Monday, December 8, 2014

Tri City 5 Kootenay 4

From Chris Wahl ... http://www.kootenayice.net/article/ice-rally-falls-short-sunday
Four second-period goals paced the Tri-City Americans to a 5-4 win over the Kootenay ICE in Kennewick, Washington Sunday.

Americans forwards Beau McCue and Parker Bowles each had four points, while a late rally from the ICE fell just short despite a two-goal effort from Tim Bozon.

Kootenay, winners of 12 of its last 14 games, jumped out to an early lead through Bozon, who scored a power-play goal at 12:30 of the first period. The 20 year-old opened the scoring for the second consecutive night, but his tally was quickly cancelled out by Bowles as the two teams headed to the first intermission tied 1-1.

The Americans scored three times in the first 6:07 of period two, with McCue and Bowles setting up Richard Nejezchleb and Brandon Carlo before McCue found the back of the net with a short-handed marker to make the scoreline 4-1 Tri-City.

The ICE replied three minutes later through Austin Vetterl, but the hosts reclaimed their three-goal lead before the second period was out on defenseman Riley Hillis' first career WHL goal.

Bozon started the third period off with a bang for Kootenay, putting home a short-handed goal of his own just ten seconds into the frame.

Luke Philp added a power-play goal off a feed from defenseman Rinat Valiev at the 5:35 mark to cut Tri-City's lead to 5-4.

The ICE fired 17 shots at Americans netminder Eric Comrie in the third period, but the Team Canada World Junior goaltender turned aside everything he faced following Philp's goal as Tri-City denied Kootenay a three-game weekend sweep.

Wyatt Hoflin made 16 saves before being relieved by rookie Keelan Williams, who stopped all five shots sent his way in the third period.

Sam Reinhart extended his point streak to 14 games with a third-period assist, while Jaedon Descheneau's two helpers enabled him to up his point streak to 13 games.

Valiev led all ICE scorers with three assists.

UP NEXT: Kootenay will play its next five games on home ice, beginning Tuesday against the Medicine Hat Tigers. Game time is 7:00 pm.