Carolina Uses Seven Goal Second to Blow Out Sea Wolves
WINSTON-SALEM, NC
In the first ever meeting between the Mississippi Sea Wolves and the Carolina Thunderbirds, Lucas Rowe and Jan Salak each scored hat tricks in an 11-2 romp.
Mario Cavialere was spectacular in net, smothering 30 of 32 Sea Wolf shots.
Rowe got the scoring started late in the first, putting home a loose puck off a Petr Panacek shot fake that would've made Nikita Kucherov proud.
The second period was a goal-fest of epic proportions. Nine total goals came in the middle frame, seven off the sticks of Thunderbirds. Blake Peavy got it started thirty seconds into the period of the long change, beating Blake Weyrick to his stick side on a wrist shot off the rush.
Rowe notched his second, wristing one past Weyrick on a beautifully executed 3-on-2 break with Panacek and Firth in tow. Weyrick was pulled after giving up that goal, giving way to Greg Harney. Salak added one to his total at the 7:40 mark of the second, and Rowe completed his hat trick at the 15:30 mark of the second after Mississippi added two of their own.
Then, the Thunderbirds flurried goals in rapid fire fashion to finish the middle frame. Salak smashed home back to back goals at 18:13 and 18:51, then Dawson Baker got in on the party with just 16 seconds left in the second. Three goals in the last 1:47 of the second all but put the game away.
Peavy and Baker each got their second goals of the night in the third, and Josh Koepplinger finally put one home after a number of chances in recent games to finish off the 11-2 thrashing.
Tucker Firth earned third star honors, Salak second and Rowe first star.
Carolina will host Mississippi once again Saturday night at 6:05 to wrap up the weekend series.