Wild on three-game skid after two weekend losses
By Bill Rea

Marc Zanette fired this slap shot in the final seconds of Sunday's contest, trying unsuccessfully to send the match into overtime.

It was not a good week for the King Wild.

The local junior A club dropped both their matches to the Toronto Canada Moose over the weekend, meaning they are currently on a three-game losing streak.

The Moose nipped the Wild 3-2 Saturday in Thornhill. Matt Marchese and Kurt Zdrilich handled the scoring chores for the side, and Fabio Lombardo and Marc Fortin contributed assists.

Sunday's match in King City was a more upsetting affair, as the Wild were leading, but eventually came out on the wrong end of a 7-6 final.

Head Coach Paul Hampton said they are still trying to come to grips with shortages on the defensive line. Four of their six defenders were out of the lineup, meaning forwards had to be reassigned. And that was combined with a hungry group of Moose players. "You've got a team that wants to win," he said; "wants to beat you."

"We're in a slump," he added, pointing out his men were in control of the game going into the third period, but they still lost. "We're losing sight of what we're here to do."

Hampton also had trouble with the officiating, complaining the team was assessed a bench minor when he was only talking to his players on the ice.

Marc Zanette was a threegoal man for the Wild Sunday, while Jordan Gidaro got two and Fortin notched a single. Gidaro, Marchese and Brendon Farrugia each drew two assists, while Chris Martella and Don Douglas got one apiece.

Despite the slide, the Wild remain in second place in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey league standings with 25 points, nine back of the loop-leading Bradford Rattlers and two better than the third-place Richmond Hill Rams.

The Wild will get a chance to end their slump Saturday night, when they host the Moose again in King City.

The puck is slated to drop at 8:30 p.m.