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Tri-City Americans

Americans Take Down Spokane in 2006-07 Home Opener

October 1, 2006 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Tri-City Americans News Release


KENNEWICK, WA - Colton Yellow Horn wasted no time showing why the Americans' governor/General Manager Bob Tory traded a first-round draft pick to Lethbridge for him. Yellow Horn recorded two goals, including the game-winner with three minutes remaining in overtime, to lift the Tri-City Americans over the visiting Spokane Chiefs, 4-3, on Saturday night at the Toyota Center in Kennewick. Yellow Horn, who led the Lethbridge Hurricanes last season in scoring with 25 goals and 75 points, now has 3 points on the season (2g, 1a).

Yellow Horn slipped the game-winner past Spokane goaltender, Kevin Armstrong, who dropped to 2-4-1-2 overall in his career against the Americans. Armstrong has never beaten the Americans at the Toyota Center. In their home opener the past two seasons the Americans have had a flare for the dramatic. In last season's home opener the Americans defeated the Prince Albert Raiders in a shootout, 4-3.

Alex Aldred started the scoring early, off an assist from Tyler Schmidt, with his first goal of the season at 3:25 in the first period.

Spokane answered back with two goals in the second period, including West Richland-native Seth Compton's short-handed goal that knotted the game up at 1-apiece. Michael Grabner gave Spokane a short-lived lead, registering his first goal of the season at the 4:06 mark, who has now scored 10 goals in his career against Tri-City. Two and a half minutes later, off an assist from Aldred, Yellow Horn would answer back for Tri-City with his first of two goals.

Tri-City took back the lead with just over two minutes gone in the third period when Tanner Gillies passed it up to Eric Felde, who got it by Armstrong. The Americans appeared to have the game in hand until Drayson Bowman beat Americans goaltender, Carey Price. Bowman scored at the 11:38 mark in the period.

The Chiefs would get one power play opportunity in the final four minutes of regulation. After an unsuccessful attempt to penetrate the Americans defense, the game went into overtime, where Yellow Horn would send the 5,677 fans in attendance home happy. Price recorded his first win of the season and collected 29 saves in his first game back from attending Montreal Canadiens' training camp.

One day after signing a new contract extension to stay with Tri-City, head coach Don Nachbaur saw his career record with the Americans improve to 4-0 in home openers. Since coming to the Americans, Nachbaur is 19-14-2-2 against Spokane, his best winning percentage against any U.S. Division opponent.

The Americans will head out on the road early tomorrow morning and prepare to take on the newest member of the Western Hockey League, the Chilliwack Bruins. Game time is 5:05 PM at the Prospera Centre in Chilliwack. You can catch all the action live on 97.5 Cool FM, starting with the Budweiser Warm-Up Show at 4:45 PM. You can also listen live through the Americans website by visiting the Internet Radio Broadcast page under Fanzone or the individual game summary page.

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Western Hockey League Stories from October 1, 2006


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