The Silver Knights defeated the Iowa Wild, 4-2, at Wells Fargo Arena on Friday evening. The game marked the first game of the team’s regular season. Adam Cracknell scored twice and Sheldon Rempal had a two-point night to secure a Henderson victory. Head Coach Ryan Craig also earned his first victory at that position in his debut. 

Rempal put Henderson on the board first with a power-play goal midway through the first period. Assisted by Jake Bischoff, he fired in a wrist shot from the top of the right-hand circle to put the Knights up 1-0. 

The Wild answered with a goal from Lucchini to tie the game at one heading into the first intermission. 

Byron Froese put the Silver Knights back in the lead with another power-play goal early in the second period. Tyler Benson sent a pass through the crease and Froese fired it in from the bottom of the right circle to make it a 2-1 game. Rempal picked up a secondary assist on the goal for his second point of the night. 

Cracknell then extended Henderson’s lead with a goal fired in from the slot, his first as a Silver Knight. Mason Morelli and Jakub Brabenec both earned assists on the goal. Brabenec’s assist also marked his first professional point. 

Beckman scored Iowa’s second and final goal of the night with less than five minutes remaining in regulation.

Cracknell then scored the empty-net goal to put the Silver Knights back up by two.

Goaltender Jiri Patera stopped 30 of 32 shots for a .937 save percentage on the evening, including six shots on a major penalty kill. 

The Silver Knights will face the Wild again tomorrow for the second game of their road series. Puck drop is set for 4 p.m. PT. Fans can tune in via the radio broadcast on 1230 The Game, or watch on AHL TV for free via their opening weekend Freeview offer.