Giants Kick Off Road Trip With a 5-2 Loss In Spokane

Category: ArticleMarch 9, 2022

Wednesday night in Spokane the Vancouver Giants (20-29-3-0) kicked off a three-game US road-swing with a 5-2 loss to the Spokane Chiefs (18-31-4-1). The Chiefs struck three times unanswered in the third period to break open a 2-2 game. Blake Swetlikoff led the Chiefs with a goal and two assists while Fabian Lysell responded with a pair of assists for the Giants on goals from Ethan Semeniuk and Zack Ostapchuk. The Giants received 28 saves from 2006-born goaltender Matthew Hutchison who made his WHL debut.

GIANTS DROP FIFTH STRAIGHT

BOX SCORE

1^st Period:

VAN – 37 seconds into the game, Ethan Semeniuk skated onto a Fabian Lysell pass and tucked a low shot through Mason Beaupit and home. Mazden Leslie secured the second assist on Ethan Semeniuk’s seventh of the season.

SPO – Nearly two minutes later at 2:36, Spokane answered off the rush when Reed Jacobson took a feed from Ty Cheveldayoff and converted for his second goal of the season. Blake Swetlikoff had the second assist.

Shots: 7-2 Spokane

2^nd Period:

SPO – 1:39 into the second, Blake Swetlikoff snuck his ninth of the season between Matthew Hutchison and the right post. Logan Cunningham drew the lone assist.

VAN – Late in the period, newly appointed Giants captain Zack Ostapchuk ripped his 17^th of the season home off the rush from the right-wing. Fabian Lysell set up the goal with a slick saucer pass from the left-wing. Adam Hall got the second assist after a winning a battle along the left-wing boards to help start the play.

Shots: 15-15

3^rd Period:

SPO – Yannick Proske snagged the game winning goal off the rush at 5:14 of the third period. Proske raced down the right wing and wired a high shot home for his eighth. Sage Weinstein had the assist.

SPO – Jake Gudelj provided some insurance for the Chiefs at 11:21 when he beat the Giants defender wide, cut to the front of the net and snuck a shot past the stick of Matthew Hutchison.

SPO – Ty Cheveldayoff (5) ended all hopes of a Giants comeback bid with an unassisted empty net goal at 16:23.

Shots: 11-10 Spokane

GAME SUMMARY

Final Score: Spokane 5 – Vancouver 2

Final Shots: 33-27 Spokane

Matthew Hutchison: 28/32 saves for Vancouver

Mason Beaupit: 25/27 saves for Spokane

Vancouver Power Play: 0/4

Spokane Power Play: 0/2

3 Stars:

Blake Swetlikoff (SPO – 1G, 2A)
Jake Gudelj (SPO – 1G)
Fabian Lysell (VAN – 2A)

Next Game: A Friday tilt with the Tri-City Americans at 7:05 PM.

NOTES

Matthew Hutchison became the fourth ever goaltender to start a game for the Vancouver Giants in his under-age season. He joins Tyson Sexsmith (2005), Payton Lee (2012), and Ryan Kubic (2013).
Hutchison also became the second 2006-born goaltender to start a game in the WHL this season.
Zack Ostapchuk made his captain debut for the Vancouver Giants on Wednesday. He was named the 19^th captain of the Vancouver Giants yesterday.
Ethan Semeniuk has now scored in back-to-back games for Vancouver.
Wednesday’s two point effort marked the 12^th multi-point game for Fabian Lysell.