(wbspenguins.com) — Youth was served on Wednesday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena, as rookies Conor Sheary, Scott Wilson and Bryan Rust each scored goals (as did second-year pro Nick D’Agostino) in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ 4-2 win over the Utica Comets in preseason American Hockey League action.
The Penguins jumped out to a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes of play on tallies from Rust and Wilson. The Pens extended the lead to 3-0 when Sheary, picking up right where he left off in the 2014 Calder Cup Playoffs, gathered his own rebound and beat Utica netminder Jacob Markstrom over the right shoulder.
Eric Hartzell was solid through nearly 31 minutes of play, stopping all nine shots he faced before giving way to Matt Murray. Utica got a goal back when a shot through traffic deflected past Murray, but D’Agostino blasted a point shot home to make it a 4-1 game midway through the third frame. Brendan Gaunce cut the lead to two goals with a turn-around tally with 1:05 left in regulation, but it was too little, too late for Utica.
The Penguins continue their exhibition schedule with a home-and-home series against the Hershey Bears on Saturday night in Wilkes-Barre and Sunday afternoon at the Giant Center.
