IOWA DOWNS SAN ANTONIO 3-2 FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE WIN
Feb 12, 2018Wild forward Luke Kunin scored two goals, added an assist in the win
DES MOINES, IOWA – Iowa Wild (25-15-7-3; 60 points) defeated San Antonio Rampage (24-20-6-0; 54 points) 3-2 for the team’s third consecutive win of the homestand.
Wild forward Luke Kunin had a part in every score for the home team in the win, assisting on Colton Beck’s goal before notching two of his own. All three points came in the second period.
Kunin’s first point came when he battled for a puck in the left corner before knocking it free for forward Cal O’Reilly. O’Reilly sent a pass to Beck, who one-timed the shot five-hole, beating Rampage goaltender Ville Husso (35 saves) to tie the game 1-1 at 5:59 in the second period. It was Kunin’s ninth assist of the season and O’Reilly’s team-leading 33rd.
At 9:54 in the middle frame, Kunin scored his first goal of the game. With the Wild on a 5-on-3 power play, defenseman Alex Grant received a pass from defenseman Ryan Murphy and ripped a slap shot on net. Husso made the save, but the rebound went right to Kunin’s stick. He slammed home the rebound over Husso’s right pad and gave the Wild a 2-1 lead.
Kunin earned his third point of the night with a snipe from the left circle at 15:52 in the second stanza. On the power-play once again, Murphy fed Kunin, who rifled his wrist shot over Husso’s glove for the game-winning goal.
San Antonio opened the scoring when the team notched a goal just 30 seconds into the game. Defenseman David Warsofsky took a shot from the blueline and forward Andrew Agozzino redirected it past Wild goaltender Niklas Svedberg (27 saves) to give the visitors the 1-0 lead.
After the goals from Beck and Kunin, Rampage defenseman Jesse Graham tied the game 2-2 at 10:55 in the second period. After sneaking through the Iowa defense, Graham slipped the puck through Svedberg’s legs for the score. Iowa regained the lead with Kunin’s second score and never relinquished it.
Kunin’s three-point night was his first such game of the season and the first since his hat-trick on March 28, 2017. Murphy earned two assists on the night for his fourth game with dual helpers. Svedberg continues his torrid pace, winning eight of his last nine starts. During that stretch, Svedberg has a 1.89 goals against average and a .940 save percentage.
With the win, Iowa has recorded points in its last seven home games, going 6-0-1-0 during that stretch. The Wild will look to continue its streak when the team hosts Texas Stars Sunday with a 3:00 p.m. start.
The Iowa Wild 2017-18 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.