Feser, Williams Surge Americans Past Rebels 5-2
Kennewick, WA- Justin Feser and Mitch Topping were looking to earn a win over their hometown team.
Feser and Brian Williams each scored two goals to propel the Tri-City Americans (11-6-1-1, 24 pts) over the Red Deer Rebels (9-9-1-1, 20 pts) in front of 4,505 in Kennewick.
Tri-City got off to a fast start, as Tyson Dallman deflected a Michal Plutnar slap shot into the net for his second goal of the season, giving the Americans an early lead. Red Deer would tie the game midway through the period, as Cody Thiel slipped a backhand shot into the goal to tie the game. Towards the end of the period, the Ams would regain the lead once again on a fancy deke by Malte Strömwall, then feeding it to Brian Williams at the side of the net to put it home. Tri-City had more chances in the period and held the advantage in the shot department 11-5.
In the second period, the Americans would score on a 4-on-4, as Justin Feser skated past a Rebel defender for a breakaway and beat Red Deer goalie Bolton Pouliot to make it 3-1 8:25 into the second. Red Deer would close the gap back to one late in the period when Turner Elson took the puck and deked out Eric Comrie to make it 3-2. The Americans had the momentum in the period, earning the shot advantage 15-8 and getting a few good chances on two power plays.
The Americans would ride that momentum into the third, as Feser would add his second goal of the game early in the period as he picked up a loose puck and skated ahead for a breakaway, firing a wrist shot into the back of the net to increase the lead back to two. Red Deer pressed hard to get back into the game, but couldn’t score another goal as Brian Williams sealed the game with a shot the length of the ice into an empty net to cap the 5-2 win.
With two goals, Feser passed Bill Lindsay to move into 8th on the Americans all-time goals list. He also passed Kruise Reddick and is tied with Eric Johansson for 11th on the Americans all-time points list.
The win snaps a three game losing streak against the Rebels, winning for the first time since 2008-09 when they won 6-3 in Kennewick.
Comrie made 17 saves in the win, while Pouliot and Patrik Bartosak combined for 33 saves in the loss.
The team will finish the weekend with a contest against the B.C. Division’s Vancouver Giants (5-11-0-0, 10 pts) in the Toyota Center. Game time is at 5:05 p.m. This is the first of four meetings between the two teams this season, as the Americans got the better of the Giants last season winning three out of four. The lone loss was in a shootout in Kennewick 5-4. NewsTalk 870 will broadcast the game beginning at 4:45 p.m. with the pregame show. WHL Live will stream the game online starting at 5:00 p.m. Tickets are still available to purchase at the Toyota Center box office, any Fred Meyer outlet, any Ticketmaster location or online at Ticketmaster.com.
Jack in the Box Three Stars:
1. Justin Feser, Tri-City
2. Brian Williams, Tri-City
3. Malte Strömwall, Tri-City
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