Tri-City Herald: Victoria too much, too early for Ams

By Annie Fowler | Tri-City Herald

KENNEWICK — If the effort isn’t there, neither is the win.

Jamie Crooks scored the game-winner at 14:12 of the third period for the Victoria Royals, who scored early and then held on for a 5-4 victory over the Tri-City Americans on Tuesday night before an announced crowd of 3,327 at the Toyota Center.

“You saw the difference between the first and second periods and the third,” Tri-City coach Jim Hiller said. “We weren’t ready to play hockey the right way. We have guys not having success right now, and they don’t want to play hard and play the right way. We have to be willing to do it ugly. There was no willingness out there.”

The Americans (10-5-0-0, 20 points), who lost on home ice for the second time this season, had their three-game winning streak snapped by Victoria (8-6-0-0, 16 points).

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