Tri-City Americans hold off Victoria in overtime
Kyle Olson scored two goals, including the game-winner in overtime, as the Tri-City Americans topped the Victoria Royals 5-4 on Friday at Toyota Center.
Tri-City (9-6-1-0, 19 points), second in the U.S. Division behind Everett (22 points), saw its 4-3 lead melt away late in the third period when Tyler Soy beat Americans goalie Rylan Parenteau with 1:05 remaining in regulation. Parenteau finished with 24 saves.
Olson secured the win for Tri-City at 2:12 of overtime, taking a pass from Michael Rasmussen and beating Royals netminder Dylan Myskiw for his second goal of the night and fifth of the season.
“(Olson) played really well,” Americans coach Mike Williamson said. “The last couple of weeks, he has been one of our most consistent players. When he steps on the ice, he is there to compete.”
Rasmussen scored his WHL-leading 12th goal at 4:03 of the third to tie the score at 3. Morgan Geekie scored 2 1/2 minutes later to give Tri-City a 4-3 lead.
But the game was far from over.
“The way the night had gone and the calls were going, it wasn’t surprising,” Williamson said of the game going into overtime. “It was great for those guys to find a way to win in overtime.”
Victoria (8-7-1-0, 17 points) got three goals from Soy — the first one of the game in the second period, a short-handed goal at 3:15 of the third, and the game-tying goal on the power play.
Parker AuCoin also found the net for Tri-City, scoring short-handed for his fifth goal of the season and third in four games.
“Coiner has played very well the last few games,” Williamson said. “He had been extremely valuable and has had some big goals for us.”
The game was marred by penalties, including two fighting majors by each team at the end of the first period.
“Victoria plays an in-your-face game, and there isn’t a lot of room on the ice,” Williamson said. “Emotions come into play. There were a lot of calls.”
After playing seven games in 11 days —including six on the road — Williamson is giving his players a couple of days off.
“Everyone is pretty tired,” he said. “I am proud of the effort they put in with injuries and the travel schedule. To come in here and win tonight was big for us.”
Americans 5, Royals 4 (OT)
Victoria | 0 | 1 | 3 0 | — | 4 |
Tri-City | 0 | 2 | 2 1 | — | 5 |
First — No scoring. Penalties — Folk, Vic (embellishment), 1:31; TC bench (too many men, served by Jeri-Leon), 3:58; Walker, Vic (hooking), 6:14; Gagnon, Vic, major (fighting), 20:00; Peckford, Vic (roughing), 20:00; Reddekopp, Vic, major (fighting), 20:00; AuCoin, TC, major (fighting), 20:00; Yaremko, TC (roughing), 20:00; Yorke, TC, minor-major (unsportsmanlike conduct, fighting, misconduct), 20:00.
Second — 1, Vic, Soy 6 (Walker), 14:17. 2, TC, AuCoin 5, 17:09 (sh). 3, TC, Olson 4 (Wotherspoon, Geekie), 17:42. Penalties — Nagy, Vic (interference), 2:15; Mutala, TC (hooking), 5:00; Geekie, TC (tripping), 15:24; Gagnon, Vic (roughing), 19:58; Olson, TC (slashing), 19:58.
Third — 4, Vic, Hannoun 7 (Walker, Reddekopp), 1:06. 5, Vic, Soy 7, 3:15 (sh). 6, TC, Rasmussen 12 (Välimäki, Sandhu), 4:03 (pp). 7, TC, Geekie 6 (Välimäki, Rasmussen), 6:24 (pp). 8, Vic, Soy 8 (Walker, Reddekopp), 18:55 (pp). Penalties — Pachel, Vic (high-sticking), 2:53; Dmytriw, Vic (tripping), 5:38; Välimäki, TC (delay of game), 7:58; Folk, Vic (embellishment), 17:16; Rasmussen, TC (holding), 17:16; Geekie, TC (hooking), 18:11.
Overtime — 9, TC, Olson 5 (Rasmussen), 2:12. Penalties — None.
Shots — Vic 7-10-10-1 — 28. TC 6-13-8-2 — 29. Power plays — Vic 1-8. TC 2-7. Goalies — Vic, Myskiw 0-1-1-0 (29 shots-24 saves). TC, Parenteau 5-3-1-0 (28-24). Referees — Dexter Rasmussen and Jason Nissen. A — 3,435.
This story was originally published October 28, 2016 at 10:58 PM with the headline "Tri-City Americans hold off Victoria in overtime."