IOWA WILD SEES RECORD-SETTING NIGHT IN 8-1 ROUT AGAINST MANITOBA
Oct 7, 2018-Through two games, Iowa leads the AHL in goals scored and goal differential-
Iowa Wild (2-0-0-0; 4 pts.) routed the Manitoba Moose (0-2-0-0; 0 pts.) by a score of 8-1 Sunday afternoon in a game that saw the club win back-to-back games to start a season for the first time in franchise history while also setting a record for most goals in a single home game with eight.
Wild forward Gerry Fitzgerald opened the scoring once again, sneaking a puck between the arm and body of Moose goaltender Eric Comrie (24 saves). Fitzgerald’s goal at 6:38, his second in as many games, was set up by forward Mason Shaw, recording his first career AHL point.
Defenseman Ryan Murphy doubled Iowa’s lead, blasting a one-timer from defenseman Louie Belpedio for a power-play goal at 14:14 in the opening period. Forward Dmitry Sokolov earned the secondary assist on Murphy’s second goal in two games.
Manitoba got on the board with a goal by forward Kristian Reichel, who deflected the puck over the shoulder of Wild goaltender Andrew Hammond (26 saves). Reichel’s goal came in his AHL debut.
Through one period, Iowa had a 2-1 lead and outshot Manitoba 13-9.
The Wild added three goals in the second period, starting with another power-play tally. While Manitoba was on a line change, Hammond zipped a pass to Belpedio, who was standing on the opposing blueline. On a 2-on-0, Belpedio slid the puck to forward Colton Beck, cashing in on the play for his first score of the season at 5:18 in the second period.
Less than three minutes later, forward Kyle Rau deflected a shot from defenseman Eric Martinsson out of mid-air and under Comrie to give the home squad a 4-1 lead. Forward Sam Anas notched his first assist of the season on the power-play goal coming at 8:40 in the middle frame.
Beck logged his second goal of the game with a bank shot at 17:48 in the second stanza. Nearly parallel with the goal line, Beck threw the puck on net, which bounced off the right shoulder of Comrie and across the goal line. His goal gave Iowa a 5-1 lead and also gave defenseman Matt Bartkowski an assist, his first in an Iowa sweater.
At the end of the second period, Iowa held a 5-1 lead while outshooting the Moose 29-16. During the intermission, the Moose replaced Comrie with goaltender Ken Appleby (10 saves).
Already with a commanding lead, the Wild tacked on three more goals in the third period. Newly appointed alternate captain Mike Liambas scored his first goal of the season with a redirection of his own at 6:06 in the final frame. Liambas took the shot from defenseman Hunter Warner and directed it through Appleby’s five-hole for the 6-1 lead.
Forward Gerry Mayhew made it 7-1 when he capitalized on a breakaway opportunity at 14:02 in the third period. Catching a pass from Shaw, Mayhew blazed through the neutral zone and went in on Appleby alone. Mayhew went forehand-backhand before slipping his shot past Appleby’s pad for his first of the year.
Shaw capped off his three-point night by scoring his first professional goal at 19:36 in the third stanza. Shaw, standing inside the right faceoff circle, caught a pass from Sokolov and immediately turned and fired a shot on net. His shot beat Appleby over his glove and solidified the record-breaking night.
Five Iowa players saw multi-point nights, with Shaw leading the way with three points (1g, 2a). Iowa also continued its terrific special team plays with three power-play goals on seven tries while also going 2-for-2 on the penalty kill.
Through two games, the Wild’s 12 goals for is tied for the league lead, while the team’s plus-10 goal differential is the best mark in the AHL. Iowa’s four power-play goals through two games are tied for the most in the league and the club is one of eight teams to be perfect on the penalty kill.
Iowa returns to the ice on Friday, Oct. 12 when the team begins a stretch of three straight games against the Texas Stars. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Wells Fargo Arena.
The Iowa Wild 2018-19 season is presented by Mercy 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.