Hawks Roar Past Tigers 8-1 Saturday
Alex Overhardt had a career-high four points as the Portland Winterhawks (31-25-3-0) exploded for an 8-1 win Saturday in Medicine Hat against the Tigers (21-34-3-1).
It was a balanced attack as six different Hawks found the back of the net in Portland’s fifth win in their last six games.
Portland opened the scoring 2:49 into the game when Alex Schoenborn wired a shot past Medicine Hat netminder Nick Schneider to give Portland a 1-0 lead. Conor MacEachern padded the lead at 8:47 when he roofed a wrist shot to make it 2-0 for the Hawks. Then, with the Hawks on the power play at 11:46, Alex Schoenborn banged in a rebound to extend Portland’s lead to 3-0 heading into the second.
The Hawks continued to dominate into the second period, beginning on the power play at 10:29 of the second when Dominic Turgeon collected the puck and wrapped it around the net and past Schneider for a 4-0 Portland lead. Then 54 seconds later, Alex Overhardt won an offensive zone faceoff and got the puck to Evan Weinger who burst to the net and slammed it forehand to make it 5-0 at the 11:23 mark.
Medicine Hat got on the board at 13:18 of the second when Max Gerlach scored to cut the lead to 5-1, but the Hawks responded at the 18:41 mark as Alex Overhardt slid it five-hole past Schneider to extend Portland’s lead to 6-1 going into the third.
The Tigers replaced Schneider in net with Mack Shields to open the third, and Portland kept up the pressure as Evan Weinger scored his second of the night at 4:32 to make it 7-1. Skyler McKenzie then scored at the 15:48 mark of the third to give Portland a 8-1 lead, which would stand as the final.
Adin Hill was once again outstanding in net for Portland, making 34 saves on 35 shots he faced from the Tigers.
Portland was 2-4 on the power play and a perfect 4-4 on the penalty kill.
The Hawks continue their trip through the WHL’s Central Division Tuesday in Calgary against the Hitmen.
