Thunderbirds pull away late, thanks in part to Jared Davidson hat trick, to beat Americans
By Charles Hamaker
Kent, WA – In the third game of their five game homestand, the Seattle Thunderbirds were able to pull away in the final frame from a blow for blow battle with the Tri-City Americans. The Thunderbirds and Americans traded goals to begin the game, before Seattle looked like they were going to be able to pull away as they extended a lead to 3-1. Tri-City stayed in the fight, tying things up just under two minutes into the final 20 minutes. Thunderbirds captain Lucas Ciona gave Seattle the lead back, and teammate Jared Davidson added two goals to put the final finishing touches on win number 49 of the season.
Seattle forwards Dylan Guenther and Braeden Cootes walk onto the ice (Photo by Liz Wolter)
Trading blows back and forth with Tri-City
The Americans have been a tough customer for the Thunderbirds this season, as the of the six games that the two teams played this season, only two of them were decided by more than two goals. That remained the case throughout this game, as Tri-City did not go away easily after Seattle got on the board first just over five minutes into the contest. After the Thunderbirds got on the board first thanks to Nico Myatovic, in a wild end of the first that saw both teams collectively rack up four penalties before the first intermission, Tri-City took advantage and scored on the power play. Seattle tried to pull away, and it seemed like they had, until late in the second period.
With the Thunderbirds up by two, Tri-City's forward Parker Bell struck with just 27 seconds left before the second intermission. The Americans were able to sustain that short momentum burst that they had given themselves before the break, as Reese Belton tied the game up with just one tick to go under the two-minute mark. Tri-City was looking to get their second win over Seattle on the season, but the Thunderbirds and Jared Davidson made sure that was not meant to be.
Sights from the goal by Seattle’s Brad Lambert (Photos by Liz Wolter)
Davidson delivers the victory, inching closer to 100 goals as a T-Bird
Seattle forward and Montreal Canadiens prospect Jared Davidson continues to light up defenses and the scoreboard, as the Edmonton native tallied a hat trick and an assist for a four-point night. The man that they call Davey ranks eight in goals and tenth in points for the entirety of the WHL, and he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down after tonight’s fierce four-point performance. Davidson is nearly a point and a half per game player, and while it’s not like the Thunderbirds lineup NEEDS it, with some notable faces dealing with injuries he has continued to carry his share.
Thunderbirds forward Jared Davidson scores his third goal of the night to complete his hat trick (Photos by Liz Wolter)
Quick notes
Attendance for this game at the Showare Center tonight was 3,766
Seattle picked up their 49th win of the season
That’s the second most wins in all WHL, and the Thunderbirds have the second most points in the WHL as well. The team above them in both categories is the Winnipeg Ice.
Thunderbirds forward Jared Davidson has 99 goals as a Thunderbird now
Seattle rookie forward Braeden Cootes joined the team again tonight, tallying an assist in the two games he played with the Thunderbirds before tonight.
Seattle Kraken defenseman Carson Soucy was in attendance, watching his cousin Scott Ratzlaff play for the Thunderbirds
Rookie Thunderbirds forward Braeden Cootes brings the puck up the ice (Photo by Liz Wolter)
What’s next?
Seattle continues their five game homestand when they pull game four of it tomorrow against the Everett Silvertips. Seattle will play the second game of this divisional back-to-back when they host the Silvertips at the Accesso Showare Center on Saturday, March 11th with a puck drop of 6:05PM PST. The bitter rivals will do battle, both already locked into playoff berths, as we approach the end of the WHL regular season. After the Thunderbirds and Silvertips collide Saturday for the last time this regular season, Seattle finishes the season off with a mix of games against the Kamloops Blazers and Portland Winterhawks.