Americans drop back-and-forth game to Everett

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WHL Tri-City Americans

Americans drop back-and-forth game to Everett

March 8, 2025 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Tri-City Americans News Release


Kennewick, WA - The Tri-City Americans (31-24-5-1) and Everett Silvertips (43-11-4-3) went blow for blow Friday night at the Toyota Center, but Silvertips overage forward Austin Roest, making his season debut, scored the game winner with 9:17 remaining as Everett won 6-5.

The game started off great for Tri-City as Jake Sloan opened the scoring just 30 seconds into the game. After the puck was cleared to center and poked past the last Everett defender, Sloan turned on the jet and came in on a breakaway.

He faked to his backhand before pulling the puck to his forehand and sliding home his 28th of the season, and 100th of his career. He became the 17th player in Americans franchise history to score 100 goals with the team.

Everett answered back late in the period. Austin Zemlak tried to clear the puck up the ice from deep in the Tri-City zone, but the clearing attempt hit Charlie Elick in the back and popped up into the air.

It landed between the faceoff dots and Carter Bear quickly snapped a shot over the blocker of Lukas Matecha to tie the game with 3:09 remaining in the period. Shots read 16-10 Everett after 20 minutes.

The Americans got another early goal to start period two. Just as Bear was stepping out of the penalty box, Jackson Smith held the puck in at the Everett blue line and skated down the slot on his backhand.

He protected the puck all the way to the bottom of the right faceoff circle before lifting a backhander over the glove of Jesse Sanche, restoring Tri-City's lead with his fifth goal of the season 2:11 into the period.

Bear then scored his second of the game a little over four minutes later, jumping on a loose puck after a deflected point shot on an Everett power play to tie the game.

Nearly five minutes later Shea Busch got the puck behind the Tri-City net and skated along the goal line before sneaking a shot under the glove of Matecha to give Everett a 3-2 lead. The Americans wasted no time answering back.

After getting a power play just 18 seconds after the goal, Tri-City pulled even when Brandon Whynott let a low shot go from the slot, beating a screened Sanche on the blocker side for his 24th of the season.

The two teams went into the locker room tied at three with the shots 37-23 Silvertips.

In the third it was Everett's turn to strike early. Right as Terrell Goldsmith was stepping out of the penalty box Landon Dupont was able to get his own rebound and slide the puck into the net past the left pad of Matecha, giving Everett a 4-3 lead just 44 seconds into the third.

Once again, the Americans responded quickly. Whynott worked the puck into the Everett zone before getting poke checked and chasing the loose puck down along the right-wing boards.

Whynott immediately spun and fired the puck toward the net, only to see it glance off the skate of an Everett defenseman and go through the five hole of Sanche to tie the game at four just 24 seconds after Dupont's goal.

Four minutes later Smith scored his second of the night, floating a shot through a maze of bodies and into the net while on the power play to give the Americans another lead at 5-4.

The Silvertips ramped up the pressure following the goal and seemingly took over the game for a six-minute stretch. That included Kaden Hammell tying the game on the power play after multiple failed clears by the Americans.

Shortly after the tying goal, Roest took a drop pass on a zone entry by Everett and wired a shot over the blocker of Matecha to put the Silvertips ahead 6-5.

Matecha was forced to leave the game with an injury not long after the goal, being replaced by Ryan Grout.

Tri-City pulled Grout for the extra attacker as the clock dwindled down toward the final minute of the game but couldn't capitalize to tie the game as they fell 6-5.

The Americans now host the Wenatchee Wild (21-33-7-1) Saturday night.

Announced attendance was 4,464.

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Western Hockey League Stories from March 8, 2025


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