KENNEWICK — The Everett Silvertips cannot solve the Tri-City Americans.
Everett suffered its fourth defeat of the season at the hands of Tri-City on Friday night, falling 3-2.
All four games between the teams have been competitive. Each of the previous contests was decided by two goals, with two of those including a Tri-City empty-net goal.
Malte Stromwall scored the game winner during a five-on-three power play early in third period to help Tri-City (10-6-1-1) snap a three-game losing streak. Beau McCue and Brian Williams also scored for the Americans. Eric Comrie made 19 saves in the Tri-City goal to earn the win.
Stathis Soumelidis scored his first Western Hockey League goal and Kohl Bauml also scored for Everett (6-10-0-2), which dropped its fourth straight. All four of those losses came despite Everett scoring first. Austin Lotz made 25 saves in goal for the Tips.
Everett had just tied the game 2-2 on Bauml’s rebound goal on the power play 3 minutes, 10 seconds into the third period when the Tips got into penalty trouble. First Everett got caught with too many men on the ice. Then, a minute later, defenseman Nick Walters put the puck over the glass from the defensive zone to give the Americans a five-on-three.
Tri-City wasted little time capitalizing. Just 21 seconds later Stromwall put in a rebound for what proved to be the winning goal.
Everett got a power play late in the first period and converted to take a 1-0 lead, Soumelidis putting in a rebound from Landon Oslanski’s shot at 19:21. With Soumelidis getting his first career goal, it gave Everett a player who scored his first goal in three straight games. Carson Stadnyk and Ty Mappin accomplished the feat the previous two games.
Tri-City tied the game 8:17 into the second period thanks to a fortunate bounce. McCue’s centering feed deflected off the skate of Tips defenseman Mirco Mueller and into the net, making it 1-1. The Americans then took the lead on the power play 23 seconds into the second period, Williams scoring on a rebound.
McPhee traded
Everett traded the rights to 19-year-old winger Zach McPhee to Kootenay on Friday in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2014 bantam draft. McPhee left the team a week ago to pursue opportunities at the junior A level.
Americans 3, Silvertips 2
Everett101—2
Tri-City012—3
First Period—1, Everett, Soumelidis 1 (Oslanski, Murray), 19:21 (pp). Penalties—Mueller, Everett (roughing), 4:04; Murray, Everett (hooking), 12:14; Williams, Tri-City (hooking), 16:14; Dow, Tri-City (cross checking), 18:39.
Second Period—2, Tri-City, McCue 2, 8:17. Penalties—Foulk, Everett (roughing-fighting), 8:44; Dallman, Tri-City (fighting), 8:44; Oslanski, Everett (roughing), 15:28; Yuen, Tri-City (roughing), 15:28; Harrison, Everett (roughing), 20:00.
Third Period—3, Tri-City, Williams 4 (Feser, Yuen), 0:23 (pp). 4, Everett, Bauml 8 (Sandhu, Murray), 3:10 (pp). 5, Tri-City, Stromwall 7 (Topping, Feser), 6:59 (pp). Penalties—Stromwall, Tri-City (hooking), 2:34; Everett bench (too many men, served by MacDonald), 5:38; Walters, Everett (delay of game), 6:38; Soumelidis, Everett (interference), 16:03.
Shots on goal—Everett 9-6-6—21. Tri-City 5-12-11—28. Power-play opportunities—Everett 2 of 3. Tri-City 2 of 7.
Goalies—Everett, Lotz 1-6-0-1 (28 shots, 25 saves). Tri-City, Comrie 10-6-1-1 (21 shots, 19 saves).
A—3,910.
