Spokane 4, Everett 2
Published 10:38 pm Friday, August 29, 2008
Spokane 4, Everett 2
TALKING POINTS
Everett’s first exhibition game looked a lot like what one would expect from a group with a lot of new faces. For the most part the Tips played hard, but looked nervous at times. After Tyler Kieffer scored twice to give the Tips a 2-1 lead in the second period you could see the team’s confidence rise. But when Levko Koper scored a breakaway just after coming out of the penalty box to tie it, you could see that confidence drain away and it was back to square one.
Goal scoring is a big question mark for Everett this season. The Tips outshot Spokane 34-21, which is encouraging. But Everett didn’t turn those scoring chances into goals, which is an issue. And one has to wonder just how well the Tips really played given Spokane sat out almost all its best players.
My first impression of Everett’s newcomers against live action is that I think they’re going to do all right. It might take them a while to figure it out, but I think they have the tools to compete in this league eventually.
And for those of you wondering about the pregame alarms that forced the evacuation of the building, apparently the referees knocked off one of the sprinkler heads while tossing a football around before the game.
TURNING POINT
Everett was on its way until Ryan Letts’ pass found Koper behind the Everett defense just as Koper came out of the penalty box, and Koper beat Kent Simpson with a move to his backhand to tie it at 2-2 late in the second period. The Tips lost their momentum after that.
HIT OF THE DAY
Midway through the first period Everett’s Taylor Ellington dumped Mike Aviani right onto his back as Aviani tried to attack the zone.
THREE STARS
Given that Spokane had so many names and numbers I didn’t recognize, and I couldn’t tell who was doing what for them, I’m going to pass on this today.
LINEUP NOTES
Everett lineup: Dailey, Skauge, Harper, Burt, Abney, Parker, Froese, White, McCrea, Maxwell, Ius, Mistelbacher, Ellington, de la Lande, Kieffer, Regier, McDermott, Sohor, Simpson, Barrie.
Everett scratches: Van de Velde, Beach, Tochkin, Stephen, Alexander, Potuer, Minville.
Spokane lineup: Bardaro, Holmberg, Donaghy, Aviani, Letts, Koper, Kuhn, Gal, Cratsenberg, Brassart, Compton, Betz, Falk, Kichton, Baldwin, Reddington, Mort, Ulmer, Reid, Wright.
Spokane scratches: Tokarski, Cowen, Glass, Bartman, Johnson, Conrad, Wahl, McCrae, Spurgeon, Leedahl.
