Matthew Ockinga
Most Recent Stories
Wenatchee Wild sweep Monsters, reclaim West Division lead
WENATCHEE — Who said March Madness is for basketball only? In the midst of a knock-down, drag out dogfight for the North American Hockey League’s West division crown, the Wenatchee Wild reclaimed the division lead with a hard-earned 4-2 win over division cellar dwellers, the Fresno Monsters, before 3,707 at the Town Toyota Center on Saturday.
Ice Dogs battle back in shootout
Wild get a point in loss Saturday
WENATCHEE — Some losses sting. Some losses are gut-wrenching. Some losses stubbornly stick with a team, dig into it like a tiny splinter under the skin that can’t be eradicated. This was not one of those loses.
Wild stay hot, take 2 from Monsters
WENATCHEE — Consider this a rust-remover. After spending nearly the last three weeks with little to do but practice, the Wenatchee Wild shook off its schedule doldrums with authority by besting the Fresno Monsters 6-1 Saturday at the Town Toyota Center, putting an exclamation point on a two-game sweep.
Wild sweep with OT win
WENATCHEE — It’s a good things hockey players aren’t claustrophobic. The penalty boxes were packed with pink and black in a testy, physical, in-your-face hockey showdown which echoed Elton John’s lyrics of “Saturday night’s alright for fighting.” But it was Wenatchee that struck the final blow as Dylan Abood punched the TKO with 35 ticks gone in overtime to give the Wild a thrilling 3-2 overtime win in front of a crowd of 3,476 at the Town Toyota Center.
New regime, immediate results
First-year Wild coach Bliss Littler has team playing strong heading into first homestand
WENATCHEE — “Play like your hair is on fire.” Under this combustible hockey philosophy, new Wenatchee Wild head coach Bliss Littler, the winningest coach in USA Hockey Junior A Tier I and Tier II history, has a firm grasp on what fans can expect from the new brand of play they’ll be seeing at the Town Toyota Center this season: speed, toughness, and offense. Lots and lots of offense.
End of the line for Wild
Ice Dogs wrap up West Division Finals sweep to knock out Wenatchee
WENATCHEE – Déjà vu reared its ugly head Thursday night. For the second straight season, the Fairbanks Ice Dogs rudely removed the Wild from the Robertson Cup playoffs, this time by besting Wentachee 3-1 on home ice at the Town Toyota Center. After putting away the Alaska Avalanche in five games in the opening round of the North American Hockey League West playoffs, Wenatchee was swept by the No. 1-seeded Fairbanks squad. The Ice Dogs, 2011’s Robertson Cup champions, will move on to Frisco, Texas, to defend their title.
Wild take 2 on road, advance
PALMER, Alaska — The Wenatchee Wild will be taking the long flight home from Alaska, but much to their delight, it will be delayed by over a week. Evan Schmidbauer punched the Wild’s ticket to the North American Hockey League West finals by scoring in the fourth period on an assist from Matt Cope to give Wenatchee a thrilling 2-1 overtime win against the pesky Alaska Avalanche in the decisive Game 5 of the NAHL West semifinals on Saturday at the Palmer Ice Arena.
Wild pushed to brink
Wenatchee heads to Alaska down 2-1 after 2OT heartbreaker
WENATCHEE – The Wenatchee Wild have never waited so long to have their hearts crushed. With 19 seconds left in the second overtime period, the Alaska Avalanche’s Jordan Watt, on a quick wrist-shot to the net, scored perhaps the most painful game winner Wenatchee has swallowed all season as they fell 3-2 in the longest game in its history Saturday night at the Town Toyota Center.
Wild strike first
Offense shines in playoff-opening win
If the road to the Robertson Cup is a marathon, the Wenatchee Wild came a mile closer Thursday. In the opening game of the North American Hockey League West semifinals, the Wild gained an early advantage in the series by convincingly beating the Alaska Avalanche 4-1 at the Town Toyota Center. Though their penalty killing wasn’t picturesque at times, the Wild, with a few fortunate bounces, were able to best the Avalanche, who they beat by only three points in the regular season standings.
Wild honor former player diagnosed with leukemia
WENATCHEE — This wolf pack takes care of it own. Throughout the Robertson Cup playoffs, the Wenatchee Wild will don No. 24 on their helmets to honor former defenseman Chris Rumble, 21, who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia on Tuesday.