ANAS MAKES HISTORY IN 4-2 WIN FOR IOWA
Oct 19, 2019-The forward sets franchise record for career points with a three-point contest-
Iowa Wild (5-0-0-1; 11pts.) continued its hot start as the team defeated the Manitoba Moose (1-5-0-0; 2 pts.) by a score of 4-2 in a contest where forward Sam Anas made franchise history.
One night after tying the record for career points, Anas broke the record with a power-play goal at 2:54 in the first period. A turnover on the left half-wall caused the puck squirt out to Anas on the right side of the ice. He skated in, got goaltender Mikhail Berdin (33 saves) to open his five-hole before threading the puck under his pads and into the back of the net. The tally, assisted by forward Kyle Rau and defenseman Brennan Menell, was Anas’ 133rd point in a Wild sweater, surpassing Zack Mitchell’s previous record of 132. The record-setting goal was also the first time all season the Wild recorded the first tally of the game.
Manitoba tied the contest at 1-1 at 12:15 in the first period as forward Logan Shaw scored his third goal of the season. From behind the net, forward JC Lipon sent a pass to Shaw in the slot and he snuck the puck through the legs of goaltender Mat Robson (24 saves) for the tally.
Anas once again gave the Wild the lead as he scored his third goal of the weekend at 14:47 in the opening frame. On a 2-on-1, forward Kyle Bauman sent a pass to Anas, who immediately wristed a shot off the crossbar and into the back of the net, beating Berdin glove side. Forward Colton Beck recorded the secondary assist on the play, his fourth helper of the weekend.
At the end of the first period, Iowa led 2-1 and outshot Manitoba 12-8.
Iowa doubled its lead as forward Nico Sturm made it a 3-1 game at 13:28 in the second period. Anas received a pass from defenseman Louie Belpedio and one-touched the puck to Sturm, who was streaking into the offensive zone. Sturm lasered a shot from the inside the right faceoff circle and beat Berdin blocker side for his second of the season.
The Moose cut the Wild’s lead to 3-2 as defenseman Cameron Schilling registered his second goal of the season, coming with just 31 seconds left in the middle frame. Forward Michael Spacek sent a pass to Schilling at the top of the right circle, where he took a shot but didn’t get all of it, and the off-speed attempt beat Robson blocker side. Forward Johnathan Kovacevic was credited with the secondary assist on the play.
Through 40 minutes of play, Iowa led 3-2 and in shots 24-20.
With just 3.2 seconds remaining in the game, Rau netted an empty-net goal, securing the 4-2 win for the Wild, with forward JT Brown and Menell getting the assists. Iowa finished the game 1-for-6 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill while outshooting Manitoba 37-26.
With the win, Iowa is now 5-0-0-1, continuing the best start in franchise history and putting the team in first place in the Western Conference and tied for first in the entire AHL. The Wild have also earned points in its last nine regular-season contests, dating back to last season, and the win gave Robson his first professional victory.
Iowa continues its season-long seven-game road trip with contests against the Tucson Roadrunners on Oct. 25 and Oct. 26. Puck drop for Friday’s game is at 9:05 p.m. CT.
The Iowa Wild 2019-20 regular season is presented by MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center and runs from October through April. For more information, please contact the Wild office by calling 515-564-8700 or by visiting www.iowawild.com.