Americans' Third-Period Lead Slips In Loss To Thunderbirds

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WHL Tri-City Americans

Americans' Third-Period Lead Slips In Loss To Thunderbirds

March 15, 2025 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Tri-City Americans News Release


Kent, WA - The Tri-City Americans (31-25-6-1) held 2-1 and 3-2 leads at the period breaks on Friday, but the Seattle Thunderbirds (26-32-4-1) stormed back with four unanswered goals in the third period as the Americans fell 6-3 at the Showare Center.

Seattle opened the scoring early in the game off a lucky bounce. While on the penalty kill the Americans went to fire the puck down the ice, but the clearing attempt hit the leg of a linesman and stayed in the zone.

Seconds later Hayden Pakkala skated to the slot and fired home a power play goal, putting the Thunderbirds up 1-0 just 2:46 into the game.

Tri-City was able to respond quickly to tie the game. Jake Sloan carried the puck down the left wing into the Seattle zone and flung a backhand pass across the crease.

Savin Virk took a backhand shot that handcuffed Scott Ratzlaff, tying the game with Virk's 20th goal of the year. It came 5:36 into the first period. The score stayed tied at one for over 10 minutes before the Americans took their first lead of the game.

Max Curran sent a rink-wide pass through the neutral zone to Virk, and as he hit the Seattle line he floated the puck ahead to Sloan who was charging up the middle.

Sloan took the pass and skated in on a breakaway, firing a shot past the blocker of Ratzlaff for his 29th of the season with 3:55 remaining in the first. That gave the Americans a 2-1 lead heading into the second period despite the shots reading 11-5 for Seattle.

The Americans had a strong start to the second period, killing off a penalty that carried over from the first and then getting their first power play of the game, but couldn't capitalize to extend their lead.

The Thunderbirds then tied the game not long after killing off the penalty. Tri-City had a few chances to clear the puck out of their zone but couldn't do it before Seattle regained control.

Ashton Cumby threw a long shot on net from the left point and Brayden Schuurman got a stick on it to tie the game at two 7:51 into the second period.

Tri-City scored another late goal to take a lead into the third period. Jake Gudelj carried the puck down the right wing of the Seattle zone before turning and hooking the puck toward the slot.

Carter Savage took the pass as he was jumping up in the play, and he fired a shot over the blocker of Ratzlaff for his third goal of the year with 3:28 remaining in the period. The Americans outshot Seattle 18-11 in the second period and took a 3-2 lead into the intermission.

The Thunderbirds wasted no time tying the game to start the third period, off another fortuitous bounce. After Lukas Matecha made the save on a sharp angle shot, Jackson Smith looked to get control of the puck.

It then bounced off his stick, off the shin pad of Coster Dunn and right to Braeden Cootes who tapped it into the open net to tie the game at three just 37 seconds into the third period.

Tri-City was on their heels for the opening minutes of the third period and eventually Seattle took the lead for good. Off a faceoff in the Americans zone, Cootes won the puck back to Nathan Pilling who immediately fired it on goal, beating Matecha over the right shoulder to make it 4-3.

The game opened up in the back half of the third period and Tri-City nearly tied the game. Sloan skated into the Seattle zone on right wing before dropping the puck to the trailing Virk who dropped to a knee for a one timer, but he fired the shot wide with Ratzlaff out of position.

The miss proved costly as Seattle extended their lead shortly after. Dunn led a three-on-one rush into the Americans zone before cutting across the slot and firing a shot off the post and in with 2:45 to go in regulation.

Sam Charko rounded out the scoring by hitting the empty net with 18 seconds remaining, sealing the 6-3 final score. It was just the third time this season the Americans have lost when leading through two periods, now sitting at 23-2-1-0 in those games.

Tri-City looks to bounce back against the Spokane Chiefs (39-20-2-1) Saturday night in Spokane.

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