Prospects Of The Week
Zam Plante Picks Up Pair Of Assists In Conference Win
Zam Plante recorded a pair of assists in a 4-2 win for Minnesota-Duluth over Bemidji State in a New Year’s Eve showdown. The 2022 fifth round pick recorded a secondary assist to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead in the first period and set up the eventual game winner on a hardworking play to give Minnesota-Duluth a 3-2 lead in the third period. Plante ranks Xth on the team with X points through X games.
Ponomarev Rides Consistency Into New Year With Three Points Over The Weekend
Vasily Ponomarev recorded three points for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins over the weekend after building some consistency in December with nine points in 11 games. The 2020 second round pick set up a goal to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead in a 3-2 overtime loss on Friday night and scored to give Wilkes-Barre/Scranton a 3-0 lead after setting up the second goal of the game in a 5-0 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack on Saturday. Ponomarev now ranks sixth on the team with 15 points in 20 games
Swanson Scores, Records Two Points In Exhibition Win
Mac Swanson scored and added a helper in a 5-0 win over the University of Manitoba. The 2023 seventh round pick opened the scoring with a nice shot off the rush and later deflected a shot from the point to a teammate leading to another goal. Despite the two points not counting due to the exhibition game, Swanson still ranks sixth on North Dakota with 11 points in 19 games as a freshman.
Down On The Farm
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Gets Three Of Four Points Over The Weekend
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins jumped out to a 2-0 lead early in the second period but lost 3-2 in overtime to the Charlotte Checkers on Friday night. Ville Koivunen and Nate Clurman scored, and Isaac Belliveau, Boris Katchouk, Avery Hayes, and Vasily Ponomarev recorded assists. Joel Blomqvist made 36 saves in the overtime loss.
Filip Lindberg stopped 33 shots in a 5-0 shutout win over the Hartford Wolf Pack on Saturday. Emil Bemstrom scored twice and added a helper, Rutger McGroarty scored twice, and Ponomarev scored the other Wilkes-Barre/Scranton goal and added a helper. Katchouk recorded to helpers and Sebastian Aho, Clurman, Valtteri Puustinen, Filip Kral, Mac Hollowell, and Dan Renouf added assists.
Wheeling Win Two, End Weekend With Lopsided Loss
The Wheeling Nailers ended 2024 with a 7-3 win over the Reading Royals on New Year’s Eve. Matthew Koopman, Matthew Quercia, Mathieu De St. Phalle, Jack Beck, Kyle Jackson, and Bennett MacArthur scored. Chris Ortiz recorded five assists. David Jankowski added three helpers, and Beck added a pair of assists, and Gabe Klassen recorded a helper. Taylor Gauthier made 25 saves in the win.
The Nailers survived a late push by the Norfolk Admirals to hold on for a 5-4 win on Friday night. Klassen scored twice and added a helper, Atley Calvert finished with a goal and two assists, and Beck and Dilan Peters scored the other Wheeling goals. Sam Houde recorded three helpers, De St. Phalle recorded a pair, and Louie Roehl and Cole Cameron and assists. Sergei Murashov finished with 31 saves on 35 shots.
The wheels fell off for the Nailers on Saturday in a 9-3 loss to the Norfolk Admirals. Wheeling fell behind 6-0 in the first period and 7-0 before a Klassen goal. Houde and Koopman scored the other Wheeling goals, and Calvert and Quercia recorded assists. Gauthier surrendered four goals on seven shots before being pulled. Murashov made 16 saves on 20 shots in relief.