HARTFORD, CT – The Hartford Wolf Pack returned to hockey on Wednesday night at the Koeppel Community Sports Center on the campus of Trinity College in style. The Wolf Pack scored twice in the third period, then used a Ryder Korczak goal to knock off the Springfield Thunderbirds 3-2 in the shootout in the first of three preseason affairs.
Korczak scored the only goal of the shootout in the second round, tucking a backhander by goaltender Colten Ellis. Talyn Boyko, who played the final 29:59 of regulation and the entire five-minute overtime period, denied all three Thunderbird shooters to secure the win.
It was the Thunderbirds, however, who struck first on this night. Anthony Beauregard opened the scoring 2:56 into the tilt, finding a puck in front of the Wolf Pack net and firing a backhand shot top shelf over Olof Lindbom.
Lindbom, the Wolf Pack starter, made his best save of the game later in the period. Keean Washkurak sped into the Wolf Pack zone on a partial breakaway but was denied by the netminder.
The Wolf Pack outshot the Thunderbirds 16-10 in the opening stanza, but Thunderbirds starter Vadim Zherenko stood tall, keeping the home side off the scoreboard.
Lindbom would give way to Boyko 30:01 into the game, a scheduled decision by Head Coach Kris Knoblauch. Lindbom made 12 saves on 13 shots in his preseason debut.
Zherenko also finished his night in the second period. The second-year goaltender denied all 22 shots sent his way in