Americans Top Giants, 5-2
WHL Tri-City Americans

Americans Top Giants, 5-2

Published on November 8, 2025 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Tri-City Americans News Release


Kennewick, WA. - Savin Virk, Connor Dale and Gavin Garland combined for 10 points as the Tri-City Americans (7-7-1-0) took down the Vancouver Giants (8-9-0-1) at the Toyota Center Friday night, kicking off a six-game homestand with a 5-2 victory.

Tri-City got off on the right foot Friday night, scoring just 48 seconds into the game. Savin Virk gained the Vancouver line and floated a backhand pass across the ice to a streaking Gavin Garland.

Garland knocked the pass down before lifting a shot past the blocker of Burke Hood for his third goal of the year, giving the Americans an early lead.

The score remained 1-0 for nearly 10 minutes before Vancouver tied the game. Defenseman Marek Howell took a pass at the left point in the Tri-City zone before skating toward the left circle, stepping around a sliding defender and firing a shot over the of Ryan Grout to tie the game.

After Tri-City killed off a Vancouver power play, the Giants took their first lead of the game. Aaron Obobaifo intercepted a pass down the boards in his own zone before flipping a long pass ahead for Cameron Schmidt, who took off through center when that pass was picked off.

Schmidt took the breakaway pass and scored his 12th of the season to put Vancouver ahead 2-1 with 3:49 remaining in the period.

The physicality in the game took a major step forward late in the period when Ethan Mittelsteadt ran over Cash Koch from behind in the Giants zone. Koch immediately jumped to his feet, shed his gloves and went after Mittelsteadt, which resulted in all 10 players on the ice coming together.

When the dust settled, Tri-City was on the power play, and they used it to their advantage. Connor Dale had the puck in the left faceoff circle and fired it toward the net. Crew Martinson was parked in front and was denied on his first chance but buried his own rebound with 12.5 seconds left in the period, sending the two teams into the locker room tied at two.

The score remained 2-2 until an excellent all-around play by Tri-City to regain the lead. After just missing a centering pass at the top of the crease off the rush, Dale hustled to hold the puck in the Vancouver zone as the Giants tried to clear it.

Dale then turned and saw a lane right down the slot, skating down before sliding the puck to Virk in the circle. Virk took the pass and beat Hood on the glove side for his fifth goal of the year, putting Tri-City ahead 3-2 at the 9:15 mark of the period.

The Americans carried that 3-2 lead into the intermission with the shots 23-16 Tri-City.

In the third, Jaxen Adam gave the Americans some breathing room a little over halfway through the period. Gathering the puck at the right point, Adam spun away from pressure to create a lane down the right wing.

After fanning on his first shot from the right circle, Adam gathered the puck again and lifted it past the blocker of Hood for his first goal of the year, giving Tri-City some breathing room at 4-2 with 9:14 left in regulation.

Vancouver pulled the goaltender for the extra attacker, but Virk was eventually able to hit the empty net with two seconds go, sealing a 5-2 Americans win.

Tri-City now gets set to host the undefeated Prince Albert Raiders (12-0-3-0) at the Toyota Center tomorrow night as the Raiders make their biennial appearance in the Tri-Cities.

Announced attendance was 3,358.

Check out the Tri-City Americans Statistics

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Western Hockey League Stories from November 8, 2025


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