IOWA SHUTS OUT MILWAUKEE 3-0 AT WELLS FARGO ARENA
Nov 14, 2018-Goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen earns his second consecutive shutout in his home debut-
DES MOINES, IOWA – Goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen stopped all 20 shots he faced, earning his second consecutive shutout as Iowa Wild (9-4-1-0; 19 pts.) defeated the Milwaukee Admirals (9-5-3-0; 21 pts.) by a score of 3-0. Kahkonen’s shutout comes in his home debut and marks the third consecutive win for the Finnish goaltender.
Iowa jumped out to a 1-0 lead with an individual effort from forward Luke Kunin. After the puck squirted out into the neutral zone, Kunin beat the Milwaukee defender in a foot race to go in on goaltender Tony Grosenick (28 saves) all alone. Kunin then rifled a shot over Grosenick’s glove on the breakaway for his fourth goal of the season and to give the Wild a 1-0 lead. Kunin’s unassisted goal came at 15:30 in the first period.
After one period of play, Iowa led 1-0 while outshooting Milwaukee 11-7.
Forward Gerry Fitzgerald doubled Iowa’s lead when he tipped a shot from defenseman Carson Soucy through Grosenick’s five-hole at 9:41 in the second period. Forward Mason Shaw slid Soucy a drop pass at the blueline and Soucy directed a shot on net. Fitzgerald then deflected Soucy’s shot in the slot past Grosenick for his fifth goal of the 2018-19 campaign.
Through 40 minutes, Iowa held a 2-0 lead and outshot Milwaukee 20-14.
Soucy added to Iowa’s lead when he lasered a shot into the top-right corner of the net at 12:23 in the third period. At the left faceoff circle, Shaw pulled up before making a quick pass to Soucy. Soucy then one-timed a shot over Grosenick’s glove for his first goal of the season to give the Wild a 3-0 lead. Forward Mitch McLain earned the secondary helper on the play.
When the final buzzer sounded, the Wild skated away with the 3-0 victory. Through four games, Kahkonen sports a 0.99 goals against average and a .962 save percentage, both the best marks in the league for a qualified goaltender.
Also with the win, the Wild moved into second place in the division, trailing the Admirals by just two points for the division lead. Milwaukee and Iowa face off again at Wells Fargo Arena Friday night with a scheduled 7:00 p.m. puck drop.
The Iowa Wild 2018-19 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.