Americans Edge Royals, 3-2
WHL Tri-City Americans

Americans Edge Royals, 3-2

Published on October 25, 2025 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Tri-City Americans News Release


Kennewick, WA. - Connor Dale scored a power play goal with one minute left on the clock Friday night, lifting the Tri-City Americans (4-6-0-0) to a 3-2 win over the Victoria Royals (6-3-2-1) at the Toyota Center.

For the second game in a row the Americans opened the scoring. Jakub Vanecek took a pass from Mason Mykichuk and let a long wrist shot go through traffic, beating a screened Ethan Eskit on the blocker side for his third goal of the season 3:05 into the game. The assist was Mykichuk's first WHL point.

The 1-0 score held up for nearly 10 minutes before Victoria tied the game. While on the power play, Hayden Moore sped into the Tri-City zone on right wing before swinging the puck across the crease to Roan Woodward. He tapped the puck past the outstretched pad of Xavier Wendt, tying the game with his 10th goal of the season.

Tri-City went back to the penalty kill late in the period where Wendt made his case for the save of the year. Victoria gained the Tri-City line on the right wing before zipping the puck across the ice to Nolan Stewart on the left wing.

Stewart then immediately fired the puck down toward the back post where Eli McKamey had snuck in behind the defense. McKamey took the pass and appeared to have the entire net to shoot at, before Wendt dove over with his glove hand and snared the puck out of midair to keep the game tied 1-1 heading into the intermission.

Wendt continued to stand on his head in the second period, denying the Royals with cross-crease saves on numerous occasions to hold the Americans in the game.

Near the halfway mark of the period the Royals took the lead on a fortuitous bounce. After a shot got deflected wide of the net, Wyatt Danyleyko picked it up below the Americans goal line and flicked it toward the slot. It bounced off the left pad of Wendt and into the net to give Victoria a 2-1 lead.

Ethan Eskit was no slouch at the other end of the rink, making 20 saves through two periods as Victoria held that 2-1 lead into the third.

The Americans received a four-minute power play early in the third period as Ashton Brown caught Charlie Elick with a high stick. Tri-City took full advantage of the opportunity.

Jake Gudelj gathered a loose puck in the left circle after a lengthy sequence by the Americans, snapping a shot past the blocker of Eskit to tie the game 5:34 into the third.

After killing off a late Victoria power play, the Americans went back to the man advantage with 2:22 left in regulation, setting the stage for Dale's winner.

The Americans had the puck on the perimeter as Gudelj worked it up to the blue line for Vanecek. He then slid it to Dale in the right circle and Dale wound up for a one timer, blasting it past Eskit's blocker with 1:00 to play.

The Royals pulled Eskit for the extra attacker, but Tri-City was able to hang on for the 3-2 victory.

The Americans now head north for a meeting with the Wenatchee Wild (2-6-1-1) Saturday night.

Announced attendance was 3,288.

Check out the Tri-City Americans Statistics

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Western Hockey League Stories from October 25, 2025


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