EVERETT – The Everett Silvertips have some difficult decisions to make.

Everett concluded its preseason tournament with a 4-2 loss to the Portland Winterhawks on Sunday at the Everett Events Center.

And now the Tips enter the next phase of the preseason: Determining the roster for opening night.

“Those are the hardest decisions of the year when you get down to your last guys,” Everett coach Kevin Constantine said. “Generally, once you’re to this point everyone you’re letting go probably could play in the league. The worst part of coaching during the year are those last cuts before heading into the regular season.”

In Sunday’s game, Jon Bubnick scored the game-winner for Portland with less than seven minutes remaining, putting a shot into the far corner from the edge of the left circle at 13:47 of the third period. Thomas Frazee and Dan DaSilva also scored for the Winter Hawks, with DaSilva adding an empty-net goal in the final seconds.

John Lammers scored both goals for Everett, which outshot Portland 40-25.

“You can never be too happy with a loss,” Lammers said. “But on another note it’s preseason and with every loss you learn a lot of things, so I think that’s good for right now. We’ve just got to take it and turn it into a positive.”

The Tips finished 1-2 in the tournament, but Constantine was satisfied with the way the team performed this weekend.

“We’re trying to get returning guys ready to go and a look at a lot of guys just to get evaluations,” Constantine said. “You play preseason a little different than we would the regular season, but we’re coming along all right.”

Everett, which began the tournament with 37 players, has already begun trimming its roster. Fifteen-year-olds Kyle Beach, Matt Ius and Matt Strong, who are too young to be eligible for the WHL this season, were sent home. Also returned home was 16-year-old defenseman Mike Alexander, who was unable to play in the tournament because of an elbow injury.

The Tips were also expected to make a quick decision on their goaltenders. Everett will retain one of its three 16-year-old goalies – Chris Ward, Shayne Barrie and Matt Esposito, who each played a period Sunday – as long as No. 1 Michael Wall is gone at the Anaheim Mighty Ducks’ training camp.

Once the goalie moves are made, Everett will be left with 31 players. That includes six overagers, a number that will eventually need to be paired to three. With the Tips expected to start the season with no more than 25 players, Everett will have to make at least three more cuts in addition to its overager moves. Everett has two weeks before its next preseason game, Sept. 17 at Tri-City.

“If practice isn’t enough to make those decisions we might have to use those last exhibition games,” Constantine said. “I really won’t know after (the goaltender decisions) when our next moves well be.”

Everett had a huge advantage in possession in the first period, thanks to five power plays, but was unable to break through until 18:37. Ryan Blatchford found Lammers cutting across the slot and Lammers made a move around Portland goaltender Luke Shier and put the puck away, giving the Tips a 1-0 lead.

But the Winter Hawks reversed that lead in a three-minute period of the second period against Barrie. First, at 12:48, Frazee snuck up behind Zach Sim to steal the puck, then rifled a shot into the upper corner to tie the score at 1-1. At 15:15, DaSilva blasted a shot from the top of the right circle into the far corner to give Portland the lead.

Everett tied the score back up at 7:19 of the third. Lammers’ bank shot attempt from behind the net deflected wide. But he reached forward for the rebound and put the puck in the net to tie the score at 2-2.

But it wasn’t enough as Bubnick’s shot beat Ward to decide it.

Slap shots: Portland and Vancouver finished tied for the overall lead at the tournament. Both teams finished 3-0. … In Sunday’s first game Spencer Machacek and David Rutherford scored to give Vancouver a 2-1 victory over Kamloops. Tanner Irwin scored for the Blazers. … In the second game, Derek Ryan scored and Kevin Opsahl made 28 saves as Spokane shut out Seattle 1-0. … Everett left wing Karel Hromas returned from Chicago Blackhawks rookie training camp and was in the lineup Sunday. … Six Everett players – Wall, Alexander, forwards Mark Kress, Peter Mueller, Zach Dailey and defensemen Taylor Ellington – did not play in the tournament. … The post-game shootout went to seven shooters before either team scored. Portland’s Sasha Golin netted the decider. … A total of 12,604 fans attended the three days.

Winter Hawks 4, Silvertips 2

Portland022-4

Everett101-2

First Period – 1, Everett, Lammers 1 (Blatchford), 18:37 (pp).

Second Period – 2, Portland, Frazee 1, 12:48. 3, Portland, DaSilva 1 (Friesen), 15:15.

Third Period – 4, Everett, Lammers 2 (Doyle, Calla), 7:19. 5, Portland, Bubnick 1, 13:47. 6, Portland, DaSilva 2 (Balan), 19:47 (en).

Shots on goal – Portland 5-13-7-25. Everett 18-13-9-40. Power-play opportunities-Portland 0 of 3. Everett 1 of 6.

Goalies – Portland, Shier (31 shots, 30 saves), Butler 1-0 (9 shots, 8 saves). Everett, Esposito (5 shots, 5 saves), Barrie (13 shots, 11 saves), Ward 0-2 (6 shots, 5 saves).