For the Reporter
The Seattle Thunderbirds defeated the Tri-City Americans on Friday night, winning 3-2 in a shootout to stretch their winning streak to six games.
Seattle improves to 19-15-2-2. Tri-City falls to 18-17-0-2.
The Thunderbirds’ Lane Pederson scored first in the shootout, sending a shot over Evan Sarthou’s blocker. Seattle goalie Taran Kozun stopped the first two Tri-City shooters, sprawling to make a glove save first and blocking the next with his left pad.
The T-Birds sent out Donovan Neuls with a chance to win the game and the center didn’t disappoint, beating Sarthou and giving Seattle the 3-2 victory at the ShoWare Center.
Seattle took a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal with 29 seconds left in the second period. Turner Ottenbreit took slap shot from the center of the ice that missed the net on the right side. The puck rebounded off the end boards right to Neuls just outside the crease to the left of the net. Sarthou went down to stop the Ottenbreit shot and had to slide to his left to make the save. Neuls put the puck high over the goalie’s outstretched right leg. Scott Eansor had the second assist on the fourth goal of the season for Neuls.
Tri-City tied the game 1-1 3:59 into the third period. Lucas Nickles came down the left wing and beat Kozun over the right shoulder. Maxwell James and Brendan O’Reilly had the assists.
The T-Birds took the lead back with a quick passing play finished off by Nolan Volcan at 10:32 of the third period. Ethan Bear sent the puck from the left point to Lane Pederson on the goal line. Pederson quickly moved the puck back up the wall to Eansor. Eansor cut into the left and then made a pass across the crease to Volcan. Volcan beat Sarthou through the legs as the goalie slid across the crease to try and make the save.
Off a timeout, Tri-City pulled Sarthou for an extra attacker with 1:50 left in the game. It paid off for the Americans with 44 seconds left. Nickles beat Kozun from the right of the goal. Kozun got a piece of the shot but the puck was able to trickle across the goal line. Brian Williams and Parker Wotherspoon were credited with the assists.
Next: A trip to Portland
The T-Birds play the Portland Winterhawks at 5 p.m. Sunday at the Moda Center.
T-Birds single game tickets 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.
Season tickets can be purchased by calling the T-Birds office at 253-239-7825.
SCORING SUMMARY
First period – No scoring. Penalties – Hillis, Tri (major-fighting), 1:57. Osterman, Sea (major-fighting), 1:53. Volcan, Sea (hooking), 16:24.
Second period – 1, Seattle, Neuls 4 (Ottenbreit, Eansor), 19:31 (pp). Penalties – Khaira, Sea (roughing, major-fighting), 4:33. Gutierrez, Tri (instigator, major-fighting, 10-minute misconduct), 4:33. Wotherspoon, Tri (roughing), 13:23. James, Tri (), 17:50.
Third period – 2, Tri-City, Nickles 11 (James, O’Reilly), 3:59. 3, Seattle, Volcan 4 (Eansor, Pederson), 10:28. 4, Tri-City, Nickles 12 (Williams, Wotherspoon), 19:15. Penalties – Hauf, Sea (checking from behind), 1:00. Pederson, Sea (boarding), 15:22.
Overtime – No scoring. Penalties – No penalties.
Shootout – Seattle 2 (Pederson G, Smith NG, Neuls G). Tri-City 1 (Williams NG, Comrie NG).
Shots on goal – Seattle 5-11-7-4-1 28, Tri-City 3-12-10-4-0 26. Goalies – Seattle, Kozun 26 shots-24 saves (17-10-2-2); Tri-City, Sarthou 27-25 (4-7-0-2). Power plays – Seattle 1-2; Tri-City 0-3. A – 4,744. Referees – Fraser Lawrence, Nick Swaine. Linesmen – Al Creigh, Tim Digby.
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