Wild Snaps Skid With Win At Coquitlam

Wenatchee, WA. – The Wenatchee Wild went on the road Wednesday night and snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-2 win over the Coquitlam Express at the Poirer Sports and Leisure Centre.

Wenatchee outshot the Express 10-3 in the first period, but neither team was able to dent the twine, as the first period ended up scoreless.

In the second, the Wild would finally score on an Alex Bates (Highlands Ranch, CO) shot through a screen from the left point. Logan Milliken (Canmore, AB) and Matt Baker (Midhurst, ON) assisted at 8:20, giving Wenatchee a 1-0 lead after 40 minutes.

The Wild expanded the lead in the third. Charlie Combs (St. Louis, MO) notched a power play goal, off assists from Bryan Yoon (Parker, CO) and Mike Coyne (Buffalo, NY) at 4:26, making it a 2-0 Wenatchee lead. The Wild would make it 3-0 at 12:38, as Dakota Raabe (Dana Point, CA) scored from Blake Christensen (Lauderhill, FL) and August Von Ungern (Boise, ID) and Wenatchee was firmly in command. However, penalties would cost the Wild, as Coquitlam would score a pair of power play goals. Colton Kerfoot scored a 5-on-3 power play goal from Cameron Bertsch and Jackson Cressey, narrowing the Wenatchee lead to 3-1, at the 15:47 mark. Then, an Austin McIlmurray 5-on-4 power play goal, assisted by Cressey and Kerfoot at 16:30, drew the Express to within one, at 3-2. But, a Coyne goal on a backhander in tight, assisted by Colin Burston (Winnipeg, MB) at 18:02 put the game away, giving Wenatchee the 4-2 win.

The Wild outshot Coquitlam 44-14 on the night. Garrett Nieto (Yorba Linda, CA) made 12 saves for Wenatchee, while Tyger Howat had 40 stops for the Express. The Wild went 1-for-4 on the power play and 4-of-6 on the penalty kill. “It was nice to score four goals, for the most part I think we controlled most of the play.” said Wenatchee Wild Head Coach/General Manager Bliss Littler. “Felt good about that. Need to pack the two points on the bus and get ready for Surrey.”

With the win, the Wild improve to 25-15-2-3 on the season, Coquitlam falls to 20-21-4-1. Wenatchee stays out on the road to play at Surrey on Friday, January 29^th and then Saturday, January 30^th, at Langley.

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