By Makiah
Langan
World junior reporter
Wenatchee is
known for many reasons. One reason is the Wenatchee Wild junior hockey
team. They are one of the top three in the North American Hockey League
and will be hosting the 2010 Robertson Cup. The team is pretty new, only
about two years old, but has impressed many. Even though I didn't know
much about hockey I still wanted to learn about the Wild. The year the
team started playing I went to a game. I had an amazing time that I will
probably never forget. One day my teacher told me about a contest to go
see a Wenatchee Wild game through the Wenatchee World newspaper. I had
to write a story about why I should win the contest. I sent it in. About
a week later I got a letter in the mail saying that I was one of the
six winners. I was very excited to go see the game.
When I got to
the game I was instantly overwhelmed with all the noise and the players.
Then I met Jeremy Anders. He took me up to the second floor of the
stadium. We went to his office and he gave me a game program and two
posters #17 Adam McKenzie and #30 Brandon Jaeger. Then he took me on
down the hall to go meet Corey Voegele, sports writer for the Wenatchee
World. We watched the game from the press box from there on.
A
little bit after we had sat down Walt the mascot had came out onto the
ice on his four wheeler. After that flames shot off out of cannons by
the entrance to the ice. Then the Wild came out! Each player looked
ready to play. The opposing team the Texas Tornado was already out. Spot
lights were searching the ice and lights shaped as a Wolf where making a
show in the middle. The crowd was roaring and the game hadn't even
started yet. I felt like I had the best seats in the house. Even before
the game started I could tell that this was going to be a very good
game.
The game had started. The first period was
amazing. Both teams played great the Wild was looking very impressive.
They kept going and towards the middle the game was starting to get
violent. I was expecting a fight. Yet there was no fight that period. In
the time between the periods I was taken up to the cat walk which I
learned was the highest level of the stadium. I was so high I could look
down on the blimp that was flying through the stadium. We went back
down just in time for the next period.
Now the game
was getting intense. It was now the second period. No goals, no fights.
Even though not much had happened, so much was going on. This was the
fastest I've ever seen anyone move on ice before. It was as if the whole
game was a blur. #25 Dajon Mingo was going from one side to another in
what looked like less than a second. #30 Brandon Jaeger was grabbing
pucks from out of the air. Both teams were desperate for a goal. Then
all of a sudden I saw #19 Alex McLean racing down the ice being followed
closely by an opposing Texas player. He wasn't getting anywhere so he
passed the puck to #9 Ryan Timar. He shot. The puck went past the Texas
player and went into the goal! Now we were ahead by one. To my surprise I
found out that this was Ryan's first game with the Wild. I couldn't
even tell! This was amazing and much unexpected at this point. Now the
players were getting a little sloppy. What happened next was almost
inevitable. A Texas player had scored a goal now. He had somehow made it
past Brandon Jaeger. Now the game was tied. This had put the Wild back
into their heads. They were playing more precise. In great need for a
goal they were spending a lot of time in the other team's side of the
ice. But then the tables were turned. A Tornado player #12 had
intercepted a pass and was on his way to the goal. With the help of
their #19 (the player that had scored the first goal) they had scored
again! This wasn't going good. It was towards the end of the period now.
The Wild now playing as hard as they did in the first period. Time was
running out! Then it happened. A Wild player had shot the puck and made
it in the net. Yet it was too good to be true. There was a penalty. The
goal was not counted. Now all hopes were left on the third period.
The
only way to win this game now was for the Wild to step it. They were
down by one and had to make it back. Third period had started. The Wild
was off. Both teams were playing amazing. One player hit the puck so
high it almost hit a little girl in the crowd! Then it happened. What I
had been waiting for the entire game. A fight! One player had been
knocked down and the other one was about ready to get revenge. It was
between #19 Alex McLean of the Wild and #4 of the Texas Tornado. Just
before it started the referees had come between them. The fight was
stopped. The game was really heating up. The noise was crazy. Yet
somehow people were leaving. It was obvious the Wild fans were losing
hope. Then #20 of the Tornado had shot for a goal. It was fast and
Brandon Jaeger had to make a split second decision to stop it. And
that's exactly what he did. He stopped the goal with an astonishing
save. Now the game was close. There was less than a minute left in the
game. Just then in a blur of speed and agility #2 Eric Johnson and #21
Brandon Burrell had taken the puck down to enemy territory. #5 Michael
Di Puma had shot and made a goal! This tied the game up and now it was
going into overtime. This game was getting crazy and both teams were
outstanding.
Now there could only be one winner and the
Wild were determined to win. There were now only four players instead
of five because it was overtime. Both teams were furious. They were
quick, precise and both attempting to score constantly. The crowd was
wild. The noise was intense. I was surprised the teams could play
without being distracted. Then what everyone was hoping for had finally
happened. Just 3 minutes into overtime #17 Adam McKenzie had made a
goal. It was # 11 Jake Flynn and #14 Shawn Pauly were at the assist. The
crowd was so tremendously loud they were almost shaking the stadium.
This
was an amazing game. Both teams had played extremely well and the Wild
had come out on top. I was very excited to get to talk to a few players
after the game. First player was Dajon Mingo. He said he was ready for
this game. They had lots of practice. He also told me that the second
period they hadn't played as well as possible. This is his first year
playing and also his third month playing with the Wild. To me it looked
like he looked like he had been playing for many years. I also talked to
#17 Adam McKenzie. I asked him how it felt to make the game winning
goal in overtime. He talked about how it felt good to be surrounded by
all his teammates and winning the game with them. The Wild had a very
good year and this year they get to host the Robertson cup and he said
that if there are any periods like the second period then they will not
win it. He added that they had to bring it up to another level if they
wanted to win it.
The game was amazing. I was very happy to
go to it. I got two posters signed by the players and many other
souvenirs from it as well. Thank you Wenatchee World for this amazing
opportunity. I hope if I ever go to another Wild game that it is as good
as this one. After this game I am definitely convinced that the Wild is
an amazing team.
