Tri-City Ekes out 3-2 Win Saturday as Teams Duel to Overtime Again
WHL Wenatchee Wild

Tri-City Ekes out 3-2 Win Saturday as Teams Duel to Overtime Again

Published on September 7, 2025 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Wenatchee Wild News Release


Wenatchee Wild's Luka Shcherbyna on the ice
Wenatchee Wild's Luka Shcherbyna on the ice
(Wenatchee Wild, Credit: Austin Draude/Wenatchee Wild)

WENATCHEE, Wash. - If the first two preseason matchups at Town Toyota Center are any indication, this year's Western Hockey League rivalry between the Wenatchee Wild and Tri-City Americans could be a really good one...involving lots of free hockey.

After the teams battled to overtime in their rookie game this past Sunday in Wenatchee, the Wild and Americans added their veterans to the mix Saturday evening, with almost the same result. However, where the Wild earned a 2-1 overtime victory last weekend, it was the Ams who snatched a 3-2 win in the extra session this time around. All three Tri-City preseason games have gone to overtime, after the Americans' overtime victory at the Everett Silvertips on Friday.

With 5:24 left in the first period, Jesse McKinnon found Ryan Gibbs in the slot in transition, and Gibbs pushed the puck back to McKinnon for a quick tap-in on the doorstep to put the Americans in front. Wenatchee erased the lead barely two minutes into the second period, shortly after the end of a high-sticking infraction to Shaun Rios - Rios would help set up the response for the Wild, tapping a pass to Brandon Osborne, who fed the puck to Matthew Dowdall to crank home from the right-wing circle.

Just before the game's halfway mark, Luka Shcherbyna put the hosts ahead on the penalty kill - with Aiden Grossklaus caught in a 3-on-1 puck battle along the wall in the Ams' end, the puck snuck free for Shcherbyna, who jogged it to the net and pitched it off the roof of the cage to put the Wild ahead for the first time.

With 40 seconds remaining in the second period, Tri-City took advantage of a power play to tie the contest and snare some momentum going to the dressing room - Gibbs slipped a pass to Alexander Laing, who tossed a shot just under the crossbar to even up the contest. The blueliners did their share of the work in the third period, with the teams limited to 17 total shots and nothing on the scoreboard. The Americans managed the only shot of the overtime period, as Cash Koch slipped a low wrist shot past Tobias Tvrznik to earn the winner.

Gibbs had the primary assist on both goals in regulation for Tri-City, earning the game's only multi-point showing. Grossklaus and Osborne were the Wenatchee newcomers with assists in the game, alongside Rios, a returning forward who totaled 47 points for the club a year ago.

Tvrznik took the loss, but posted 27 saves along the way, while Ryan Grout picked up the win for the Americans after stopping all 12 shots he saw. Xavier Wendt opened the contest, turning away 20 of 22 shots and taking the no-decision. Tri-City finished 1-for-6 on the power play, but denied all three Wenatchee chances on the man-advantage.

Oddly, Saturday's game was the third straight preseason get-together between the teams to go to overtime, after their preseason finale in Kennewick last season was decided in a shootout. The two sides will close out their preseason schedules on Tri-City's home ice again a week from Sunday.

In the meantime, the Wild travel to Everett Sunday afternoon to help close out the Silvertips' annual preseason showcase, with a 4 p.m. puck drop at Angel of the Winds Arena. Wenatchee will play its last three preseason contests away from Town Toyota Center, along with the Silvertips' home opener on September 20, before opening its own home slate on September 27.

Single-game tickets are now available for all 34 Wenatchee Wild home dates this year, and 2025-26 season tickets also remain on sale - for more information, call 509-888-7825, or visit the team office at Town Toyota Center. Updated news and information on Wild hockey are always available through the team's website and on the team's social media platforms on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.

Check out the Wenatchee Wild Statistics

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Images from this story

Wenatchee Wild's Luka Shcherbyna on the ice
Wenatchee Wild's Luka Shcherbyna on the ice
(Austin Draude/Wenatchee Wild)		   



Western Hockey League Stories from September 7, 2025


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