WHL Seattle Thunderbirds

Giants Shutout T-Birds

Published on January 25, 2004 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Seattle Thunderbirds News Release


SEATTLE, January 25, 2003 — In the second game of a home-and-home series the Vancouver Giants shutout the Seattle Thunderbirds 4-0 Sunday night in front of 3,733 at KeyArena.

On Saturday night these two teams played in Vancouver, with the Giants squeaking out the win, 3-2 in overtime.

Seattle (14-24-8-3) remains 12 points behind the Spokane Chiefs (21-21-3-6) and the Portland Winter Hawks (23-21-4-1) for the final playoff spot in the U.S. division. The Chiefs lost Sunday night 5-2 to the Kootenay Ice. Seattle has nine games left combined against the Chiefs and Winter Hawks this season.

"There is lots of hockey left," said Thunderbird head coach Dean Chynoweth.

Vancouver (21-18-8-5) went ahead 1-0 at 8:22 of the first period on an unassisted short-handed goal by Mitch Bartley. It was Bartley's 25th of the year. Bartley had a breakaway and it looked like Seattle goalie Josh Lepp made the save, but the puck snuck across the goal line.

Adam Courchaine put the Giants up 2-0 with a power-play goal at 8:21 of the second period. Courchaine took the puck on the left goal line on a feed from Darren Lynch, skated in on Lepp and beat him with backhand shot high on the glove side. Kyle Bruce had the second assist. It was Courchaine's 28th goal of the year.

Courchaine struck on the power play for a second time in the period at 13:38. Gilbert Brule had the puck on left side and centered to Courchaine in the slot. Courchaine beat Lepp high for his second of the night.

Kevin Hayman put the Giants up 4-0 at 5:02 of the third with an unassisted goal. Lepp got his left pad on Hayman's slap shot from the blue line, but the puck trickled into the net. It was Hayman's sixth goal of the year.

Lepp had 23 saves on 27 shots and his record falls to 4-10-3. Vancouver goalie Aaron Sorochan had 24 saves for his third shutout of the year. Sorochan's record is now 12-9-7.

Seattle travels to Everett on Wednesday night to take on the Silvertips at 7 p.m. at the Everett Events Center.

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Western Hockey League Stories from January 25, 2004


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