McHugh Leads Wild Over Rage

DAWSON CREEK, British Columbia - Max McHugh (Edgewood, Wash.)

scored two first-period power-play goals and the Wenatchee Wild,

under the direction of new head coach John Becanic, defeated the

Dawson Creek Rage Wednesday night, 5-2.

DAWSON CREEK, British Columbia - Max McHugh (Edgewood, Wash.) scored two first-period power-play goals and the Wenatchee Wild, under the direction of new head coach John Becanic, defeated the Dawson Creek Rage Wednesday night, 5-2.

Both of McHugh's first-period goals came on second-chance shots. The first, scored a little less than six minutes into the contest, was tapped into a wide open net after Rage netminder Andrew Walsh made a save on Chris Rumble's (Chesapeake, Va.) shot from the near point. Carl-Johan Sjogren (Sodertalje, Sweden) also assisted.

McHugh's second power-play goal came on a loose puck just outside of the goal crease on another shot from the near point. D.J. Vandercook (Farmington Hills, Mich.) and Zach Frye (Spokane, Wash.) assisted. Dawson Creek had a great opportunity to cut Wenatchee's lead in half late in the first period when Carter Page was granted a penalty shot. Wild goaltender Brandon Jaeger (Champlin, Minn.), however, denied Page when he poke-checked the puck away.

The Rage did cut the Wild lead in half 90 seconds into the second period. During a power play, Josh Hartley scored on a slap shot off a faceoff win inside the Wenatchee zone. Michael Di Puma (Chicago, Ill.) got that goal back for the Wild with 3:01 left in the second frame when he outdueled Walsh. The Rage scored its second goal of the game with 17 seconds remaining in the second frame when Nolan Zarazun scored on his backhand after the Wild was unable to clear the puck from its zone.

The Wild scored a pair of insurance goals in the third period. Vandercook put the Wild up by two goals at the 13:21 mark when he tapped the puck into the net from the backdoor to finish off a tic-tac-toe sequence. McHugh and Rumble assisted. Forty-three seconds later, Tyler Hope (McKinney, Texas) put the Wild up 5-2 when he scored from the inside edge of the near circle, beating Walsh low and stick side. Eliot Grauer (Mukioteo, Wash.) and Bradley Shumway (Lafayette, Colo.) assisted.

McHugh led the Wild with three points (2G, 1A). He now has 10 points in 10 games. Vandercook (1G, 1A) and Rumble (2A) each recorded two points.

Wenatchee took 45 shots, 40 of which Walsh stopped. Jaeger made 22 saves on 24 shots to earn his 11th win of the season. Wenatchee scored three power-play goals on five opportunities while Dawson Creek went 1-for-6 on power-play chances.

The Wild-Rage series will resume tonight at 6 p.m. (PST).