Broncos beat Thunderbirds in shootout

The Swift Current Broncos defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds 3-2 in a shootout Saturday night at the ShoWare Center.

After 65 minutes of play, the game went to a shootout. Seattle elected to shoot first and Jonathan Parker was the first T-Birds shooter. Parker, a right-handed shot, faked left then right and brought the puck back to the right but Swift Current goalie Mark Friesen stopped Parker with his right leg.

Cody Eakin was the Broncos first shooter and he beat Seattle goalie Calvin Pickard with a quick move to the left and put the puck under a lunging Pickard.

Mikhail Sentyurin was the T-Birds second shooter and Friesen stopped him with a poke check. Justin Dowling was the second shooter for Swift Current and he fanned on his shot.

Prab Rai was the T-Birds third shooter. He came down on Friesen but shot high and the Broncos won the shootout 1-0.

The T-Birds (13-19-1-4) jumped out to an early 1-0 lead with Sena Acolatse’s 12th goal of the season at 8:34 of the first period. Charles Wells gained control of the puck in the neutral zone and turned up ice with Acolatse and Brenden Dillon on each side. Wells then slid a pass by the Swift Current defender to Acolatse at the blue line. Acolatse deked once to draw Broncos’ goalie Mark Friesen off his line and snapped a wrist shot from the high slot that beat Friesen glove side. Dillon was credited with the second assist on the play.

Swift Current outshot Seattle 11-8 in the first period.

The Broncos (19-17-0-2) evened the score with Michael Stickland’s ninth goal of the season at 4:41 of the second period. Matt Tassone and Dowling earned assists on the play.

Lindsay Nielsen gave the T-Birds a 2-1 lead 10 seconds later at 4:51. After the T-Birds won the faceoff, Rai dumped the puck down the boards toward Wells entering the Broncos’ zone. Wells gained control of the puck at the goal line and fired a pass to Nielsen who was cutting to the net. Nielsen tipped the puck past Friesen to earn his eighth goal of the season. Wells now leads the team with 20 assists on the season.

Swift Current’s Taylor Vause scored a shorthanded goal at 19:49 of the second to tie the game 2-2. Eakin earned the lone assist on the goal.

The T-Birds outshot the Broncos 11-7 in the second period.

Both teams had several scoring opportunities in the third period, but neither was able to score with the Broncos outshooting the T-Birds 9-8. After 60 minutes of play, the T-Birds and Broncos each had 27 shots on goal.

The T-Birds outshot the Broncos 2-1 in overtime and both teams had 29 shots on goal in the game.

Friesen faced 29 shots and made 27 saves to improve his season record to 10-12-0-4.

The T-Birds return to action on Sunday, Dec. 27, against the Chilliwack Bruins at 5:05 pm at the ShoWare Center.

T-Birds single game tickets for the 2009-10 season 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 group tickets are currently on sale. Group tickets can be purchased by calling the T-Birds office at 253-239-7825.

SCORING SUMMARY

First period – 1, Seattle, Acolatse 12 (Wells, Dillon), 8:34. Penalties – Schappert, Sea (interference), 5:36.

Second period – 2, Swift Current, Stickland 9 (Tassone, Dowling), 4:41. 3, Seattle, Nielsen 8 (Wells, Rai), 4:51. 4, Swift Current, Vause 8 (Eakin), 19:49 (sh). Penalties – Ramsay, Sea (roughing), 1:32. Wagner, SC (roughing), 1:32. Dillon, Sea (holding), 11:34. Sentyurin, Sea (roughing), 15:47. Tassone, SC (double-minor roughing), 15:47. Peddle, SC (boarding), 19:36.

Third period – No scoring. Penalties – Wagner, SC (tripping), 3:29. Lund, Sea (charging, fighting), 6:40. Craig, SC (instigator, fighting, 10 minute misconduct), 6:40.

Overtime – No scoring. Penalties – No penalties.

Shootout – Seattle 0 (Parker NG, Sentyurin NG, Rai NG). Swift Current 1 (Eakin G, Dowling NG).

Shots on goal – Seattle 8-11-8-2 29. Swift Current 11-7-9-1-1 29. Goalies – Seattle, Pickard 29 shots-26 saves (11-15-1-4); Swift Current, Friesen 29-27 (10-12-0-4). Power plays – Seattle 0-3; Swift Current 0-2. A – 3,347 Referee – Sheldon Dean, Trevor Hanson. Linesmen – Chris Carlson, David Tise.