WHL Portland Winterhawks

Everett's Big Guns Get It Done over Hard-Working Hawks, 5-2

Published on January 14, 2007 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


The effort, intensity, and emotion were there, but the best players for the best team in all of Major Junior Hockey came through when it counted.

Potential first round NHL draft choice Zach Hamill and first round Phoenix Coyote draft pick Peter Mueller scored third period goals as the Everett Silvertips pulled away to a 5-2 win over the Portland Winter Hawks Saturday in Memorial Coliseum.

The Hawks rallied from a 2-0 first period deficit with goals by newcomer Matt Schmermund (SCHMEER-mund) and Nick Hotson to tie the game midway through the second as the crowd went wild.

But, Mueller's hard blast set up a rebound goal by Moises Gutierrez just over two minutes later, the goal that proved to be the winner.

Portland, (14-27-1-1), came into the game with 2 straight wins overall and wins in its last 2 home games. The Hawks beat Everett, (347-0-1), 3-1, in the Everett Events Center Friday to become the first visiting team to win in regulation in Everett this season. Next up is a special 2:00 matinee on Monday against Spokane in Memorial Coliseum in honor of Martin Luther King's birthday (Live TV on Comcast CNW-14 plus a replay at 7:30 PM Monday on CNW-14, Audio Webcast at winterhawks.com, In-Arena Audio at 96.5 FM). Fans who bring their own skates can skate on the Coliseum ice after Monday's game with one-third of the Hawks on the ice, skating with the fans, and the other two-thirds of the team on the Coliseum concourse signing autographs.

The Hawks return to the Rose Garden for a Friday night date with the Tri-City Americans at 7:30 (TV on Comcast CNW-14, Audio Webcast at winterhawks.com, Rose Garden In-Arena Audio at 98.1 FM) and then travel to Seattle next Saturday at 7:30 (Audio Webcast at winterhawks.com).

Former Brandon Wheat King team captain, 20-year-old Teegan Moore, and 18-year-old Matt Schmermund, both obtained in trades Wednesday, made their home ice debuts for the Hawks on Saturday. Both hit the scoresheet in the Hawks' win in Everett on Friday.

The Hawks scratched Colton Sceviour (broken foot), Scott Gabriel (head), and first year 16-year-old defenseman Ty Ariss, who suffered an injury in Wednesday's win over Prince George is out day to day.

Everett's only injury is second year defenseman Graham Potuer (broken wrist).

You had to figure Everett, ranked number one in all of Junior Hockey in North America "" a total of 59 teams in the Western Hockey League, Ontario League, and Quebec League that compete every year for the Memorial Cup "" would come out flying after losing to the rebuilding and last place Winter Hawks the night before. They did. The Everett forecheck was fast and furious, and you could tell the big line of Peter Mueller, Ondrej Fiala and Moises Gutierrez wanted to make immediate amends for the previous night's loss to Portland. Actually, all of Everett's lines were quick to the puck and won a majority of the board battles by bringing in quick support to double team the puck whenever possible. Mucha was tremendous though, kicking out numerous shots with plenty of traffic in front of him, and only offering up a couple of dangerous rebounds even though he was under constant pressure, stopping 17 of 19 first period shots. He could not stop a Gutierrez power play deflection of Mueller's laser from the high slot, though, at 6:41. And defenseman Dane Crowley, just picked up in a trade with Swift Current, fired a puck from the top of the right circle through a crowd that included teammate Zack Dailey, who had fallen in front of him. Portland had a few good chances, and got to the net pretty well when they were able to win a race for possession in the Everett zone. The best at doing that was speedy new acquisition Matt Schmermund, obtained in a one for one trade for Sasha Golin on Wednesday.

The second period had something for everybody, especially the fans who came to see the new Winter Hawks, Teegan Moore and Schmermund. At 4:01 of the second period, off a fast forecheck set up by the speed of Schmermund, Moore whirled and fired a beautiful pass to Schmermund, who paid the price to get to the top of the crease, and rammed home Portland's first goal. Then, things really got interesting as Everett took four straight minor penalties and got a goal called back when Jason Fransoo was whistled for a double minor for roughing as one of his teammates was scoring on a total breakaway. The goal was disallowed, and Portland went on back to back 5-on-3's, capitalizing on one of them to tie the game 2-2. It was Moore again with the set up. He threaded the needle from the goal line - through legs, skates and sticks - to Hotson on the back door of Everett's penalty killing unit. Hotson scored his 6th goal in his last 9 games, penthouse suite, from just below the hash marks at 9:27. Portland almost took the lead, moments later, as forward Matt Sokol found an opening in the Everett defense, maneuvered his way to the net, and tried to slam home a backhand, but Everett goalie David Reekie came up with a big pad save. After the automatic period time out, Everett put out the big line and Mueller unloaded a wicked blast from the high slot that produced a rebound off Mucha's pad, Gutierrez planting the backhand for his second goal of the night. Everett led, 3-2, after two. Shots were 8-7, Everett, in the second period.

The Silvertips started the third period with back to back power plays and Mucha put on a great display of goaltending to back a decent Hawks' kill. He stopped Gutierrez and Fiala in tight and then got lucky as referee Chris Savage lost sight of a loose puck, and blew play dead, right before Brandon Campos put it in the net. Then, the Hawks had two tremendous chances to tie the game. Moore beat an Everett defender wide, cutting to the net with Frazer McLaren trailing the play. Reekie made the initial save and the puck was at the right goal post. McLaren took a whack at it, it went up in the air, right above the goal line, and actually hit Reekie in the head, bouncing harmlessly out to the other side of the goal. On the next shift, Hotson took a great up-ice pass and roared in on Reekie on a partial break, but Reekie challenged, giving him very little net to shoot at. Then, the big guys did the deed for Everett. Off a set play, Kyle Beach took a long home-run pass from Jesse Zetariuk at the Hawks' blue line. Dan Gendur filled the lane down right wing and Hamill drove to the net. If you blinked, you missed it. Tic, tac, toe, 4-2, at 10:38. And, the icing on the cake came when Fiala was able to bust away from 16-year-old defenseman Bo Montgomery on the boards and set up Mueller for a perfectly placed wrist shot, blocker side, on Mucha.

The Hawks played hard to the end. Tayler Jordan, Matt Sokol and Max Gordichuk all engaged in fisticuffs, as the Hawks got high marks for character and battle.

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Western Hockey League Stories from January 14, 2007


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