T-Birds Chase Down Cougars
January 17, 2018 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Seattle Thunderbirds News Release
T-BIRDS CHASE DOWN COUGARS
Neuls has two goals in 5-2 win over Prince George
PRINCE GEORGE, BC, January 16, 2018 - Donovan Neuls scored two goals Tuesday night at the CN Centre to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 5-2 win over the Prince George Cougars.
This was the first of two games in Prince George. The T-Birds and Cougars meet Wednesday at CN Centre at 7pm. The T-Birds are back home at accesso ShoWare Center on Friday to play the Kelowna Rockets at 7:35pm. They host the Swift Current Broncos on Saturday at 7:05pm. The game against the Broncos will feature the annual Fred Meyer Teddy Bear Toss presented by WARM 106.9 FM.
Neuls has three two-goal games in the last six games and seven goals and six assists over the last seven games.
Seattle goalie Dorrin Luding had 28 saves on 30 shots. With the win Luding's record is now 4-10-1-0.
Prince George (17-21-4-3) took a 1-0 lead at 7:08 of the first period. Max Kryski tipped a Joel Lakusta shot past Seattle goalie Dorrin Luding. Josh Maser had the second assist.
Seattle (21-16-4-2) tied the game 1-1 1:29 after the Cougars goal. Sami Moilanen had the puck in the right corner and centered the puck. The puck went off a Prince George defenseman's stick right to Neuls in the slot. Neuls took a wrist shot that hit Prince George goalie Tavin Grant's glove and went into the net. The goal was Neuls' 15th of the season which is a career season high.
The T-Birds took a 2-1 lead with 31 seconds left in the first period. Matthew Wedman gained the offensive zone on the right wing. Wedman made a cross ice pass to Nolan Volcan in the left circle. Volcan took a wrist shot that Grant got a glove on but the puck trickled across the goal line. Turner Ottenbreit had the second assist on Volcan's team leading 19th goal of the season.
Seattle outshot Prince George 13-8 in the first period.
The T-Birds took a 4-1 lead with two goals in 34 seconds midway through the second period.
Zack Andrusiak came up the right-wing wall and found Austin Strand inside the blue line at center ice. Strand took a slap shot with traffic in front of Grant that beat the goalie over the blocker at 8:26. It was Strand's 15th goal of the season.
On the next shift Neuls tipped a Dillon Hamaliuk shot past Grant at the nine-minute mark for his second goal of the game. Owen Williams had the second assist.
The Cougars outshot the T-Birds 16-11 in the second period and both teams had 24 shots going into the second intermission.
Prince George pulled Grant for an extra attacker with under two minutes in the game. Blake Bargar hit the empty net from center ice at 18:54 to seal the win for the T-Birds. Strand had the only assist on Bargar's eighth goal of the season.
Seattle outshot Prince George 10-6 in the third period and 34-30 in the game.
Grant had 29 saves on 33 shots and his record is now 11-12-3-1.
T-Birds single game tickets for the 2017-18 season are currently on sale online on the T-Birds website and at the accesso ShoWare Center box office.
Season Tickets for the WHL Champion T-Birds 2017-18 season are currently on sale. Season tickets can be purchased by calling the T-Birds office at 253-239-7825.
SCORING SUMMARY
First period - 1, Prince George, Kryski 4 (Lakusta, Maser), 7:08. 2, Seattle, Neuls 15 (Moilanen), 8:37. 3, Seattle, Volcan 19 (Wedman, Ottenbreit), 19:29. Penalties - No penalties.
Second period - 4, Seattle, Strand 15 (Andrusiak) 8:26. 5, Seattle, Neuls 16 (Hamaliuk, Owens), 9:00. 6, Prince George, Leppard 11 (Lakusta, Maser),18:30. Penalties - MacPhee, PG (cross checking), 3:53. Volcan, Sea (goaltender interference), 9:34. Lee, Sea (hooking), 14:30. Huo, Sea (tripping), 17:07.
Third period - 7, Seattle, Bargar 8 (Strand), 18:54 (en). Penalties - Sander, PG (hooking), 3:51. Strand, Sea (slashing), 6:19. Bethune, PG (high sticking), 16:16.
Shots on goal - Seattle 13-11-10 34, Prince George 8-16-6 30. Goalies - Seattle, Luding 30 shots-28 saves (4-10-1-0); Prince George, Grant 33-29 (11-12-3-1). Power plays - Seattle 0-3; Prince George 1-4. A - 2,474.
Referees - Brett Iverson, Trevor Peluk. Linesmen - Nick Albinati, Anthony Maletta.
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