WHL Portland Winterhawks

Winterhawks Fall 5-4 To Chilliwack Sunday

Published on November 15, 2009 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


The Portland Winterhawks got goals from four different players in a back-and-forth game against the Chilliwack Bruins Sunday, before losing by a final score of 5-4.

Portland started the game with two quick goals in the first 1:11. Tayler Jordan opened the scoring just 12 seconds into the game when he went to the net and pounded in a rebound past Bruins netminder Mark Friesen to make the score 1-0. The goal was Jordan's first of the season. Portland then made it 2-0 just 59 seconds later when Nino Niederreiter tipped in a Brett Ponich shot for his ninth of the season.

Despite giving up two early goals, Chilliwack didn't fold and came back with three straight before the intermission. The first came on a power play at 11:10 when Ryan Howse put one past Kurtis Mucha to cut the lead to 2-1. Just over a minute later Shayne Neigum tied the game at 2-2 when he jammed one in at the doorstep. After Friesen stopped Niederreiter on a breakaway, Chilliwack took the lead at the 17:38 mark when Roman Horak scored his seventh of the season.

After Portland killed a five-minute power play to open the second period, Horak got his second of the game for Chilliwack on a power play when he took a rebound and put it upstairs to make it 4-2 at the 12: 55 mark.

Down 4-2 heading into the third, Chris Francis cut the deficit to one early in the period. With the Winterhawks shorthanded, Francis took advantage of a Chilliwack turnover in their own end, went to the net and put a nice move on Friesen for his 10th goal of the season. The Winterhawks then tied the game on a power play at the 8:40 mark when a Joe Morrow shot from the point was deflected in by Spencer Bennett.

Portland kept applying the pressure, but Chilliwack would get the winning goal at the 13:10 mark when Howse fired one past Mucha from just below the faceoff circle. It was Howse's second goal of the night and 18th of the season, and was enough to earn the win for the Bruins.

Chilliwack fired 45 shots at Mucha, while Portland had 28. The Bruins scored three times with the man advantage, going 3-8, while Portland had a shorthanded marker and was 1-6 on the power play.

Tonight's game was the last of a five-game homestand, as the Winterhawks to British Columbia for three games this week, beginning Wednesday in Kelowna. Their next home game is Tuesday, November 24 at home against the Regina Pats.

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Western Hockey League Stories from November 15, 2009


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