Stefan, Špunar Shine as Hawks Top 'Tips 4-1 in Home Opener
Published on October 7, 2023 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release
A stellar 42-save effort from Jan Špunar and two goals from James Stefan helped the Winterhawks to a 4-1 win over the Everett Silvertips at the VMC on Friday. Portland moves to 3-1-0 on the year and has wins in three consecutive contests.
Winterhawks Head Coach & General Manager Mike Johnston earned his 500th win with the victory, becoming the 11th head coach in WHL history to reach the milestone.
After the dust settled on player intros, Stefan wasted little time bringing the crowd back to its feet with a goal just 2:09 into the contest. The Laguna Beach, Calif. native collected a Gabe Klassen pass at the Everett blue line before ripping a wrist shot into the top corner from the right circle. Portland continued to carry play through the period, and Stefan potted his second on a one-timer - again set up by Klassen - at 14:42 to make it 2-0 Hawks heading into the first break.
Starting the second as they did the first, the Winterhawks again tallied an early goal in the middle frame as Jack O'Brien finished off a Josh Davies give-and-go feed at the side of the net. Everett found a goal late in the frame, but Luke Schelter responded before the horn as he tapped home a Nick Johnson pass from the corner at 17:08.
Špunar shut the door on the Silvertips the rest of the way, and Portland's penalty-killing unit flexed its muscle to steady the ship, going 6/7 on the night.
The Hawks are back in action tomorrow night at home against the Vancouver Giants. Puck drop is set for 6:00 P.M., and fans can arrive early for the Toyota Fan Fest on the VMC commons starting at 3:00 P.M.
- Tickets for the 2023-24 season are on sale NOW! With single-game seats, season tickets, flex packs, group tickets and more, there's an option for every fan. We're dropping the puck at the VMC on October 6 against Everett - call us at 503-236-4295 and chase the dream with the Hawks this season!
- The Winterhawks trust Riverside Payments for all of their credit card processing as the team's official credit card processors.
Western Hockey League Stories from October 7, 2023
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