Woo Hoo! Americans Down Rival Chiefs 5-2
By Dan Mulhausen | Tri-City Americans
KENNEWICK, WA – The players from Notre Dame may ‘win one for the Gipper’ but, here in the Tri-Cities, the Americans ‘won one for the Butcher.’
On the night the club paid tribute to arguably it’s most recognizable fan, the Tri-City Americans (33-13-2-1, 69 pts) gave Jimmy Butcher plenty to “Woo Hoo” about, as they downed the visiting Spokane Chiefs (31-14-4-2, 68 pts) 5-2 in front of 5,807 fans at the Toyota Center. With the win, Tri-City matched their season-high four-game winning streak. The Americans, winners of 16 of their last 17 at home, also improved to 4-1-1-0 vs. Chiefs. Meanwhile, Spokane as now dropped two straight and four of their last six. The two rivals will renew their acquaintance next Saturday in Spokane.
While there was plenty of ‘Woo Hoo’s’ during the pre-game ceremonies honoring Butcher, the Chiefs quickly silenced the boisterous crowd. Just 55 seconds into the contest, Blake Gal picked off an errant pass and skated into the zone before firing a shot past Drew Owsley. It marked just the fourth time this season that a Tri-City opponent opened the scoring in a contest at the Toyota Center.
Tri-City, though, found a response to reignite the hometown faithful. Just past the midway point of the first period, Paul Sohor broke out Adam Hughesman, who carried the puck in and beat Mac Engel over his glove to tie the game at 1.
It proved to be the first of four straight goals by the Americans, which capitalized three times in the second period, including twice in the first 3:09, to break the game open. Only 2:49 into the second, Sohor hustled to keep a David Conrad blocked shot in the zone, then let a shot go from the point. The puck glanced off the cross bar, then across the line to give Sohor his third career WHL goal. Just 20 seconds later, Brendan Shinnimin scored the first of two on the night to make it a 3-1 Americans’ lead. Then, just before the halfway point of the period, and on the power play, Shinnimin collected his 24th goal of the season, stretching Tri-City’s lead to four.
The Americans held that lead until late into the third period, when a Tri-City power play turned into a shorthanded goal for the Chiefs. Good pressure by the Chiefs resulted in a 2-on-1 breakaway into the Tri-City zone. Defenseman Jared Cowen drove the puck in on Owsley and the Tri-City net, before knocking it off it’s moorings. Initially ruled no-goal on the ice, video review confirmed that the puck crossed the line before the net came dislodged, resulting in Cowen’s first-ever shorthanded goal and Spokane’s league-leading 14th.
With 1: 42 left in regulation, Spokane coach Don Nachbaur pulled Engel for the extra attacker and then used his only timeout 11 seconds later to rally his troops. But, with the net empty, and less than a minute remaining, Patrick Holland corralled a loose puck at center ice, stepped just inside the blue line and then recorded his 17th goal of the season, capping the score at 5-2.
Owsley, who made several key saves throughout the night, finished with 28 saves on 30 shots faced to win his 29th game of the season. Meanwhile, Engel fell to 2-2 since replacing injured starter James Reid, allowing four goals on 30 shots. Tri-City finished the night 1-for-7 on the power play while holding the Chiefs scoreless on all three of their man-advantage opportunities.
The Americans will now turn their attention to the division leaders, as they head to the Rose City tomorrow, February 5 for a match-up with the Portland Winterhawks (35-15-0-3). Game time is 7:00 p.m. at Memorial Coliseum. Tri-City, which currently leads the season series 4-1-1-0, picked up a 5-2 win in last week’s meeting with the ‘Hawks in Kennewick. The Americans will be looking to win their season-high fifth straight game. Meanwhile, Portland has won back-to-back games headed into Saturday, and have won eight of their last nine. Fans can catch all the action live, via WHL Live, at the Americans’ home away from home, Kimo’s Sports Café in Richland. The game will also be broadcast live on NewsTalk 870 AM, starting with the Sterling Savings Bank Warm-up Show at 6:45 p.m.
Applebee’s 3 Stars:
1, Drew Owsley, Tri-City
2, Brendan Shinnimin, Tri-City
3, Adam Hughesman, Tri-City
