Josh Horton
Herald Writer
EVERETT — Ronan Seeley scored with 3:42 remaining in overtime to propel the Everett Silvertips to a 3-2 win over the Seattle Thunderbirds on Sunday, capping the Preseason Classic at Angel of the Winds Arena.
“Anytime you go out to play a game, whether it’s preseason, a scrimmage or you’re playing pickup in your backyard, you want to go win,” Everett head coach Dennis Williams said. “I was real happy with the guys.”
Seeley skated into the offensive zone and whipped a shot past Seattle netminder Roddy Ross 1 minutes, 18 seconds into overtime to send the Silvertips skating into the right corner in celebration.
It’s a testament to Seeley’s development, Williams said.
“This time last year, he wasn’t in overtime,” Williams said. “Ronan’s playing really well, he’s playing confident. His skating, he’s real headsy out there, and not only that, he’s defending hard. He’s on the right side of the puck, he’s responsible in the ‘D’ zone and I thought he just had a really, really good weekend.”
The Silvertips posted a 3-0 record in the Western Hockey League preseason tournament.
After Graeme Bryks won the offensive zone faceoff, Seattle’s Keltie Jeri-Leon scored a short-handed goal by snapping a shot from the left circle that snuck in past the left post to put the Thunderbirds up 2-1 at 7:34 of the final period.
But Everett’s Gage Goncalves capitalized on a rebound that sat right in front of the left crease after Jake Christiansen’s shot from the point was saved, tying the game at 17:19.
After Brendan Williamson, a former Silvertips prospect, opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 1:27 in the first period, Christiansen tied the game by snapping a shot past Thunderbirds goaltender Roddy Ross at 9:11 in the opening period.
Rookie goaltender Braden Holt made 25 saves for the Silvertips.
“I thought he settled in,” Williams said. “A little shaky at first, probably not how he wanted to script it. … We didn’t give up much in the first two periods there throughout it, and when we did it was a couple big ones and Grade-A opportunities and he was real sound and solid there. It was really cool to see how he battled and stayed in the game down 2-1 and gave us the chance to tie it up.”
Everett was credited with 46 shots to Seattle’s 27.
Josh Horton covers the Silvertips for the Herald. Follow him on Twitter, @JoshHortonEDH
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
