By Win Wachsmann. The Abbotsford Heat scored the first goal for the first time in the last seven home games but that wasn’t enough as the Chicago Wolves
went on to beat the Heat 3-1 on Friday. In the six meetings this season, the Wolves have won four times. [Click On Image For Full story]
The game started with the Heat outshooting the Wolves in the first
minutes of the first period.
Trying to stop the pressing Heat, the Wolves’ Andrew Gordon was
penalized at the 3:54 of the first period for hooking. Just 9 seconds
later, Ben Walter scored his sixth game of the season on the
powerplay when he fired a shot past Chicago Goalie Matt Climie at
4:05. Paul Byron centered the pass from Krys Kolanos to Walter as
both collected assists.
Greg Nemisz was penalized for tripping at 9:52 and the Wolves took
advantage of the powerplay. Brett Sterling took a pass from Brad Hunt
and skated toward the net as Heat goalie Leland Irving went down.
Sterling solidified his spot as the Wolves’ scoring leader as he put
it it over his shoulder for the first Wolves’ goal.
Right Wing Darren Hayder got the second assist.
Just two minutes later, Sterling got his second goal as he put the
puck behind Irving on a redirect from Brad Hunt at 12:21. Adam
Polasek got the second assist.
At the 18 minute mark, the Heat goalie tried to clear the puck but it
ended up behind the net. Brett Sterling raced in behind the net and
fired at the goal. It rebounded off Irving’s blade and into the goal
to make it 3 – 1 at 18:33. It was Sterling’s 13th goal of the season.
That was it for Leland Irving as he let in 3 goals in 10 shots. In
his last game in December against the San Antonio Rampage, Irving let
in 3 goals on 8 shots and he was pulled as well.
The Wolves outshot the Heat 10-9.
The second period started with the Wolves pressing the Heat and
getting a number of great opportunities but Heat goalie Danny Taylor,
who replaced Irving, turned back all the shots.
The Heat stayed calm and continued playing a disciplined game. Paul
Byron had a great opportunity as the period drew to a close but Matt
Climie turned back all shots in the second period. He turned away 9
shots and Taylor turned away 8 shots.
The second period ended with the Wolves outshooting the Heat 9-8 but
the score stayed at 3-1 Wolves.
The third period saw the game surge back and forth between the teams.
The Wolves’ Archibald took a Holding the Stick penalty and gave the
Heat a powerplay advantage.
Ben Street had a great goal opportunity but snapped his stick on the
shot and the Wolves were able to hold the Heat off the scoreboard.
With 54 seconds in the period, the Heat pulled Taylor for the fifth
attacker. They pressed hard but Climie stopped all shots.
Danny Taylor played very well and was able to stop all 20 of the
Wolves shots in the two periods he guarded the net.
The Wolves outshot the Heat 30-27 in the game while Krys Kolanos took
6 shots for the Heat in three periods.
The Heat were 1 for 3 on the powerplay while the Wolves were 1 for 2.
The Wolves had all three stars. 1. Brett Stirling 2. Matt Climie 3. Brad Hunt
The Heat face the Wolves for the second time on Saturday January 12.