Americans Take Down T-Birds
February 25, 2017 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Seattle Thunderbirds News Release
KENNEWICK, February 24, 2017 - The Tri-City Americans defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds 7-3 Friday night at Toyota Center in Kennewick.
The T-Birds play the Kelowna Rockets Saturday at ShoWare Center at 7:05pm. They finish out the weekend against the Everett Silvertips at 5:05pm on Sunday at ShoWare Center.
The T-Birds are in second place in the US Division, three points behind the Silvertips who have two games in hand.
Tri-City (37-23-3-0) took a 1-0 lead 53 seconds into the first period on a goal from Kyle Olson. Austyn Playfair had the only assist.
Olson extended the Americans lead to 2-0 at 3:43 of the first. Jordan Topping took a shot that rebounded off goalie Carl Stankowski's glove and into the slot. Olson put back the rebound. Tyler Sandhu had the second assist.
Rylan Toth replaced Stankowski in Seattle's net after the second Americans goal.
Seattle (38-18-3-2) cut the Americans lead to one goal at 8:51 of the first on the power play. Donovan Neuls had the puck on the left wing on a T-Birds break up ice. Neuls passed the puck to Austin Strand in the low slot and he took a shot. Tri-City goalie Rylan Parenteau made the save but a scramble ensued in front of the goalie. The puck popped out to Jarret Tyszka in the slot and he beat Parenteau with a snap shot high for his sixth goal of the season.
Both teams had 15 shots on goal in the first period.
The Americans took a 6-1 lead with four goals in the first 8:06 of the second period. Playfair scored 27 seconds into the period followed by Nolan Yaremko at 3:06. Keltie Jeri-Leon scored at 4:47 and Brett Leason scored at 8:06.
Stankowski came back on for Toth after the Americans fourth goal of the period. Toth made 14 saves on 18 shots and his record is now 31-17-1-1.
Keegan Kolesar took a feed from Ryan Gropp on the power play and beat Parenteau at 15:30 of the second. Ethan Bear had the second assist. Bear extended his point streak to 10 games and Kolesar extended his point streak to nine games on the goal.
Playfair scored at 19:28 of the second to get the Americans seventh goal. Yaremko and Maxwell James had the assists.
Tri-City outshot Seattle 16-11 in the second period and led 31-26 in shots after two periods.
Austin Strand scored on a wrist shot at 13:31 of the third period to get the T-Birds third goal of the game. Anthony Bishop and Zack Andrusiak had the assists.
The T-Birds outshot the Americans 13-4 in the third period and 39-35 in the game.
Stankowski finished the game with 14 saves on 17 shots.
Parenteau made 36 saves on 39 shots and his record is now 24-12-1-0.
T-Birds single game tickets for the 2016-17 season are currently on sale. Fans can purchase single game tickets online or at the ShoWare Center box office.
SCORING SUMMARY
First period - 1, Tri-City, Olson 16 (Playfair), :53. 2, Tri-City, Olson 17 (Topping, Sandhu), 3:43. 3, Seattle, Tyszka 6 (Strand, Neuls), 8:51 (pp). Penalties - Yorke, Tri (elbow), 7:27. Yorke, Tri (interference), 9:54.
Second period - 4, Tri-City, Playfair 2 (Yaremko, Coghlan), :27. 5, Tri-City, Yaremko 8 (James), 3:09. 6, Tri-City, Jeri-Leon 2 (Sawchuk, Wotherspoon), 4:47. 7, Tri-City, Leason 7 (Geekie, Wotherspoon), 8:06. 8, Seattle, Kolesar 20 (Gropp, Bear), 15:30. 9, Tri-City, Playfair 3 (Yaremko, James), 19:28. Penalties - Kolesar, Sea (slashing), 9:13. Ottenbreit, Sea (major-fighting), 11:27. James, Tri (major-fighting), 11:27. O'Reilly, Tri (holding), 12:06. O'Reilly, Tri (interference), 15:09. Tyszka, Sea (interference), 17:04. Geekie, Tri (10-minute misconduct), 17:56. Valimaki, Tri (slashing), 19:41.
Third period - 10, Seattle, Strand 7 (Bishop, Andrusiak), 13:31. Penalties - Barzal, Sea (high-sticking), :51. Kolesar, Sea (major-fighting), 3:50. Yaremko, Tri (unsportsmanlike conduct, major-fighting), 3:50. Andrusiak, Sea (), 14:40. Yorke, Tri (major-fighting), 14:40. Kolesar, Sea (major-fighting), 14:40.
Shots on goal - Seattle 15-11-13 39, Tri-City 15-16-4 35. Goalies - Seattle, Stankowski 17 shots-14 saves, Toth 18-14 (31-17-1-1); Tri-City, Parenteau 39-36 (24-12-1-0). Power plays - Seattle 2-7; Tri-City 0-4. A - 5,318. Referees - Adam Griffiths, Dexter Rasmussen. Linesmen - Michael Labbe, Nathan Van Oosten.
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