Aaron Lachance came up big, stopping 26 of 29 shots throughout the game. The Gillette Wild took the lead late in the second on a goal from Coleman Varty.
Coleman Varty had a busy night with 2 goals and Nick Stockert delivered for his team with 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist). Vadim Zubkov chipped in with 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist) and Austin Dennison contributed with 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists).
During the first period, Peterson opened the scoring for Gillette with a goal at 4:42 with helpers from teammates Smith and Prewett. Stockert netted a goal at 11:58 with a helper from fellow Wild forward Thompson. Dennison finally put Missoula on the board with a goal at 19:27 with assists from his linemates, Zubkov and Akatnov.
In the second period, Stockert answered for Gillette with a goal at 3:49 with an assist from Lachance. Varty scored what turned out to be the game winning goal at 17:47 with helpers from Smith and Walters.
During the third, Zubkov answered for the Junior Bruins with a goal at 3:31 with assists from his linemates, Dennison and Akatnov. Jaffe quickly followed with a goal at 4:19 with helpers from his linemates, Miller and Dennison. Varty answered for Gillette with a goal at 11:37 with assists from Conti and Thompson. Thompson put in a goal at 18:01 with helpers from Scoggins and Stockert.
The Wild’s victory was in no doubt helped out by Lachance’s big night as he stopped 26 of the 29 shots he faced. Lachance’s counterpart, Yoder, also had a big night, managing to stop 42 of 48, but ultimately fell short.
This win brings the Gillette Wild’s record to (21-19-3-2).