Parker AuCoin leads Tri-City Americans to 6-3 win over Spokane Chiefs
Parker AuCoin scored twice, and Rylan Parenteau finished with 25 saves to lead the Tri-City Americans to a 6-3 victory Friday over the Spokane Chiefs at Veterans Memorial Arena in Spokane.
The Americans (21-16-3-0, 45 points) stayed one step ahead of Portland (43 points), which beat Seattle 2-1, in the U.S. Division standings. Everett leads the division with 56 points, but suffered a 4-3 loss to Prince George on Friday.
Spokane came out and scored the opening goal of the game as Ethan McIndoe deflected a shot by Ty Smith past Parenteau at 4:37 of the first. But not much else went right for the Chiefs.
Tri-City countered with goals by Parker Wotherspoon, whose shot from the blue line zipped past Spokane goalie Dawson Weatherill at 9:42, and AuCoin, who scored his first of the night at 18:59.
Morgan Geekie gave the Americans a 3-1 lead in the second, firing the puck high glove side for his 21st goal of the season.
The Chiefs refused to go away. Kailer Yamamoto scored short-handed just 37 seconds into the third period for a 4-2 game.
The Americans would score the next three goals to take a 6-2 lead. Michael Rasmussen scored his team-leading 27th goal short-handed at 10:37, followed by AuCoin’s second of the night at 16:05. Max James, in his first game since Oct. 22, scored at 18:33 to put the game out of reach.
Keanu Yamamoto scored with 1:11 remaining in the game for Spokane, which fell to 1-3-1-0 against Tri-City this season.
Nolan Yaremko handed out two assists for Tri-City, which will host Spokane on Saturday in their 27th annual New Year’s Eve game.
Americans 6, Chiefs 3
Tri-City | 2 | 1 | 3 | — | 6 |
Spokane | 1 | 0 | 2 | — | 3 |
First — 1, Spo, McIndoe 8 (Smith, Najman), 4:37. 2, TC, Wotherspoon 6 (Yorke, Yaremko), 9:42. 3, TC, AuCoin 13 (Yaremko, Olson), 18:59. Penalty — Dylan Coghlan, TC (tripping), 5:48.
Second — 4, TC, Geekie 21 (Topping), 15:46. Penalties — James, TC (roughing), 1:55; Anderson-Dolan, Spo (hooking), 3:04; Ke.Yamamoto, Spo (tripping), 19:41.
Third — 5, Spo, Ka.Yamamoto 22, :37 (sh). 6, TC, Rasmussen 27, 10:37 (sh). 7, TC, AuCoin 14, 16:05. 8, TC, James 6 (Sawchuk, Focht), 18:33. 9, Spo, Ke.Yamamoto 15 (Zummack, Hamaliuk), 18:49. Penalties — Yaremko, TC (roughing), 1:00; Kousal, Spo (roughing), 1:00; Helgesen, Spo (roughing), 1:00; Elynuik, Spo (slashing), 5:01; Yaremko, TC (slashing), 10:14; Yorke, TC (cross-checking), 12:19.
Shots — TC 6-9-15 — 30. Spo 13-10-5 — 28. Power plays — TC 0-4. Spo 0-4. Goalies — TC, Parenteau 12-8-1-0 (28 shots-25 saves). Spo, Weatherill 6-9-3-1 (30-24). Referees — Tyler Adair and Nich Swaine. A — 7,740.
This story was originally published December 30, 2016 at 11:40 PM with the headline "Parker AuCoin leads Tri-City Americans to 6-3 win over Spokane Chiefs."