Third-period lead slips as Americans fall to Blades 4-2
Published on October 29, 2025 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Tri-City Americans News Release
Kennewick, WA. - The Tri-City Americans (5-7-0-0) had a 2-1 lead heading into the third period on Tuesday, but the Saskatoon Blades (10-5-0-0) raised their game to another level over the final 20, scoring three unanswered goals as the Americans fell 4-2.
The game had a rather fast pace to start as both teams had several scoring chances in the early going. Each also had a power play but couldn't connect on the man advantage.
Saskatoon opened the scoring late in the period. Kazden Mathies was covering at the right point and fired the puck toward the net. It hit his own teammate Zach Olsen in the leg, and Olsen was able fire the puck on net as it hit the ice, beating Xavier Wendt past the blocker with 4:08 left in the period.
Exactly one minute later, the Americans tied the game. Jesse McKinnon pounced on a turnover by the Blades in the neutral zone before skating into Saskatoon's end with speed.
He used a Blades defenseman as a screen, firing the puck through the defenseman's leg and beating Ethan McCallum under the blocker with his second goal of the season. The goal came unassisted, sending the two teams into the locker room tied at one.
The score remained deadlocked at 1-1 until late in the period when the Blades went to a five-minute power play. Jaxen Adam got wrapped up with Gavin Clark in front of the Americans net, and both players started throwing punches, but Adam dropped his gloves to continue the fight while Clark did not.
While both players were given fighting majors, the Americans went to a five-minute penalty kill, opening the door for Saskatoon.
Instead, it was Tri-City taking advantage. Just seconds into that power play, Savin Virk and Gavin Garland took off on a shorthanded two-on-one rush. Virk skated into the Blades zone on the right wing before feeding the puck to Garland who fired in his first goal of the season. Dylan LeBret picked up the second assist on the goal which came with 4:16 left in the second period.
Tristen Doyle took a tripping penalty to shave two minutes off the five-minute power play, helping the Americans take the 2-1 lead into the intermission.
Eight minutes into the third, McCallum made the save of the game for Saskatoon, denying Jake Gudelj of what looked like a sure goal. The Americans skated into the Blades zone on an odd-man rush.
The puck was fed down to Gudelj on the glove side of McCallum, and Gudelj fired a one timer into what looked like an open net, but McCallum reached out with his glove hand to deny a 3-1 Americans lead.
That save proved massive as just seconds later the Blades tied the game. Rowan Calvert took a centering feed in the slot and his chip shot was tipped by Mathies past the glove of Wendt, tying the game at two.
Five minutes later, Cooper Williams took a backhand shot from the slot that hit the post and went in, giving Saskatoon a 3-2 lead with 6:55 to play.
Tri-City eventually pulled Wendt for the extra attacker but weren't able to generate much before the Blades sealed their come-from-behind win with an empty-net goal by Calvert. Shots were 36-31 Saskatoon, but 12-3 in the final 20 minutes.
The Americans now prepare for a short two-game trip to the Central Division, beginning with a Saturday night meeting with the Lethbridge Hurricanes (3-11-0-1).
Announced attendance was 2,588.
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