Buttazzoni’s hat-trick helps Hawks past Giants 6-2

Diego Buttazzoni’s first WHL hat-trick spearheaded another stout offensive display from the Winterhawks as they thumped the visiting Vancouver Giants 6-2 on Saturday night.

Game #5: Portland (6) vs. Vancouver (2)

SOG: POR (51) – VAN (25)

PP: POR (3/6) – VAN (1/4)

Saves: Špunar (23/25) – Mirwald (45/51)

COMPLETE BOX SCORE

SCORING:

• VAN – 3:11 – First Period – Logen Hammett (1) from Cameron Schmidt
• POR – 4:16 – First Period – Luca Cagnoni (1) from Josh Mori and Diego Buttazzoni
• POR – 5:10 – First Period – Diego Buttazzoni (3) from Josh Zakreski and Marek Alscher
• POR – 14:48 – First Period – Carter Sotheran (1) from Tyson Yaremko and Luke Schelter
• POR – 18:47 – First Period – Diego Buttazzoni (4) from Carter Sotheran and Jack O’Brien
• POR – 9:04 – Second Period – Diego Buttazzoni (5) from Carter Sotheran
• POR – 10:13 – Second Period – Josh Davies (1) from Luca Cagnoni and James Stefan
• VAN – 10:53 – Third Period – Connor Dale (1) from Colton Roberts and Aaron Obobaifo

The Story: 

Diego Buttazzoni starred with a hat-trick and an assist as the Winterhawks breezed past the Vancouver Giants for a 6-2 victory on Saturday night. Portland has won four straight and moves to 4-1-0 on the year.

The win also marks the fifth consecutive game to start the year in which the Winterhawks have scored at least four goals.

Portland’s dominance wasn’t immediate on Saturday – Vancouver picked up the first goal just 3:11 into the contest on Logen Hammett’s first of the year – but it arrived before too much damage was done. Luca Cagnoni responded to Hammett’s opener just 65 seconds later with a laser from the left circle. Just under a minute later, it was Buttazzoni’s turn as the second-year sniper finished off a Josh Zakreski feed in the low slot. Keeping the onslaught going, Carter Sotheran then joined the fun at 14:48 with a heavy wrist shot off the rush, followed soon after by Buttazzoni’s second of the game – a long-range one-timer set up by Sotheran on the power play.

Portland’s first-period outburst marked the fourth time in five games the Hawks have tallied at least four goals in one period. And they weren’t done there – Buttazzoni capped off his hat-trick midway through the second stanza with a carbon copy of his second goal, rifling another one-timer top-shelf from the right circle on the power play. Back on the man-advantage a minute later, Josh Davies deflected a Cagnoni shot into the top corner for his first goal as a Winterhawk, and the rout was on.

The Giants got a power-play marker of their own halfway through the final frame, but the Hawks held strong for the win. Jan Špunar’s 23 saves earned him a third consecutive win between the pipes, while a busy Brett Mirwald put in a stout 45-save shift for Vancouver.

The Winterhawks are back in action next Friday, October 13, for Keep Portland Fear’d Night at the VMC. Puck drop is set for 7:00 P.M. for that tilt.

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