WHL Tri-City Americans

Tri-City Offense Goes Cold In Kootenay; Fall To Ice 7-1

Published on November 15, 2009 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Tri-City Americans News Release


CRANBROOK, BC - It certainly wasn't the way the Americans wanted to wrap-up a road trip but, after 14 of their first 21 games on the road, they were certainly due for a stinker.

Seven different skaters scored goals for the Kootenay Ice (9-12-1-0, 19 pts) and they thoroughly humiliated the visiting Tri-City Americans (16-5-0-0, 32 pts) 7-1 in front of 2,608 fans at the Cranbrook Rec. Complex. The loss, the worst of the season for the Americans, was their second defeat by 5+ goals in their last three games. Meanwhile, the Ice snapped their brief two-game losing skid and improved to 20-11-1-0 with 3 ties all-time vs. Tri-City.

Coming into tonight's contest, the Ice had scored an Eastern Conference low 56 goals while the Americans had recorded 3+ goals in 16 of their first 20 games. Nonetheless, it was the Ice that set the tone early into Saturday's contest.

Just 14 seconds into the game, Dominik Pacovsky beat Brett Martyniuk to start the scoring for Kootenay. Eight minutes later, Cason Machacek made it a 2-0 game, and the Ice would carry the two-goal lead into the first intermission.

At 6:16 of the second period, a Joey Leach shot from just inside the blue line found its way past Martyniuk, giving the Ice a 3-0 lead and chasing Martyniuk from the game. Unfortunately for the Americans, Drew Owsley did not fare much better. Just 4:16 after entering the game, Owsley was beaten by Brendan Hurley.

Meanwhile, after recording their first shot of the period shortly after Hurley's goal, Brett Plouffe got the Americans onto the scoreboard nearly three minutes later. Plouffe fired a shot that bounced off a Kootenay player's stick, up into the air, and behind Todd Mathews. The goal sparked the Americans, as they rallied off eight more shots in the final half of the period, but could get nothing past Mathews.

The momentum was short-lived, however, as the Ice came out in the third period and scored three goals in a 4:33 span. Steele Boomer, Kevin King and Max Reinhart all collected goals in that run, putting the game well out of reach for the road weary Americans.

Mathews, who had allowed four goals in his last two starts, finished the night with 30 saves on 31 shots. Meanwhile, Martyniuk, who was credited with the loss, and Owsley combined for 30 saves in the loss. Both teams went scoreless on the power play, finishing a combined 0-for-5 on the night.

With a road-heavy schedule for this first quarter of the season now gone, the Americans will head home for six straight home games that will take them right into the month of December. The six-game homestand kicks off on Tuesday, November 17 when the Americans host the division rival Seattle Thunderbirds. Game time is 7:05 p.m. at the Toyota Center. The Americans and T'birds have split the first two games of their 10-game regular season series, both of which have been played at ShoWare Center in Kent. Both games were decided by just one goal, with Tri-City winning the most recent match-up back on Oct. 11, a 5-4 decision. Tickets are available through all Ticketmaster outlets, including all Fred Meyer outlets, the Toyota Center box office, or online at ticketmaster.com. The game will also be broadcast live on NewsTalk 870 AM, starting with the Sterling Savings Bank Warm-up Show at 6:45 p.m.

Applebee's 3 Stars:

1, Dustin Sylvester, Kootenay

2, Kevin King, Kootenay

3, Steele Boomer, Kootenay

Check out the Tri-City Americans Statistics

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Western Hockey League Stories from November 15, 2009


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