wenatchee Wild played host to the Tri City Americans Friday night.

The Americans came into the contest 17-5-1 on the year and 1-0 against the Wild, beating them 6-3 back on October 25th. On Friday, it was a closer contest. Tri Cities struck 5:44 into the first period on a Jordan Gavin backdoor tap-in feed from recently acquired forward Savin Virk from the Chilliwack Chiefs to give the Americans a 1-0 lead into the locker room after one.

Tri Cities doubled the lead 3:44 into the second period, thanks to forward Brandon Whynott on a three-on-one break for the Americans, rifling it top shelf over the blocker of Wild netminder Daniel Hauser.

The Wild would cut the deficit in half on the powerplay halfway through the second period. Wild defenseman Reid Andresen fired a shot that ricocheted off a couple of bodies and found the stick of Wild forward Miles Cooper, who lifted it past Americans netminder Lukas Matecha, making it 2-1 Americans still on top heading into the final period of play. For Cooper, it was his fifth powerplay goal and tenth goal of the year.

Both teams would trade goals, but the Wild would get the goal barrage started just a minute and 53 into the final frame. Wild forward Maddix McCagherty snapped a shot under the glove over Matecha's pad, putting this game all square at 2-2. Americans would retake the lead five minutes later on Gavin’s second goal of the contest shorthanded. Matecha with a huge save, produced a two on one with forward Max Curran feeding a one timer over to Gavin, who ripped it past Hauser.

With time dwindling in the game, Wild forward Dawson Seitz found the back of the net with 3:36 left. Wild captain Evan Friesen pick-pocketed the American’s defensemen which set up a partial two on one, finding a wide open Seitz sniping it top left evening this game at 3-3. The Americans would get the game winner with 11 seconds left on a wrister by Carter MacAdams beating the blocker of Hauser giving the Americans a 4-3 win. With that win, the Americans move to 18-5-1 on the year while the Wild fall to 8-12-3-1.

The Wild would get a rematch with the Americans Saturday night in Kennewick, Washington at the Toyota Center. The Wild are looking to snap a three-game losing streak while the Americans looked to extend their win streak to six games.

SATURDAY GAME

The Wild and Americans met once again for the first time in the Toyota Center this year. For the Americans, it’s their first time on home ice since November 11th.

The home welcoming from the fans got the goal sheet started for the Americans just 54 seconds in. Americans forward Gavin Garland collected a centering pass from MacAdams, who snapped it past the blocker of Wild netminder Zach Zahara giving the Americans an early 1-0 lead who outshot the Wild 17-9 in the first period. The Wild found the equalizer 6:03 into the second period. The Americans tried entering the zone in which the Wild stripped it and headed the other way resulting on an ood man rush opportunity where the trailer Andresen collected the pass from McCagherty fired a wrist shot beating Matecha to even this game 1-1 heading into the third period.

The third period saw five goals, four of them came from Wenatchee. The first was potted by the Wild 31 seconds into the third period on a shot by Friesen where it hit the body of the striding Wild forward Kenta Isogai sneaking its way in the back of the net giving the Wild a 2-1 lead. Just over three minutes later, the Wild doubled their lead on the powerplay on a shot by Friesen, which slipped through Matecha's pads and found the back of the net. The Americans would get one back just 1:12 later by Nick Anisimovicz beating Zahara on a feed from Cruz Pavao. That’s all the Americans would get as it was all Wild from there. The Wild would regain their two goal lead at the 10:16 mark on a cross ice pass from former Tri-City American Shaun Rios that found Saab who sniped it bar down and in. The Wild put the icing on the cake with the goalie pulled and extra attacker for the Americans as Isogai cleared the puck into the empty net. For Isogai, it was his tenth goal of the season and second of the evening, ultimately a three point night for the Wild 20 year old.

Behind Zahara’s first star performance saving 38 out of 40 shots, the Wild get back into the win column. For Zahara he moves to 3-6 on the year in net and the Wild move to 9-12-3-1. Isogai, Andresen, Friesen, and Cooper all collected a multi-point night.

The Wild shift their focus on the Spokane Chiefs Friday December 6th back at the Town Toyota Center with puck drop set at 7:00.