WILD DROP SUNDAY MATINEE TO WOLVES, 5-3
Mar 6, 2022
CHICAGO, Ill. – Iowa Wild (22-23-3-3; 50 pts.) were defeated by the Chicago Wolves (33-10-4-4; 74 pts.) in a Sunday afternoon contest by a score of 5-3 at Allstate Arena on Sunday, Mar. 6. Wild forward Nick Swaney scored two goals for the first time since Oct. 23, 2021 in the loss.
Swaney came through the neutral zone and beat Wolves goaltender Jack LaFontaine (25 saves) with a wrist shot from above the right circle at 5:25 of the first period. Swaney’s first tally gave Iowa a 1-0 lead and was assisted by Wild defenseman Turner Ottenbreit.
After Iowa surged ahead 1-0, neither team added another goal, sending them into the first intermission with the Wild in front. Shots in the first period were 9-8 in favor of the Wild.
With the Wild on the powerplay, Iowa forward Joseph Cramarossa fed Swaney at the right post and Swaney pushed the puck past LaFontaine at 2:54 of the second period to extend Iowa’s lead to 2-0. Assists on the goal were credited to Cramarossa and Wild defenseman Dakota Mermis.
Wolves forward Jack Drury beat Wild goaltender Hunter Jones (27 saves) with a shot from below the left circle on the power play to cut Iowa’s lead to 2-1 at 8:39 of the second period.
Drury beat Jones once again with a one-timer from the slot at 10:49 of the second period. His goal tied the game at two goals apiece.
At 15:32 of the second period, Wolves forward Ryan Suzuki gathered in a rebound in front of Jones and scored to give Chicago a 3-2 lead.
Following a second period in which the Wild added a single goal and the Wolves struck three times, Chicago led 3-2. Shots in the second period were 14-8 in favor of the Wolves and Chicago held a 22-17 lead in shots through two periods.
Wolves forward Josh Leivo scored on a wrist shot from the right circle on a 3-on-2 rush at 4:13 of the third period. Leivo’s goal gave Chicago a 4-2 lead.
Drury beat Jones from the bottom of the left circle at 13:39 of the third period to complete a hat trick. After his third goal, Chicago led 5-2 over Iowa.
At 17:50 of the third period the Wild pulled Jones for the extra attacker.
Iowa forward Mitchell Chaffee scored on a one-timer from the right circle set up by Iowa forward Victor Rask at 18:55 of the third period. Rask and Wild forward Marco Rossi recorded assists on the play and Iowa trailed 5-3 after the goal.
After Chaffee’s goal, Iowa once again pulled Jones for the extra attacker after they regained possession of the puck. However, the Wild could not mount a comeback and the Wolves won by a score of 5-3. Iowa outshot Chicago 11-10 in the third period but the Wolves outshot the Wild 32-28 in the game.
Iowa was 1-for-3 and Chicago was 1-for-2 on the power play on the afternoon.
After playing three games in as many days, the Wild head to Milwaukee for a matchup with the Admirals on Wednesday, Mar. 9 at 10:30 a.m. CT.
Iowa Wild hockey is presented by MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center. For more information, please visit www.iowawild.com. Fans can purchase single-game tickets through the team’s website at www.iowawild.com. Group tickets (10 or more), suites, Wild 365 memberships or premium tickets can be purchased by contacting the Iowa Wild Ticket Department at (515) 564-8700 or tickets@iowawild.com. The 2022-23 season marks the 10th anniversary of Iowa Wild hockey. Fans can purchase season tickets for the 10th anniversary season at https://www.iowawild.com/wild-365.
###