Game One – Prince George
Tri-City kicked off a flurry of four games in five days on Wednesday at home against the Prince George Cougars, the top team in the B.C. Division. Tri-City saw a 3-1 lead vanish in the third and fell in the shootout.
Washington Capitals first-round pick Terik Parascak, kicked off the scoring at 12:32 with the only goal of the first period.
Lee Shurgot of Prince George snapped a wrister in the slot, bouncing off Lukas Matecha’s pad. Parascak gathered the rebound just inside the right faceoff circle. Parascak toe dragged Jaxen Adam of Tri-City and released another wrist shot, this time by the blocker of Lukas Matecha.
Following the first period, Prince George led by a score of 1-0 & in shots with 13 to the Tri-City 11.
Tri-City got on the board early in the second period, just under four minutes in off the rush during four-on-four play.
Gavin Garland carried the puck into the Cougar zone along the left wing and flicked it toward the net. Goldsmith tipped at the puck, and Ravensbergen initially saved it. The rebound, however, went right to Terrell Goldsmith, and Goldsmith simply tapped the puck past the sprawled-out Ravensbergen.
After forty minutes, Tri-City and Prince George were deadlocked at one side, with Tri-City leading in shots 22-20.
The Americans came out of the intermission red hot, scoring two goals in under eight minutes to start the third period.
Brandon Whynott gave the Americans their first lead of the night at 4:43.
Whynott gathered the puck from a Gavin Garland cross-ice pass and let a shot go from the left faceoff dot. This shot narrowly went under Ravensbergen’s glove & left him stunned.
The Americans would add another goal three minutes later from Carter MacAdams.
After Prince George tried to get the puck out of the zone, Kainoah Brankovich managed to keep it in and quickly fired the puck toward the slot from the blue line. Carter MacAdams reached out with his stic, and tipped the puck past Ravensbergen, surprising him again to make it 3-1.
Following this goal, Prince George would go on the power play, and the comeback was on after Captain Jake Sloan barked with Viliam Kmec and received a penalty.
In the closing stages of the power play, Lee Shurgot made it a one-goal game.
Hunter Laing fed Shurgot, who was busting towards the net. Shurgot dangled around Matecha and lifted it over Matecha’s blocker and in.
With the Cougar net empty and relentless pressure, the Americans finally gave in with just thirty seconds to go in the game.
Koehn Ziemmer frantically tried to get a shot towards the net from the slot, initially blocked by Goldsmith’s head. The puck trickled right back to Ziemmer. Ziemmer then fired another shot quickly that went blocker side on Matecha, who could not see through the bodies stacked in front of him.
In overtime, nobody could find a goal and the game would head to a shootout.
Much like the Americans first shootout in Regina, nobody could seem to find the net. However, after the first six shooters combined missed, Jett Lajoie of Prince George broke the deadlock. Lajoie nearly lost the puck walking in, which fooled Matecha and left a majority of the net wide open. Lajoie then snipped the puck through Matecha’s five-hole.
Tri-City had one last chance with Jordan Gavin. However, Gavin fired it right off Ravensbergen’s pad, and the Cougars were victorious.
Game One Notes
Tri-City is now 1-1 in the shootout on the year and have lost their second straight game at home.
Tri-City went 0/3 on the power play, while Prince George went 1/2.
The Americans outshot Prince George in the contest, 33-32 was the final shot tally.
This is the first meeting between the two sides. Tri-City will play Prince George three more times this season, which includes one more home game and two games on the road in Prince George.
Terrell Goldsmith was awarded the first star with a goal, Ravensbergen the second star after getting 30 saves and leading Prince George to the win, and Gavin Garland with the third star after notching two assists.
Game Two – Kelowna
Tri-City played the Kelowna Rockets on Friday at home. This was the American’s last home game before the Christmas break, and the Rockets were without arguably their top five players. With most gone at the World Junior Championship, Tri-City was able to get back in the win column with a 6-3 win.
Kelowna opened scoring early at 4:19 on their first shot of the game.
Hiroki Gojsic, who was behind the net and pressured by Jackson Smith, made a desperate centering feed to Kalder Varga. Varga whacked a one-timer from close quarters that went under Matecha’s glove and in.
