Thunderbirds come up short to Silvertips

Volcan scores in 2-1 loss to Everett in front of a full house

December 9, 2018 9:30 am
Thunderbirds center Matthew Wedman rifles a shot at Silvertips goalie Dustin Wolf during WHL play Saturday night. COURTESY PHOTO, Brian Liesse, T-Birds

The Seattle Thunderbirds battled but dropped a 2-1 Western Hockey League game to the Everett Silvertips in front a season-high 6,216 fans at the accesso ShoWare Center on Saturday night.

The T-Birds have dropped 12 of their last 15 games.

The full house was just eight fans short of tying a T-Birds single-game attendance record at ShoWare. The record of 6,224 fans was set in Game 5 of the WHL championship series against the Regina Pats on May 17, 2017.

Everett (24-7-1-0) went in front 1-0 at 16:25 of the first period. Sean Richard poked the puck in after a long scramble in the T-Birds crease. Seattle goalie Liam Hughes and coach Matt O’Dette protested, to no avail, that Hughes was interfered with in the crease.

Seattle tied the game 1-1 at 3:59 of the second period. Samuel Huo won a faceoff in the right circle to Nolan Volcan on the boards. Volcan skated the puck up the wall and around the top of the circle before taking a hard wrist shot with traffic in front of Everett goalie Dustin Wolf, beating the goalie over the blocker.

Max Patterson scored the winning goal for the Silvertips at 7:46 of the third period on a breakaway. The play came right after the T-Birds couldn’t convert on a three-on-one break.

Seattle outshot Everett 16-11 in the third period and 44-38 in the game.

Seattle goalie Liam Hughes had 36 saves on 38 shots.

Wolf had 43 saves on 44 shots.

Up next

The T-Birds return to ShoWare ice Tuesday against the Prince George Cougars for a 7:05 p.m. The 2-for-Tuesday game offers two-for-one tickets, and beers and $2 popcorn, soda and hot dogs.

Single-game tickets are on sale online and at the ShoWare box office.

Fans who purchase the 24-flex ticket package will be able to select any available premium seat for any game, in any ticket combination, during the 2018-19 season.

SCORING SUMMARY

First period – 1, Everett, Richards 10 (Fairbrother, Khaira), 16:25. Penalties – Richards, Evt (tripping), 5:51. Williams, Sea (interference), 14:01.

Second period – 2, Seattle, Volcan 7 (Huo), 3:57. Penalties – Richards, Evt (major-boarding, game misconduct), 10:10. Tyszka, Sea (roughing, 10-minute misconduct), 10:10.

Third period – 3, Everett, Patterson 9, 7:46. Penalties – No penalties.

Shots on goal – Seattle 10-18-16 44, Everett 13-14-11 38. Goalies – Seattle, Hughes 38 shots-36 saves (9-12-2-0); Everett, Wolf 44-43 (22-7-1-0). Power plays – Seattle 0-2; Everett 0-1. A – 6,216. Referees – Brayden Arcand, Chris Crich. Linesmen – Nick Bilko, Mark Heier.