IOWA SHUTS OUT SAN DIEGO IN 3-0 VICTORY
Feb 14, 2020-Gerry Mayhew records natural hat trick in third period en route to the win-
Forward Gerry Mayhew completed a natural hat trick, all in the third period, to lead Iowa Wild (32-14-3-3; 70 pts.) to a 3-0 shutout of the San Diego Gulls (22-17-4-2; 50 pts.) Friday evening.
After two scoreless periods, Mayhew finally opened the scoring at 1:58 in the third period. From a below the left circle, Mayhew snapped a shot that snuck under the glove of goaltender Anthony Stolarz (30 saves), off the right post and across the goal line for the score. Defenseman Matt Bartkowski and forward Nico Sturm earned the assists on the play.
Mayhew’s final two tallies came as empty-net goals at 19:08 and 19:28 in the final frame. For his second score, Mayhew one-timed a pass from Sturm from just past center ice, hitting the net dead center. To complete the natural hat trick, Mayhew sprung himself for a breakaway before being hauled down by the Gulls defense, resulting in him being awarded his third goal of the contest.
Goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen (35 saves) made several big stops throughout the contest, including leading the Wild’s kill of a 5-on-3 for 92 seconds late in the third period. His play, along with Mayhew’s offensive prowess, guided the Wild to a 3-0 victory, the team’s sixth shutout of the season. Iowa finished the contest being outshot by San Diego 35-33 and went 0-for-1 on the power play and 5-for-5 on the penalty kill.
Mayhew’s hat trick was the second of his career and the first for the Wild this season and his 39 tallies this year are the most in an AHL campaign since Cory Conacher’s 39 with Syracuse in 2011-12. Kahkonen’s shutout Friday evening was his fifth of the year and the 11th of his career.
With the victory, Iowa extended its winning streak to eight games and its home winning streak to 10 games, both of which are the longest active streaks in the AHL. The Wild’s 11-game point streak is tied for the longest such stretch in team history and is also the longest active streak in the league.
Iowa closes out its franchise-long nine-game homestand Saturday night against San Diego. Puck drop is scheduled 6:00 p.m. The first 1,500 fans will receive a Carson Soucy bobblehead and following the game, the Wild will host a postgame concert featuring Eli Young Band.
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.