Tri-City beats Winterhawks

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Falling behind three goals early, the Portland Winterhawks lost 6-4 to the Tri-City Americans on Wednesday in Western Hockey League play at Kennewick, Washington.

The result moves third-place Tri-City (36-23-3-0, 75 points) seven points clear of fourth-place Portland in the U.S. Division. The Winterhawks are 32-25-1-3 for 68 points and remain nine points up on Spokane for the final playoff berth.

Evan Weinger scored two goals for Portland. Keegan Iverson and Ryan Hughes also scored for the Hawks.

Jordan Topping had three goals and one assist for the Americans.

Parker Wotherspoon, Kyle Olson and Austyn Playfair also scored for Tri-City, with Playfair’s goal with 6:44 left in the third period giving the home team a two-goal lead.

Topping scored two power-play goals in the first 10 minutes, and Wotherspoon made it 3-0 just 13:37 into the game. That chased starting goalie Cole Kehler. Shane Farkas played the rest of the way.

Goals by Iverson on a power play and by Weinger pulled Portland within 3-2 just 5:03 into the second period.

A scoring flurry closed the second period, with two Tri-City goals and Weinger’s second goal of the game all coming in the final 2:01.

When Hughes scored at 3:08 of the third period, Portland was again within one at 5-4.

But a nifty play by Juuso Valimaki set up Playfair’s insurance goal at 13:16 of the third period.

Caleb Jones had two assists for Portland.

The Winterhawks outshot the Americans 45-29.

Portland finished 1 for 3 on the power play and Tri-City was 2 for 4.

Kehler faced 11 shots and stopped eight, then Farkas faced 18 and stopped 15.

Next up for Portland is a Friday visit to Everett for a 7:30 game.