That would be the only action in the first period, as both teams had a very sluggish start to the game, combining for only seven shots in the first period. Tri-City was in front though with the 4-3 shot advantage.
The Americans went on to score three straight unanswered goals in the second period, the first coming shorthanded from Jordan Gavin two minutes into the second period
Jordan Gavin walked in on a shorthanded breakaway after the Rockets defenseman was caught sleeping. Gavin softly backhanded the puck five holes on Jake Pilon, and the game was even.
Tri-City began to control the game after this goal and eventually got the lead for the first time with a goal from the Captain Jake Sloan at 6:33.
After corralling a bad pass at the blue line, Sloan dangled through Rockets defenders and worked his way into the slot. Sloan then went backhand and snuck it over Pilon’s glove.
With just thirty seconds left in the second period, the Americans would get one more, this time from Gavin Garland.
Max Curran served up a one-timer to Gavin Garland in the right faceoff dot like an alley-oop. Curran simply dropped the puck off, and Garland let one fly over Pilon’s blocker.
The Americans rode a 3-1 lead into the intermission. The Americans outshot Kelowna 19-6 in the second, and were up 23-9 overall on shots.
After Kelowna were utterly dominated in the second, the Rockets washed away a two goal lead for the Americans just seven minutes into the third period.
The first came after Kayden Longley gathered the puck from a failed one-timer behind the net and snuck a wrap-around by Lukas Matecha, making it a one-goal game.
Max Graham tied it after splitting through two American defenders and did it all by himself, going on the backhand and right by the mask of Lukas Matecha making it 3-3 just like that.
The Americans would restore their lead a few minutes following the Graham goal.
Whynott skated along the left wing and into the circle. Whynott then picked up the loose puck and let a shot go quickly which went over Pilon’s blocker.
Savin Virk got the insurance goal at 14:07, a mere 21 seconds after the Whynott goal.
Virk dumped the puck along the right-wing boards and worked his way into the slot. Somehow going undetected by Rocket’s defenders, he was left all alone. Max Curran found Virk, and Virk simply gathered and let one go from the slot uncontested low-glove side to make it 5-3 Tri-City.
Two minutes later, Virk would get his second goal of the game and capped off scoring at 16:40.
Sloan made a no-look backhand feed of his own to the slot where Savin Virk was waiting. Virk then smacked the puck in to make the final score what it was at 6-3.
Game Two Notes
Tri-City ended a three-game losing streak, all of which were lost at home.
This is the last time Tri-City will play Kelowna at home; both sides will meet again twice, but in Kelowna. The next meeting is scheduled for February 8th. The Americans in the last five years in Kelowna are winless with a 0-5-1 record.
The Americans finally got a power play goal, going 1/4 overall and holding the Rocket’s power play to 0/3.
This was a night to forget for both goalies. Pilon made only 28 saves on 34 shots, while Lukas Matecha made only 16 saves on 19.
Tri-City led in the final shot totals, 34-19.
Savin Virk was awarded first star with two goals, Jordan Gavin second star with three points and an impressive +4. Captain Jake Sloan got third star after three points and also a +4.
Game Three – Everett
In perhaps the most challenging game of the week, possibly the season, Tri-City took on the top dogs in the WHL on the road in the Everett Silvertips. Tri-City fell 4-1 on Saturday night.
Everett got the lone goal of the first period at 13:54 from Dominik Rymon.
On the power play, Landon DuPont made a quick cross ice feed to Rymon who launched a rocket of a one-timer that beat Nathan Preston on the glove side.
Everett led 1-0 heading into the first intermission and led in shots 12-7.
Tri-City would tie the game just over a minute into the second and gave themselves hope.
Gavin Garland skated into the Everett zone and fired an initial shot which was blocked by a Silvertips defenseman. Garland corralled the puck and fired another wrist shot which caught Raiden LeGall by surprise.
Everett scored three more goals, all unanswered in the second period.
The first came on a two-on-one; Jaxsin Vaughan forced a pass past Goldsmith, who was laying out to Dominik Rymon, who was racing to the net. Rymon tipped the puck past the outstretched Preston, making it 2-1.
Everett got their second goal on the power play at 13:43 in the second.
