T-Birds fall to Tri-City, 5-1

The Tri-City Americans defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds 5-1 Tuesday night at the Toyota Center in Kennewick.

The T-Birds (18-27-2-1) travel to Kelowna to face the Rockets at 7 p.m. Thursday at Prospera Place. This is the first of back-to-back games against the Rockets. The teams meet at 7:35 p.m. Friday in Kent.

Brian Williams gave the Americans a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 13:03 of the first period. Justin Feser and Mitch Topping had the assists.

Seattle outshot Tri-City 12-8 in the first period.

Williams struck again at 4:46 of the second period to extend the Americans lead to 2-0. Feser and Jesse Mychan were credited with the assists.

Tri-City (28-17-1-2) scored less than a minute after their second goal, at 5:38 of the period, to make it a 3-0 game. Justin Gutierrez got the goal on an assist from Parker Bowles.

Danny Mumaugh replaced Brandon Glover in net after the third Tri-City goal. Glover made seven saves on 10 shots and his record falls to 17-20-2-1 with the loss.

The Americans made it 4-0 at 9:55 of the second when Wil Tomchuk scored an unassisted goal.

The T-Birds got the board at 14:08 of the second on a five-on-three power-play goal from Alexander Delnov. Connor Honey moved the puck from the left point to Roberts Lipsbergs at the bottom of the left circle. Lipsbergs fed the puck across the crease to Delnov at the right post. Delnov slammed the puck past Tri-City Luke Lee-Knight who was sliding across the crease to try and make the save.

Seattle outshot Tri-City 8-7 in the second period and 20-15 through two periods.

Gutierrez scored a second goal at 16:45 of the third period to put the Americans in front 5-1. Connor Rankin and Parker Bowles had the assists.

The T-Birds outshot the Americans 7-4 in the third period and 27-19 in the game.

Mumaugh made seven saves on nine shots in 35 minutes of action.

Lee-Knight stopped 26 of 27 shots and improves his record to 7-3-0-0.

T-Birds tickets are available online at the T-Birds website and at the ShoWare Center box office. The ShoWare Center Box Office is open Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday game days at 10 a.m. and Sunday game days at noon.

T-Birds season tickets can be purchased by calling the T-Birds office at 253-239-7825.

SCORING SUMMARY

First period – 1, Tri-City, Williams 15 (Feser, Topping), 13:03. Penalties – Williams, Tri (holding), 4:34. Sanvido, Sea (closing hand on puck), 11:34. Chynoweth, Tri (slashing), 17:49.

Second period – 2, Seattle, Williams 16 (Feser, Mychan), 4:46. 3, Tri-City, Gutierrez 3 (Bowles), 5:38. 4, Tri-City, Tomchuk 1, 9:55. 5, Seattle, Delnov 15 (Lipsbergs, Honey), 14:08 (pp). Penalties – Elliot, Sea (roughing), :11. Dallman, Tri (tripping), 12:47. Yuen, Tri (interference), 13:26. Bowles, Tri (tripping), 18:51.

Third period – 6, Tri-City, Gutierrez 4 (Rankin, Bowles), 16:45. Penalties – Filbrandt, Tri (interference), 16:53. Yuen, Tri (slashing), 18:13. Honey, Sea (hooking), 19:13.

Shots on goal – Seattle 12-8-7 27, Tri-City 8-7-4 19. Goalies – Seattle, Glover 10 shots-7 saves (17-20-2-1), Mumaugh 9-7; Tri-City, Lee-Knight 27-26 (7-3-0-0). Power plays – Seattle 1-7; Tri-City 1-2. A – 3,449. Referees – Adam Griffiths, Curtis Marouelli. Linesmen – Jason Michelbook, Trevor Shively.