T-Birds Put Tips Into Hibernation

Hickman scores first WHL point in T-Birds 3-1 victory

KENT, January 14, 2011 — Brendan Rouse, Marcel Noebels and Chance Lund each had a goal Friday night at ShoWare Center to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 3-1 victory over the Everett Silvertips.

The game was the first FSN televised US Division matchup of the 2010-2011 season. FSN is broadcasting a US Division game ever Friday night for the next 10 weeks.

This was also the first game of a home-and-home series between the two teams. The T-Birds are at Comcast Arena on Saturday for 7:05pm game. They finish out the weekend against the Vancouver Giants at ShoWare Center on Sunday at 5:05pm

Rouse scored the game’s first goal at 17:57 of the first period. Erik Fleming put a slap shot on goal from the left point. Everett goalie Kent Simpson made the save but the puck rebounded to Travis Toomey who put a shot on goal. Toomey’s shot rebounded to Rouse to the right of the goal. Rouse snapped the puck past a lunging Simpson for his seventh goal of the year.

Noebels netted the game-winning goal when he extended the T-Birds lead to 2-0 at 19:39 of the first. Brenden Dillon took a slap shot from the point that hit Simpson’s legs and trickled behind the goalie but not across the goal line. Noebels came in from the left and tapped the puck across the line. Colin Jacobs had the second assist with a nice back pass to Dillon.

In the first, the T-Birds outshot the Silvertips 15-13.

At 11:24 of the second period, Justin Hickman scored his first WHL point, assisting Chance Lund on the T-Birds third goal of the night. Hickman brought the puck out of the left corner using his body to shield the puck. He threw the puck at the net with a backhand shot. The puck rebounded to Lund in the slot and he lifted the puck over Simpson’s glove for his third goal of year.  Toomey had the second assist on the goal.

In the second period, the T-Birds outshot the Silvertips 15-9.

Landon Ferraro scored the Silvertips first goal of the night at 3:53 of the third period to cut the lead to 3-1 Seattle. Ryan Murray and Tyler Maxwell assisted on the goal.

Everett outshot Seattle 14-5 in the third period and in 36-35 in the game.

Seattle goalie Calvin Pickard made 35 saves on 36 shots and his record is now 18-15-3-3.

Simpson stopped 32 of 35 shots and his record is now 11-14-2-4.

T-Birds single game tickets for the 2010-11 season are available online at the T-Birds website and at the ShoWare Center box office. The ShoWare Center Box Office is open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday game days at 10 a.m. and Sunday game days at noon.

T-Birds group tickets are currently on sale. Group tickets can be purchased by calling the T-Birds office at 253-239-7825.

 SCORING SUMMARY

First period – 1, Seattle, Rouse 7 (Toomey, Fleming), 17:57 (pp). 2, Seattle, Noebels, 13 (Dillon, Jacobs), 19:39.  Penalties – Maxwell, Evt (hooking), 6:36. Cumiskey, Evt (slashing), 16:31.

Second period – 3, Seattle, Lund 3 (Hickman, Toomey), 11:24. Penalties – Friesen, Evt (roughing), 3:56. Elliot, Sea (cross-checking), 8:24. Doty, Sea (major-fighting), 11:29. McCrea, Evt (major-fighting), 11:29. Hayer, Evt (slashing) 15:00.

Third period – 1, Everett, Ferraro 9 (Murray, Maxwell), 3:53 Penalties – Button, Sea (roughing), 10:29. Ferraro, Evt (slashing), 10:29. Harrison, Evt (roughing), 10:29. Murray, Evt (hooking), 14:41. Fowlie, Evt (roughing), 18:40. Button, Sea (roughing), 18:40.

Shots on goal – Seattle 15-15-5 30. Everett 13-9-14 36. Goalies – Seattle, Pickard 36 shots-35 saves (18-15-3-3); Everett, Simpson 35-32 (11-14-2-4). Power plays – Seattle 1-6; Everett 0-1. A – 4,060. Referee – Sean Raphael, Jason Nissen. Linesmen – Chris Carlson, Bevan Mills.