Wenatchee Power Play Outruns Tri-City for Three Goals in 10-2 Win Sunday
Photo Courtesy: John Keller/Tri-City Americans
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KENNEWICK, Wash. – Wenatchee’s win Sunday in the final game of a three-game road trip wasn’t just resounding – it was history-making. For the first time in their Western Hockey League era, the Wild posted a double-figure scoring effort with a 10-2 win at the Tri-City Americans, and notched three more power play goals after posting three in Saturday’s 6-3 win at the Portland Winterhawks. Evan Friesen set a new career-high and set a new season-best for the team with four goals, adding an assist on the rush in the third period.
The Wild stomped their foot on the gas early, and took advantage of power play chances to do it. Just 10 seconds into the first Wild power play of the night, Shaun Rios found Friesen out front for a quick wrister at the 2:21 mark of the game. Wenatchee took advantage of a long power play on a Carter MacAdams charging major, and doubled up on its power play haul as Deagan McMillan found Zane Saab out front for a tap-in at 10:13 of the period.
Miles Cooper stuck home a chance in a brief scramble in front of the Ams’ cage at 12:48, and Luka Shcherbyna finished a 3-on-2 with a rush down the left wing and a glove-side goal 70 seconds later.
Tri-City wouldn’t be held down forever, though – 85 seconds into the second period, Brandon Whynott sent a pass out front for Gavin Garland from the corner, and Garland strode forward and sent the Americans’ first goal past Brendan Gee. Friesen took over the rest of the stanza, scoring inside the back post at 2:37, completing the hat trick with a backhand wraparound at 6:08, and adding his final goal at 11:09 by banging in a rebound following Reid Andresen’s shot off the post.
Whynott’s goal from the edge of the right-wing circle with 2.9 seconds to play was the last the Tri-City offense could muster. Cooper and Friesen teamed up to feed Rios for a goal on a one-timer at 5:55 of the third, followed by a Maddix McCagherty goal from the right circle with 12:41 to play. Shcherbyna scored to the glove side on another left-wing rush with two minutes to go to cap the Wenatchee outburst.
“Who would have thought that, with a tired team coming in here, with our third game in three nights and an afternoon game?” said head coach Don Nachbaur. “I give our guys full marks – we were totally structured tonight, with four lines and six defensemen, and every guy did his job remarkably. I really liked the way we defended – we didn’t give them much, and our discipline was great. Our power play has been really hot the last couple of games, and they got us on track. It was a total team effort.”
Wenatchee got points from 10 different players in Sunday’s game, with Friesen and Cooper leading the way with five points apiece – Friesen’s five points tied a career high, while Cooper shattered his career-best in the game. Shcherbyna had two goals and two assists for a career high of his own, and Rios tied a career high with his third four-point game in his last seven outings. Brendan Dunphy got into the mix with three assists, also marking a high for his career. The power play finished the night at 3-for-7, while the penalty kill was perfect on three chances. Gee made 23 saves, earning his third win of the year.
Lukas Matecha took the loss for Tri-City, making seven saves, while Nathan Preston stopped 17 Wild shots in relief. Whynott had a goal and an assist, with Jake Sloan picking up two assists as the Americans fell to 20-12-2-1. Wenatchee climbed to 15-18-3-1 with the victory, the team’s sixth in its last eight games.
The Wild return home to face the Victoria Royals on Friday, January 10 for Grandparents’ Night presented by Papa Murphy’s, with the opening puck drop at Town Toyota Center slated for 7 p.m. Tickets for that game and all regular-season home games are on sale now by phone at 509-888-7825, online here or by visiting the team office at Town Toyota Center. Updated news and information on Wild hockey are always available through the team’s website and on the team’s social media platforms on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
Wenatchee 4 3 3 – 10
Tri-City 0 2 0 – 2
1st Period-1, Wenatchee, Friesen 16 (Rios), 2:21 (PP). 2, Wenatchee, Zane Saab 8 (McMillan, Dunphy), 10:13 (PP). 3, Wenatchee, Cooper 14 (Dunphy, Mannix), 12:48. 4, Wenatchee, Shcherbyna 8 (Cooper), 13:58. Penalties-Savage Tc (hooking), 2:10; Smith Tc (interference), 6:10; MacAdams Tc (major-charging, game misconduct), 8:24; Dawson Seitz Wen (interference), 11:43; McMillan Wen (tripping), 14:16; Dunphy Wen (cross checking), 15:31; Gudelj Tc (hooking), 16:57.
2nd Period-5, Tri-City, Garland 19 (Whynott, Sloan), 1:25. 6, Wenatchee, Friesen 17 (Rios), 2:37. 7, Wenatchee, Friesen 18 6:08. 8, Wenatchee, Friesen 19 (Andresen, McCloskey), 11:09 (PP). 9, Tri-City, Whynott 19 (Sloan), 19:57. Penalties-McMillan Wen (tripping), 3:50; Adam Tc (roughing), 3:50; Russell Wen (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 5:16; Sloan Tc (kneeing), 5:16; Arpin Tc (cross checking), 6:53; Smith Tc (delay of game), 9:44.
3rd Period-10, Wenatchee, Rios 14 (Friesen, Cooper), 5:55. 11, Wenatchee, McCagherty 11 (Shcherbyna, Dunphy), 7:19. 12, Wenatchee, Shcherbyna 9 (McCloskey), 18:00. Penalties-Arpin Tc (10-minute misconduct), 7:19; Gudelj Tc (high sticking), 18:30.
Shots on Goal-Wenatchee 12-16-6-34. Tri-City 8-7-10-25.
Power Play Opportunities-Wenatchee 3 / 7; Tri-City 0 / 3.
Goalies-Wenatchee, Gee 3-1-0-0 (25 shots-23 saves). Tri-City, Matecha 16-6-1-1 (11 shots-7 saves); Preston 4-5-1-0 (23 shots-17 saves).
A-3,137
Referees-Brandon Koop (23), Corey Koop (53).
Linesmen-Bryce Fetzer (158), Max Lucas (172).
