Wenatchee Racks Up Firsts, Including First Win, in 7-3 Win Over Seattle Sunday
WENATCHEE, Wash. – The Wenatchee Wild entered Sunday’s Western Hockey League home game against the Seattle Thunderbirds still looking to bag their first win of the season, and shake off a cold streak on the power play in the process. The Wild were due, and in front of the home crowd at Town Toyota Center, they got the job done.
Wenatchee closed out its weekend with a 7-3 victory against a Thunderbirds team finishing a three-in-three weekend, scoring three of their first four goals on the power play, as the Wild closed out the night with a 3-for-7 mark on the man-advantage and a perfect 4-for-4 showing on the penalty kill.
Halfway through the first period, the hosts got their first power play goal when Mason Kraft tossed a shot to the front of the net and got a tap-in from Sam Elliott to put Wenatchee in front. However, at the 12:27 mark, Seattle broke through the Wild power play for a 2-on-1 goal, with Antonio Martorana pitching the initial shot to Tobias Tvrznik and Brock England sending home the rebound off the pads.
Wenatchee rolled up four straight goals after that – Dawson Seitz hit the top shelf on the power play with 4:50 left in the first period, and Luka Shcherbyna scored his fifth goal of the year with 35.6 seconds remaining on the rush from the right-wing faceoff dot. Kraft picked up his own power play goal at 1:56 of the second with a wrist shot from the left half, and Zane Saab made it a 5-1 game when he skittered a chance past Marek Sklenicka at the 11:10 mark.
The Wild went to the dressing room up four, but Seattle quickly cut the lead in half in the third – Matej Pekac scored on a one-timer from England at the 8:49 mark, followed by a one-timer from Brendan Rudolph on the doorstep just 16 seconds later. Wenatchee closed out the night with a second goal from Elliott on a low face-and-fire with 5:40 to play, and Maddix McCagherty hurled a chance into the empty Seattle net with just under four minutes to play to clinch the victory.
Elliott broke out for two goals and two assists, and Josh Toll racked up four assists to lead the way, the first four-assist game of Wenatchee’s season. Kraft added a goal and an assist to his team-leading haul, while Tvrznik made 33 saves for his first official win in a Wild uniform. Grady Wedman and Darian Rolsing earned their first WHL points in the game as well, with both earning assists.
For Seattle, Sklenicka turned away 32 of Wenatchee’s 38 chances, and England had the Thunderbirds’ only multi-point game with a goal and an assist. Seattle exits the weekend with a 3-5-0-0 record as the teams prepare for a rematch on Seattle’s home ice in just six nights.
Wenatchee carries a 1-4-1-1 record to Langley, British Columbia for a Friday night tilt against the Giants this coming week, followed by their rematch with Seattle at Accesso Showare Center on Saturday. The opening puck drop for Friday’s game at Langley Events Centre is slated for 7 p.m., with live coverage on Newsradio 560 KPQ and Victory+.
Tickets for all regular-season Wild 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.
Seattle 1 0 2 – 3
Wenatchee 3 2 2 – 7
1st Period-1, Wenatchee, Elliott 1 (Kraft, Toll), 9:58 (PP). 2, Seattle, England 5 (Martorana), 12:27 (SH). 3, Wenatchee, Dawson Seitz 2 (Kraft, Elliott), 15:10 (PP). 4, Wenatchee, Shcherbyna 5 (Rolsing, Toll), 19:25. Penalties-Fluker Wen (delay of game), 1:06; Kuzma Sea (delay of game), 9:26; Pekar Sea (tripping), 12:08; served by Holberton Sea (too many men), 14:38; Tash Sea (interference), 16:35; Tash Sea (holding), 18:50; Wedman Wen (embellishment), 18:50.
2nd Period-5, Wenatchee, Kraft 2 (Shcherbyna, Elliott), 1:56 (PP). 6, Wenatchee, Zane Saab 1 (Toll, Wedman), 11:10. Penalties-Martorana Sea (slashing), 1:09; Rios Wen (elbowing), 4:54; Shcherbyna Wen (inter. on goaltender), 15:32; Rios Wen (interference), 18:43; Pekar Sea (interference), 19:36.
3rd Period-7, Seattle, Pekar 4 (England), 8:49. 8, Seattle, Gerrior 1 (Rudolph), 9:05. 9, Wenatchee, Elliott 2 (Vanek, Toll), 14:20. 10, Wenatchee, McCagherty 2 16:06. Penalties-England Sea (interference), 14:56; Wedman Wen (holding opp. stick), 14:56; Dunn Sea (slashing), 18:17.
Shots on Goal-Seattle 11-10-15-36. Wenatchee 19-12-8-39.
Power Play Opportunities-Seattle 0 / 4; Wenatchee 3 / 7.
Goalies-Seattle, Sklenicka 3-2-0-0 (39 shots-32 saves). Wenatchee, Tvrznik 1-3-0-1 (36 shots-33 saves).
A-2,276
Referees-Brandon Koop (23), Mark Pearce (5).
Linesmen-Evan Reeve (158), Cameron Wetmore (114).