Julius Miettinen walked in slowly short side and let a shot go that went bardown on Nathan Preston.
The Silvertips added their fourth goal of the game as time dwindled in the second period.
Brek Liske danced around American defenders and carried the puck along the right-wing boards. Liske then spotted the trailer Cole Temple and dumped the puck off to Temple in the slot. Temple held the puck momentarily before shooting and went glove side on Preston, who was anticipating a quicker shot and was caught off guard.
Everett led 4-1 going into the third period, and led in shots 30-18.
Tri-City had a surplus of chances to claw their way back into the game in the third period, including four power plays for the Americans in the third period, including a four-minute power play. All of these, Everett killed off.
Game Three Notes
Tri-City fall to a 2-1 record against the Silvertips this season, the home team has won every game so far between the two clubs this year. The Americans play Everett three more times, including two more road trips and one more home game.
The power play went 0/5 for the Americans and 2/3 for Everett. Everett finished ahead in shots with 37-31.
Dominik Rymon was awarded the first star with a pair of goals. Raiden Legall made 30 saves on 31 shots and was given second star. Exceptional Status defenseman Landon DuPont got two assists which was good enough for the third star in the game.
Gavin Garland & Brandon Whynott both extended their point streaks to ten games in the 4-1 loss.
Ryan Grout suited up as the backup goalie, his first game dressed in an American uniform.
Game Four – Vancouver
Tri-City closed out their fourth game in five days and last game before the Christmas break by visiting Langley, B.C., to play the Vancouver Giants. The Americans fell 5-1 after a disastrous third period.
Savin Virk of Tri-City, a native of Surrey, B.C., which is only 23 minutes away from Langley, scored the game’s first goal at 4:16 in the second period after no goals in the first period were scored.
Virk, on the power play, went bardown on Matthew Hutchinson for the lone goal for Tri-City that afternoon.
At 9:20, Connor Levis got his first of four goals to even things up on the power play.
After Cameron Schmidt’s initial shot went wide, the puck bounced back in front of the net, where Levis gathered it. Levis then shot it over Preston’s glove.
Following two periods of play, the game was even at 1-1 and Tri-City led in shots 23-20.
The third period was pretty even up until the halfway point at 9:57, when Connor Levis got his second goal of the game.
Tyler Thorpe carried the puck in on the left wing with some speed on his backhand. Thorpe then made a pass to the slot where Levis was waiting unmarked. Levis then let a shot go that went five-hole on Preston.
After Jackson Smith had begun to leave the Tri-City zone, he coughed the puck up, and Ty Halaburda came away with it. Halaburda closed in on the right wing before snapping a pass to the slot, where Tyson Zimmer was able to muscle away a shot to make it 3-1.
Connor Levis completed the hat trick at 15:46 when Ethan Mittlesteadt let a shot go from the point that was tipped by Levis net front.
Levis got his fourth goal of the game after putting the puck into an empty net at 17:46 to seal the deal.
Game Four Notes
This was a career night for Connor Levis as the overager had his first-ever four-goal game.
Tri-City moved to 0-1-1 against Vancouver on the year and will play the Giants two more times throughout the season, one more on the road and one more at home.
Gavin Garland and Brandon Whynott’s point streaks both ended abruptly following Sunday’s game.
Tri-City held Vancouver to 1/6 on the power play, while Tri-City themselves went 1/2.
The Americans outshot Vancouver 36-30 overall in the game.
Connor Levis, as expected, got first star with his career-high four-game performance; Matthew Hutchinson for the Giants made 35 saves and was awarded second star. Tyson Zimmer of Vancouver got the third star with a goal.
Injury Report
Merrek Arpin was missing from action in all four games this week due to an upper-body injury. Arpin is listed as day-to-day and should return following the Christmas break.
Lukas Matecha was missing in the lineup in the last two games of the week and is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Matecha also should be good to go following the Christmas break as well.
What’s Next
Tri-City will play in Portland on December 27th, which means there will be no games next week due to Christmas. The Americans head into the break sitting fourth in the conference and three points behind the Spokane Chiefs. With two wins, though, Tri-City could overtake the Chiefs for third, as the Americans have played two fewer games than Spokane.
