RECAP: Americans (2) @ Thunderbirds (5) – October 8
Kent, WA. – The Tri-City Americans (1-3-1-0) peppered Scott Ratzlaff with 40 shots Tuesday night, but the Seattle Thunderbirds (2-4-1-0) goaltender stood tall, leading Seattle to a 5-2 win.
It was a slow start to the game as neither team was able to get many pucks toward the nets in the early going. The Americans had a power play just a few minutes into the game, but Seattle shut down the early man advantage by not allowing a shot on goal.
Seattle eventually opened the scoring on an odd-man rush. Sawyer Mynio had the puck on the right wing before sliding it across for Coster Dunn who fired a shot over the glove of Nathan Preston to open the scoring 12:11 into the first.
Just seconds after the goal on the ensuing shift the Americnas went to their first penalty kill of the game and Seattle extended their lead. Mynio took a shot from the blue line that was tipped by Nathan Pilling, adding to the Thunderbirds lead just 1:25 after their opening goal.
The Americans got a much-needed goal late in the first period on another power play. Austin Zemlak slid the puck to Gavin Garland who fired a one timer toward the net. The puck fluttered to the goal and hit Carter MacAdams standing in front before deflecting past Scott Ratzlaff, cutting the Seattle lead to 2-1 with 3:07 remaining in the first period.
The two teams went into the intermission with Seattle leading 2-1 and the shots 11-9 in favor of Seattle.
The second period featured more scoring chances but neither team was able to find the back of the net. Terrell Goldsmith and Jaxson Pawlenchuk dropped the gloves 7:29 into the period as tensions continued to build throughout the game.
The score remained the same through 40 minutes with the shots 16-15 Tri-City in the second period.
The Thunderbirds jumped out to a 3-1 lead just 14 seconds into the third period. Pilling took a centering pass from the goal line following a turnover and snapped a shot over the shoulder of Preston to restore their two-goal lead.
Six minutes later Simon Lovsin had a pass go off his skate and through the legs of Preston to give Seattle a 4-1 lead.
The Americans pulled to within two shortly after the goal as Zemlak took a shot from the blue line that hit Shaun Rios, deflected high in the air and landed behind Ratzlaff and into the net for Rios’s first career WHL goal.
Seattle wasted no time answering back however as Pilling completed his hat trick just over a minute later to give Seattle a 5-2 lead.
Tri-City had a power play late in regulation but weren’t able to cut into the lead any further as they dropped a 5-2 game.
The Americans now begin a four game homestand with games against the Kamloops Blazers Saturday and Sunday at the Toyota Center.
