WHL Tri-City Americans

Reddick Nets Hat Trick; Americans Withstand Hurricanes 4-2

November 14, 2009 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Tri-City Americans News Release


LETHBRIDGE, AB - Arguably one of Tri-City's hottest players over the last month just keeps getting hotter.

Kruise Reddick notched his second career hat trick and Drew Owsley stopped 24 shots to lead the Tri-City Americans (16-4-0-0, 32 pts) to a 4-2 victory over the host Lethbridge Hurricanes (8-12-2-0, 18 pts) in front of 3,383 fans at the Enmax Centre. With the win, Tri-City improved to 9-4 on the road this year while picking up their first win in Lethbridge since Oct. 19, 2003. Meanwhile, Lethbridge saw their three-game winning streak come to an end and have now lost three of their last four regular season match-ups with the Americans.

Reddick, who had just one point in his first six games this year, has now amassed 18 points in his last 14 games, collecting at least one point in 11 of those contests. After tonight's hat trick, he has now tallied five goals over his previous four games. And, with 160 career points, all with Tri-City, Reddick now sits just two points shy of passing Ken McKay and Darrell Hay for 22nd on the Americans' all-time scoring list.

But, it was the team's scoring leader who got things started on Friday. With 6:49 remaining in the first period and on the power play, Brendan Shinnimin recorded his team-high 16th goal of the season, giving him six goals in his last five games. Through the first 20 minutes, Tri-City outchanced the Hurricanes 14 to 8 but the lead remained one headed into the first break.

However, in the second and behind two goals in a 2:56 span, Reddick was able to break the game open. Less than two minutes into the second period, Reddick's first goal came when he lifted a shot over the glove of Brandon Anderson. Then, at the 4:43 mark of the period, Reddick connected again, this time with a wrist shot, beating Anderson high over his blocker. With Tri-City now leading 3-0, Anderson was pulled after the goal in favor of Ville Kolppanen.

After a Tri-City pass ricocheted off another Americans' skate, Lethbridge's Mitch Maxwell took advantage of the turnover by going in on a breakaway against Owsley. Maxwell was able to slip the puck between Owsley's pads to put the Hurricanes on the board at the 7:41 mark of the period.

Still up 3-1 entering the third period, Reddick got a favorable bounce when his centering pass glanced off the skate of Lethbridge's Brennan Yadlowski and past a startled Kolppanen, completing the hat trick.

With just over three minutes remaining in regulation, Carter Ashton tallied a power play goal to pull the Hurricanes to within two but, it would be as close as they would get, as Tri-City held on for the win. Tri-City finished with a 28 to 26 shot advantage in the contest while going 1-for-3 on the power play. The Hurricanes finished the night 1-for-4 on the man-advantage.

Owsley, who rebounded after a rough outing on Wednesday in Medicine Hat, stopped 24 saves to earn his 15th win of the season. It also marked his 22nd career win, placing him in sole possession of 9th on the Americans' all-time wins list. Meanwhile, Anderson, who was credited with the loss, and Kolppanen combined for 24 saves in defeat.

Tri-City will now begin their long road trip back to Kennewick. But first, they will stop in Cranbrook, BC tomorrow, Saturday, November 14 to take on the Kootenay Ice. Game time is 6:00 p.m. (PST) at the Cranbrook Rec. Complex. It is the lone match-up of the regular season between the two clubs. The Americans shutout the Ice in last season's meeting, a 3-0 win on Dec. 3 at the Toyota Center, and have won three straight contests vs. Kootenay. However, the Rec. Complex has been extremely unkind to the Americans in the past, as they have won just four times in 16 all-time trips to Kootenay. Fans can catch all the action live, via WHL WebTV, at the Americans' home away from home, Kimo's Sports Café in Richland. The game will also be broadcast live on NewsTalk 870 AM, starting with the Sterling Savings Bank Warm-up Show at 5:45 p.m. (PST).

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