By outscoring the Minnesota Swarm 11-1 in the 4th quarter, the Philadelphia Wings have gotten off to their best start since 1993. The quarter that has given the Wings trouble in recent years was the one that allowed them to break open a very close game and run off with a 17-8 victory over the Swarm in front of 10,342 at the Wachovia Center on Friday night. The 11 goals scored ranks just behind their 12 goal outburst in the 3rd quarter of the 1994 MILL Championship Game in Buffalo.
The game started off slowly for the Wings as they fell behind 3-0 after 15 minutes, Minnesota scoring on two of three powerplays. The Wings would finally get on the board 2:39 into the 2nd quarter on a Jamie Rooney goal. The Wings Athan Iannucci and the Swarm's Craig Point would take turns scoring the game's next four goals and Minnesota would go into the half with a 5-3 lead. This despite being outshot 35-16 in the first 30 minutes.
Goals by Jake Bergey, Rob Van Beek and Jason Crosbie would put the Wings ahead for the first time at 6-5 but Mike Hominuck and Chad Culp scored late in the third to keep the Swarm in front. Culp's tally with seven seconds left in the quarter could have been a back breaker, especially with goalie Nick Patterson doing his usual to stymie the Wings offense.
Until the fateful fourth that is.
Van Beek and Bergey each added their second scores of the night and Iannucci his third to put the Wings up 9-7, the goals coming 37 seconds apart. Former Wing Ryan Ward unleashed a howitzer that got by Rob Blasdell with 13:19 left in regulation to make it a one goal game. That would be all for the Swarm on the evening as eight straight Philly goals would finish the game and chase their nemesis Patterson from the net. Notable in the eight goal finish for the Wings were the first NLL goals for David Mitchell and Jim Borell, Van Beek's third of the night and three more from Iannucci to give him six on the evening. Iannucci (6G, 1A) and Van Beek (3G, 1A) would end up sharing Game MVP honors.
Now the Wings will set their sights on a weekend of back to back games starting with a home match against New York next Friday and following that with a Saturday visit to Buffalo.
