Americans down Rockets 3-1 tight-checking game
WHL Tri-City Americans

Americans down Rockets 3-1 tight-checking game

Published on October 20, 2025 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Tri-City Americans News Release


Kennewick, WA. - Tri-City Americans (3-6-0-0) lead 2-0 after one period of play and rode that lead all the way until the end of the game in a 3-1 victory over the Kelowna Rockets (3-5-0-1) Sunday night.

Cash Koch opened up the scoring 7:29 into the game. Connor Dale raced down the right wing into the Kelowna zone before getting to the goal line on the glove side of Harrison Boettiger.

Dale then slid the puck across the crease to Koch who was crashing the net, and he jammed home his third goal of the season to give Tri-City a 1-0 lead. It was the first time this season the Americans scored the first goal of the game.

Nearly 10 minutes later the Americans went to their second power play of the game and extended the lead. Koch fired the puck toward the net from the left-wing boards and it deflected off the skate of Jake Gudelj and through the legs of Boettiger. It was Gudelj's first goal of the year.

The Americans took their 2-0 lead into the first intermission despite the Rockets outshooting Tri-City 16-12.

Kelowna cut into the lead just seconds after the Americans took their first penalty of the night. Will Sharpe let a shot go from the left circle that snuck under the glove of Xavier Wendt, 6:59 into the period.

Each team had two power plays in the remainder of the second, but neither team could take advantage as the Americans carried a 2-1 lead into the final frame.

The Rockets started the third period with some jump, trying to tie the game and controlling play for the opening few minutes of the third. Tri-City bent but didn't break as Wendt kept his team in the lead.

With three minutes to play, the Rockets pulled Boettiger for the extra attacker. After some pressure inside the Tri-City zone, Savin Virk recovered the loose puck and scored into the empty net from his own zone, sealing the 3-1 score.

After the goal, Rockets captain Carson Wetsch went after Virk in the neutral zone, causing nearly every player on the ice to come together. Wetsch, Tomas Poletin, Cruz Pavao and Jaxen Adam were all handed 10-minute misconducts and sent to the locker room early.

The Americans now prepare for a rematch of their 2025 playoff matchup as the Victoria Royals (6-2-2-0) visit the Toyota Center on Friday.

Announced attendance was 2,695.

Check out the Tri-City Americans Statistics

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Western Hockey League Stories from October 20, 2025


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