Nolan Volcan and Zack Andrusiak each had a goal and an assist to lead the Seattle Thunderbirds to a 5-3 Western Hockey League win over the Prince George Cougars at accesso ShoWare Center on Friday night.
The T-Birds’ next game is 5:05 p.m. Sunday in Spokane against the Chiefs.
Seattle (14-14-3-1) went in front 1-0 at 11:26 of the first period. Matthew Wedman won a faceoff in the right circle back to Jarret Tyszka at the right point. Tyszka crossed the puck along the blue line to Reece Harsch at center ice. Harsch beat Prince George goalie Tavin Grant with a slap shot over the glove.
Prince George (13-14-3-2) tied the game 1-1 at 4:28 of the second period. Vladislav Mikhalchuk got the goal on assist from Ethan O’Rourke and Josh Maser.
Maser made it a 2-1 Cougars lead at 18:35 of the second. His shot from the low left circle hit the crossbar, then Seattle goalie Matt Berlin’s back and rolled into the net. Aaron Boyd and Dennis Cholowski had the assists.
Prince George outshot Seattle 13-8 in the second period and led 27-16 in shots after two periods.
Volcan tied the game 2-2 1:40 into the third period. Volcan came off the left boards and skated into the high slot. He beat Grant with a wrist shot over the glove for his 12th goal of the year. Matthew Wedman and Turner Ottenbreit had the assists.
Volcan set up the go-ahead goal, on the power play, at 9:46 of the third. Volcan had the puck in right circle and crossed it to Austin Strand in the left circle. Strand snapped the puck past Grant for his 11th goal of the season. Turner Ottenbreit had the second assist.
Donovan Neuls gave the T-Birds a two-goal lead at 14:45 of the third after a long shift in the Prince George zone. Dillon Hamaliuk passed the puck to Zack Andrusiak behind the net. Andrusiak found Neuls all alone in the slot. Neuls beat Grant over the blocker for his eighth goal of the season.
The Cougars pulled Grant with 2:47 left in third. They cut the T-Birds lead to one goal with the extra attacker at 18:29 of the third. Boyd got the goal from the slot.
Prince George kept Grant on the bench to try and tie the game. The Cougars misplayed the puck at the blue line and Hamaliuk was able to get it and streak down the left wing. With a defenseman on his hip, Hamaliuk stopped up and backhanded the puck to Andrusiak all alone in the crease. Andrusiak put the puck into the empty net for his 16th goal of the season.
Prince George outshot Seattle 37-31 in the game.
Berlin had 34 saves and his record is now 10-7-1-1. Grant had 26 saves and his record is 8-9-2-0.
SCORING SUMMARY
First period – 1, Seattle, Harsch 5 (Tyszka, Wedman), 11:26. Penalties – Andrusiak, Sea (holding, unsportsmanlike conduct), 14:06. Maser, PG (goaltender interference), 16:33. Briscoe, Sea (roughing), 16:33. McDonald, PG (roughing), 16:33.
Second period – 2, Prince George, Mikhalchuk 9 (O’Rourke, Maser), 4:28. 3, Prince George, Maser 13 (Boyd, Cholowski), 18:35. Penalties – Neuls, Sea (hooking), 9:44. Leppard, PG (slashing), 12:46. Terretta, Sea (major-fighting), 16:05. Azhgirei, PG (major-fighting), 16:05.
Third period – 4, Seattle, Volcan 12 (Ottenbreit, Wedman), 1:40. 5, Seattle, Strand 11 (Volcan, Ottenbreit), 9:46 (pp). 6, Seattle, Neuls 8 (Andrusiak, Hamaliuk), 14:45. 7, Prince George, Boyd 6 (Cholowski, McDonald), 18:29. 8, Seattle, Andrusiak 16 (Hamaliuk), 19:24 (en). Penalties – O’Rourke, PG (hooking), 8:25.
Shots on goal – Seattle 8-8-15 31, Prince George 14-13-10 37. Goalies – Seattle, Berlin 37 shots-34 saves (10-7-1-1); Prince George, Grant 30-26 (8-9-2-0). Power plays – Seattle 1-3; Prince George 0-3. A – 4,061. Referees – Stephen Campbell, Jeff Ingram. Linesmen – Mark Heier, Adam Brastad.
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