Hat Tricks from Yates and Dimmitt Put Wolves Over Federals
By Jay Harris
Watertown, NY - A sweep this weekend against the Northern Federals will lock the Watertown Wolves into 2nd place for the 2017-2018 Federal Hockey League regular season. For Head Coach Trevor Karasiewicz and his players that would mean if the best-of-three semi-final round requires a third game, they would get home ice advantage for that faceoff.
Gavin Yates got the Wolves off to an early lead on a deflected shot from Nicola Levesque via Cameron Dimmitt just three and a half minutes into the first period. A brief spat between Basem Awwad and Justin Coachman put each in the box for fighting. Cameron Dimmitt racked up a short-handed goal during John Scully's high stick penalty on assists from Tyler Gjurich and Kyle Powell. The Federals snuck a goal in with just two seconds left in the period during CJ Hayes' slashing penalty on a shot from Tristan Gagnon.
The Wolves continued to pull away in the second period. League-leading scorer Tyler Gjurich tallied his 51st goal of the season on a play from Scully and Hayes. Dimmitt tickled twine a second time on assists from Yates and Dallas Ingram. Levesque and Dimmitt set up Yates for his second goal. Coachman went for a second bout of blows with league veteran Chase Tippin that put them both in the box. Awwad scored a power play goal during Levesque's double minor for high sticking. Yates' hat trick goal came with just four minutes left in the period on assists from Levesque and Ingram. The Wolves extended their lead by the end of the second period to 6-2.
Dimmitt added a hat trick goal just five minutes into the third period from Yates and Levesque. Jesse Facchini would cap off the night with a goal assisted by Powell and Anton Lennartsson for a final score of 8-2, Watertown.
Gavin Yates (3 goals, 2 assists) earned the 1st Star of the Game. Cameron Dimmitt (3 goals, 2 assists) and Nicola Levesque (4 assists) earned the 2nd and 3rd Stars, respectively.
The Wolves are back in action Saturday for Country Night at the Watertown Municipal Arena in a rematch against the Northern Federals. The puck drops at 7:30 PM.
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