Wenatchee Wild turns back Fresno Monsters

FRESNO, Calif. - Trevor Stewart scored bookend goals Saturday to help the Wenatchee Wild earn their fifth straight win with a 4-1 victory over the Fresno Monsters at the Selland Arena in Fresno, Calif.

Stewart staked the Wild to a 1-0 lead six minutes and 45 seconds into the first period when he scored on a top shelf wrister from the slot on a pass from Jacob Barber.

The goal was set up on an extended grinding effort in the offensive zone that eventually resulted in a Fresno turnover that Barber quickly took advantage of.

Wenatchee went into the locker room at the first intermission up 2-0 thanks to Barber's power-play goal, which was scored with just one second remaining in the first frame. Chris Kerr helped manufacture the goal with a pass to Barber from behind the Fresno cage. Noah Nelson also assisted on Barber's 15th goal of the season.

"I was really happy with the way our guys played tonight," said Wenatchee Wild associate head coach Tom Rudrud. "We responded very well to the challenge. I think we did a great job of playing shutdown hockey in the defensive zone and taking care of the puck in the defensive zone, and I thought we did a great job of creating offense."

The Monsters got back into the game 84 seconds into the second frame when Matt Salituro's shot leaked by Wild goalie Nick Schmit. Dan Sherer and Mitchell Snyder picked up the assists on the even-strength goal.

Wenatchee reclaimed its 2-goal lead later in the second period when Jono Davis set up a goal for Joe Sullivan Dylan Abood started the play in neutral ice when he sent a pass to Davis through his legs.

Davis turned on his jets down the left wing, got behind the defense and slid the puck in front of the goal mouth to Sullivan, who tapped it into the twine.

The goal was Sullivan's fifth of the season with the Wild and his 14th overall on the year.

Stewart closed out scoring with less than nine minutes remaining in the contest when he lit the lamp on a rebound from the slot, nearly the exact same place he scored from in the first period. Kerr and Sullivan notched the assists.

"He has a lot of energy and he plays with a lot of hunger," Rudrud said of Stewart. "He always finds a way to get around the net and come up with pucks where he has a chance to score."

Stewart led the Wild with a pair of goals. He has three goals in three games since he returned to the lineup on Feb. 2. Also for the Wild, Barber (1G, 1A) and Kerr (2A) each recorded two points.

Wild netminder Nick Schmit (Fargo, N.D.) made 19 saves on 20 shots to earn his second win with the club. Macauley Haight denied 25 of Wenatchee's 29 shots.

The Wild went 1-for-4 on the power play while Fresno failed to score a man-advantage goal on its three chances.

The Wild (33-7-4) will play their next four games on the east coast beginning with a 2-game set against the Johnstown Tomahawks Friday and Saturday Faceoff for both games is set for 4 p.m.