Seitz Buries Overtime Winner as Wild Finish Season Series Against Tri-City with 3-2 Win
Photo Courtesy: John Keller/Tri-City Americans
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KENNEWICK, Wash. – With five of their final six games on the road, the Wenatchee Wild will need to win games away from the Valley to grab the last playoff spot in the Western Hockey League’s Western Conference race as the 2024-25 campaign concludes. Saturday night at Toyota Center, the Wild took care of business and secured a milestone for the season in the process, taking the series against the Tri-City Americans.
Dawson Seitz fired a shot from the edge of the left-wing faceoff circle 1:47 into overtime for a 3-2 Wenatchee victory, securing the club’s fifth win in eight games head-to-head and finishing with a 10-8 points advantage in the series. Seitz’s third overtime winner of the season, coupled with a Seattle Thunderbirds loss to the Portland Winterhawks, moved the Wild back within three points of the eighth-place spot in the Western Conference standings with five games to go, and a game in hand for the Thunderbirds.
After scoring twice on the power play in the final seconds Friday, Evan Friesen revved up the power play again Saturday, banking in a wrist shot from Miles Cooper on the right wing just 4:14 into the game and halfway through the game’s first man-advantage. At 4:20 of the second period, Friesen got the last touch on a right-wing shot from Shaun Rios, just eight seconds into a Wild power play following a roughing call to Grady Martin.
The teams ended up trading scores over a 14-second stretch, as Gavin Garland tossed a chance from the low slot past Brendan Gee at 4:34 to put the Ams back within a goal. A 4-on-3 power play allowed Tri-City to tie the game with 9:31 left in regulation, as Max Curran put away a second chance after the puck was swept away from the net.
With Wenatchee driving the puck into the Tri-City zone in overtime, Seitz sprinted onto the ice from the Wild bench, catching a drop pass at the top of the faceoff circle from Maddix McCagherty before roping a wrist shot past Ryan Grout to seal the win for the visitors. Seitz’s goal marked the only shot on the net in the extra session for either side.
Saturday’s game marked Friesen’s second multi-goal game at Tri-City this season, after scoring four against the Americans on January 5. Gee stopped 34 Tri-City shots to pick up his 10th win of the season, as Wenatchee wrapped up the night 2-for-4 on the power play, and 3-for-4 on the penalty kill. Seitz’s game-winning tally was his sixth of the year and fifth in a one-goal contest.
Grout made 30 saves as Tri-City dropped to 31-24-6-1 for the season. Wenatchee bumped its mark for the year to 22-32-7-1.
The Wild start a new three-game week Wednesday with a final visit to Kamloops – the opening puck drop against the Blazers at Sandman Centre is scheduled for 7 p.m., with live coverage on Newsradio 560 KPQ and WHL Live. Wenatchee is in the midst of a five-game stretch on the road before closing the regular season at home on Saturday, March 22 against the Everett Silvertips.
2025-26 season tickets are now on sale – for more information, call 509-888-7825, or visit the team office at Town Toyota Center. Updated news and information on Wild hockey are always available through the team’s website and on the team’s social media platforms on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
Wenatchee 1 1 0 1 – 3
Tri-City 0 1 1 0 – 2
1st Period-1, Wenatchee, Friesen 26 (Cooper, McMillan), 4:14 (PP). Penalties-Margolis Tc (tripping), 3:12; Koch Tc (tripping), 19:16.
2nd Period-2, Wenatchee, Friesen 27 (Cooper, Andresen), 4:20 (PP). 3, Tri-City, Garland 21 (Pavao), 4:34. Penalties-Dunphy Wen (hooking), 1:23; Martin Tc (roughing), 4:12; MacAdams Tc (tripping), 7:39.
3rd Period-4, Tri-City, Curran 21 (Sloan, Whynott), 10:29 (PP). Penalties-McMillan Wen (hooking), 1:15; Hackman Wen (high sticking), 9:35; Koch Tc (roughing), 9:35; Friesen Wen (hooking), 9:40; Dawson Seitz Wen (slashing), 14:14.
OT Period-5, Wenatchee, Dawson Seitz 15 (McCagherty, Andresen), 1:47. Penalties-Rios Wen (10-minute misconduct), 1:47.
Shots on Goal-Wenatchee 10-12-10-1-33. Tri-City 10-11-15-0-36.
Power Play Opportunities-Wenatchee 2 / 4; Tri-City 1 / 4.
Goalies-Wenatchee, Gee 10-13-2-0 (36 shots-34 saves). Tri-City, Grout 1-5-2-0 (33 shots-30 saves).
A-5,479
Referees-Jackson Kozari (97), Tatu Kunto (95).
Linesmen-Max Lucas (172), Brennan Walker (143).
