Gudelj's overtime winner pushes Americans win streak to 12

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Tri-City Americans

Gudelj's overtime winner pushes Americans win streak to 12

November 12, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Tri-City Americans News Release


Kennewick, WA - Jake Gudelj scored 1:51 into overtime as the Tri-City Americans (14-3-1-0) came from behind to win their 12th game in a row, 6-5 over the Calgary Hitmen (7-7-3-1).

Carter MacAdams, playing against his former team, opened the scoring just 48 seconds into the game. Brandon Whynott, also a former Hitmen, fired a shot on Eric Tu and the rebound dropped in front of him for MacAdams to bang in.

Calgary responded quickly to tie the game at one with a goal from Chase Valliant, and then rattled off two more goals from Oliver Tulk and Ethan Moore following defensive zone turnovers and ill-advised line changes to jump out to a 3-1 lead.

MacAdams cut the lead down to 3-2 with a nice individual effort, skating down the right wing into the Calgary zone before cutting to the middle and firing a shot on goal, sneaking it through the pads of Tu.

Less than a minute later Ben Kindel restored Calgary's two goal lead to give the Hitmen a 4-2 advantage heading into the intermission. Shots read 16-9 Calgary after 20 minutes.

Tri-City came out much stronger to start the second period and cut into the deficit 6:29 into the period. Austin Zemlak wound up for a slapshot from the blue line and it was deflected by Ismail Abougouche for his first career goal.

The game remained 4-3 until late in the period when Jordan Gavin caught the Hitmen defense sleeping. He snuck in behind them and took a breakaway pass from Jake Sloan before beating Tu on the blocker side to tie the game with just 1:09 remaining in the middle frame.

Despite having the momentum heading into the third, the Americans fell behind just seconds after the puck drop. Tulk skated down the right side of the Americans zone before firing a shot over the blocker of a screened Lukas Matecha to put Calgary ahead 5-4, 18 seconds into the third.

Halfway through the final period Tri-City once again pulled even. A strong forecheck by defenseman Merrek Arpin led to the Americans getting the puck to the front of net. Gavin couldn't get it to the net but Sloan pounced on the loose puck to tie the game at five. Both Arpin and Zemlak finished the game with a +5 rating.

Tulk nearly gave the Hitmen the lead for good in the final minute of the game, taking a rink-wide pass and firing a one timer on net from the left circle, but Matecha slid over to his right and made a game-saving stop to get the game into overtime.

In the extra frame both teams traded chances and zone time before Carter Yakemchuk lost control of the puck deep in Tri-City territory. That led to the Americans skating ahead on a two-on-one rush and Gudelj beat Tu streaking down the right wing to end the game, giving Tri-City their 12th consecutive victory.

The Americans now head to the East Division for their biennial trip to Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Their stretch of seven straight games on the road begins Friday at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.

Announced attendance was 3,148.

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Western Hockey League Stories from November 12, 2024


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