TIPS WIN » On the Threshhold
Tips reach the brink of their 8th division title, can clinch with Friday win
EVERETT, Wash. – Ronan Seeley collected his first career multi goal game while Dustin Wolf made 29 saves to help the Everett Silvertips knock off the Seattle Thunderbirds in a 5-2 victory on Wednesday night, in WHL action at Angel of the Winds Arena.
The win gave the Silvertips an extension to an 11 point lead for first place in the U.S. Division with five games remaining on their side. With the division title decided by points percentage, the Silvertips can clinch the title on Friday with a victory at Portland. They improved to 4-1 head-to-head against Seattle, guaranteed the season series victory.
UP NEXT: The Silvertips visit Portland on Friday, 5:00 p.m. (KRKO/WHL Live) for their next game, the season finale against the Winterhawks at the Coliseum. Viewing packages remain on sale at watch.chl.ca. Play-by-play “Voice of the Tips” Mike Benton will have pre-game coverage beginning 30 minutes before puck drop.
Jacob Wright, for the second straight night, started the scoring with his eighth goal of the season at 1:16 of the first period and Seattle answered just 32 seconds later on Luke Bateman’s point shot through traffic for a 1-1 tie.
After a 10 minute period of disrupted pace, the Silvertips reclaimed the lead, opportunistic on Cole Fonstad’s shorthanded breakaway goal with 6:29 left when he beat Jackson Berry on a backhanded deke for a 2-1 lead.
Wolf turned in a tough save on Henrik Rybinski to maintain the lead in the second period, and Seeley turned in his third goal of the season, a blast from the left circle, for a 3-1 advantage at 15:18. Jordan Gustafson cut the deficit to one on his power play snap shot from the right circle at 5:28 of the third period.
Seeley and the Tips answered on his second goal of the game, a power play point shot at 14:49 of the third period for a 4-2 lead that put the Tips in prime position. Ty Gibson, recovering from a delay of game penalty just two minutes prior, sealed the game on his first shift out of the box on a center ice, empty net blast with 17 seconds left in regulation.
Jackson Berry made 20 saves while taking the loss.
3 STARS OF THE GAME
- Ronan Seeley (EVT)
- Dustin Wolf (EVT)
- Gage Goncalves (EVT)
GAME NOTES: Silvertips scratches included U18 departures Braden Holt and Olen Zellweger, while Brendan Lee, Brady Van Herk and Brendan Hunchak were healthy scratches … Fonstad extended his point streak to 10 consecutive games … the Silvertips have scored 31 goals in the last six wins … Cupertino, Calif. native Matthew Ng made his WHL debut and recorded a pair of shots on goal.
ABOUT THE SILVERTIPS AND THE NHL
A total of 19 players have suited up in an Everett Silvertips jersey and advanced to play in the National Hockey League, since the Silvertips joined the WHL in 2003-04. Entering this season, the Silvertips have elevated 27 players to be selected by teams in the NHL Entry Draft, including eight over the previous three seasons. By the end of the 2019-20 season, all three Silvertips in the 20-year old category earned NHL entry level contracts: Bryce Kindopp (Anaheim), Wyatte Wylie (Philadelphia), and Jake Christiansen (Columbus). The Seattle Kraken, an expansion franchise scheduled to play 30 miles away from Everett at Climate Pledge Arena, will make their NHL debut in the 2021-22 season.
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