WILD COME FROM BEHIND IN 3-2 VICTORY AGAINST SAN ANTONIO
Dec 1, 2019-Goaltender Dereck Baribeau earns first AHL victory in pro debut-
Iowa Wild (12-6-2-2; 28 pts.) overcame a two-goal deficit, defeating the San Antonio Rampage (9-7-5-2; 25 pts.) by a score of 3-2 Sunday afternoon. The win gave goaltender Dereck Baribeau (30 saves) his first pro win in his AHL debut.
Forward Ryan Olsen scored just nine seconds into the contest, beating Baribeau stick side to give the home team a 1-0 lead. Off the opening faceoff, defenseman Jake Walman hit Olsen with a pass and he skated down the left side of the ice before snapping a shot home. Olsen’s tally was the fastest goal Iowa has allowed to start a game or period in franchise history.
The Rampage extended its lead to 2-0 as forward Nolan Stevens netted his second of the campaign. Defenseman Andreas Borgman skated to the bottom of the left circle before finding Stevens alone on the far post for the easy tap-in.
After 20 minutes of play, Iowa trailed 2-0 and San Antonio owned an 11-9 shot advantage.
Forward Nico Sturm put Iowa on the board with his fifth tally of the season at 5:14 in the second period. After getting a pass from forward Sam Anas, Sturm avoided a check from a Rampage defender while chipping the puck up the ice to give himself a partial breakaway. He skated in on goaltender Adam Wilcox (32 saves) and beat him under the glove to cut San Antonio’s lead to 2-1. Forward Brandon Duhaime recorded the secondary assist on the play.
Heading into the third period, Iowa trailed 2-1 but led in shots 24-19.
Just 23 seconds into the third period, the Wild tied the game at 2-2 as forward Luke Johnson recorded his third tally of the season. Off a faceoff win, defenseman Brennan Menell sent a pass to Johnson in the left circle. He then skated in and rifled a puck over Wilcox’s left shoulder for a power-play tally. Anas logged the secondary assist on the play.
Iowa completed its comeback at 10:03 in the final frame as Sturm notched his second goal of the contest. Anas skated into the zone and then hit Sturm with a behind-the-back pass. Sturm carved to the left side before slipping the puck through Wilcox’s five-hole for the first multi-goal game of his career.
The Wild kept the Rampage at bay through the rest of the third period and at the final horn, Baribeau earned his first AHL win, coming in his AHL debut. Iowa finished the game leading in shots 35-32 and went 1-for-5 on the power play and 6-for-6 on the penalty kill, including killing off 1:30 of a 5-on-3 in the first period.
Sunday’s win was the Wild’s first victory in the state of Texas since Dec. 1, 2017, also against the Rampage. The win was also the third consecutive game Iowa had a skater with at least two goals, the longest such streak since Jan. 14 – 21, 2019 (four games).
Anas finished the game with three helpers, his first three-assist contest since Jan 21, 2019 and pushed his point streak to three games, where he’s accumulated six points (2g, 4a). Menell’s two-assist game gives him 16 helpers on the year, which ranks first among all AHL defenseman, and 18 points, tied for the most in the league among blueliners.
Iowa and San Antonio meet again Wednesday morning for the Rampage’s School Day Game. Puck drop is at 10:30 a.m.
The Iowa Wild 2019-20 regular season is presented by MercyOne Des Moines 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.