HAT TRICKS DEFEAT WATERTOWN 5-4 AS RUIZ NETS HAT TRICK

DANBURY, CT – The Danbury Hat Tricks (17-9-2, 49 pts) ended the Watertown Wolves’ (22-4-0, 64 pts) 13-game winning streak on Friday night with a 5-4 win.

Jonny Ruiz started the scoring on Friday night and didn’t stop. Ruiz scored a hat trick, including two power-play goals to extend his team-leading goal total to 25.

Brett Jackson extended the Hat Tricks’ lead after he found himself wide open in front of starting Wolves’ goaltender Luke Cohen.

After leading 2-0 into the first intermission, the Hat Tricks gave up two goals in quick succession during the middle portion of the second period.

The Hat Tricks answered with Ruiz’s second of the night with 1:22 left in the second to head into the final frame ahead by one.

It took just 18 seconds for Watertown to tie the game as Alexander Jmaeff netted his first of two early in the third.

Danbury and Ruiz had the answer once more at 9:16 when the Hat Tricks converted on another power play.

The score stayed 4-3 for just over five minutes before Dmitry Kuznetsov skated into the offensive zone one-against-three and ripped a shot into the top corner.

Watertown went down fighting as Jmaeff scored again with the goalie pulled and 44 seconds left in the game.

Frankie McClendon made one more stop to seal the win. McClendon stopped 40 shots en route to his fourth win of the season.

“We got some big saves when we really needed them tonight,” said head coach Dave MacIsaac. “We were short-handed and I thought we competed really well.”

Four Hat Tricks had multiple points in the win, including Ruiz, Kuznetsov, Tom Mele and Gordy Bonnel.

Danbury is right back in action on Saturday when it travels to Binghamton to face the Black Bears.