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Wolves EHL 3, East Coast Wizards 2

By Admin, 01/10/15, 8:15PM EST

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In a battle between the two new EHL expansion teams the New England Wolves came out with the win over the Boston division rival East Coast Wizards by a 3-2 score.  A Clay Plyler goal with 5:29 left in the game proved to be the game winner.  On the goal Plyer pick up a loose puck on the weak side and slipped it just inside the post after heavy pressure around the Wizards net with linemates Ryan Dunn and Brian Cameron who both assisted on the play.  The Wizards would strike first in this one midway through the first stanza when Greg Wiswell completed a nice passing play driving it home on a goal mouth power play feed.  Mike Kelleher answered with a Wolves power play goal to tie it 1-1 going into the first intermission.  On the play Kelleher took a feed in the slot from Christian LaCroix and snapped home a low hard wrist shot.  Brian Cameron also assisted on the goal.  Drew Vrees would give the visitors the lead once again with another power play goal midway through the second period but the Wolves refused to let momentum slip.  After holding off some strong Wizards pressure with Eric Bogart making several key saves the home team started imposing its will on the visitors.  With consistent opportunities at the Wizards end of the ice the Wolves would cash in with just 33 seconds left in the period.  Mike Kelleher won an offensive zone faceoff to LaCroix who relayed a short pass to Nick Marin in the slot.  Marin fired a quick release hard snap shot home to tie the game and give the Wolves momentum to start the third.  The 3rd period proved to be hard fought and physical with the Wolves controlling play but the Wizards also showing a strong transition game that provided several opportunities that Bogart denied, setting the stage for the Plyler game winner.  The Wolves once again played a strong team game with a depleted defensive core as Sean O’Brien, Alec Cochran, Ben Perron and Jonathan Ellis played long stretches of every other shift and protected the Wolves end while logging big minutes. Defenseman Ryan Shea left the game in the first with illness and Sean Hallice, who returned to the lineup for the first time since an October lower body injury fought off a slash to the ankle to come back and provide strong play in several third period shifts.  The Wolves were also buoyed once again by the strong checking and physical unit of Tucker Johnson, Jake Landry and Jeff Kirkwood, and the red line of Collin Malone, Parker Weekes and Nick Potvin who played strong minutes of offensive zone time.  Bogart earned the win stopping 28 0f 30 Wizards shots.