Winterhawks Beat Americans 5-4 in Game One
Marcel Noebels scored the game winning goal 7:52 into overtime as the Portland Winterhawks defeated the Tri-City Americans 5-4 Friday night in game one of the WHL's Western Conference finals.
Noebels' game winning goal, the Winterhawks first shot on goal of the overtime, came :16 after Portland finished killing off an Americans power play which Tri-City was awarded after Winterhawks goalie Mac Carruth played the puck outside of the trapezoid behind the net.
Mitch Topping forced overtime for Tri-City by scoring with 4:51 left in regulation, his third goal of the playoffs. That countered what had been the go ahead goal from the Winterhawks Joe Morrow, who drove a shot from the point through Americans goalie Ty Rimmer on the power play at the 10:56 mark of the period.
Morrow's goal, his third of the playoffs, came 1:49 after the Americans Patrick Holland had tied the game with his second straight power play goal of the game. For Holland, the goals were his fourth and fifth of the post-season.
Brendan Shinnimin (7th) also scored for Tri-City, extending his point scoring streak, which includes the regular season, to 35.
Brendan Leipsic (4th) and Sven Bartschi (6th) also scored for Portland.
Carruth finished with 43 saves on 47 shots faced while Rimmer finished with 26 saves on 31 shots faced. Portland was 1-4 on the power play, and Tri-City was 3-5.
Game two will be played in Kennewick's Toyota Center Saturday night beginning at 7:05 PM.