Cranbrook, BC – Cody Eakin and Justin Dowling had 2 goal games as the Swift Current Broncos beat the Kootenay ICE 6-2 in WHL action on Saturday night.
The Broncos opened the scoring as Justin Dowling split the ICE defense at the blueline and had a mini-breakaway and scored with high backhand.
Broncos made it 2-0 on another breakaway as Taylor Vause scored on wrist shot.
ICE changed goalies as Nathan Lieuwen replaced Todd Mathews.
Mathews went back in net 1:31 later.
ICE got on the board on a power-play as defenseman James Martin just missed on a back door play but stayed on the puck behind the net a fed Matt Fraser cruising through the low slot and connected on a one-timer.
Broncos regained the 2-goal lead on a scramble near the net and Stepan Novotny had an open net for the easy goal.
There were no goals in the 2nd period but there was a signifigant point of the game. ICE defenseman Ryan Molle went after Michael Stickland after the Broncos forward hit Drew Czerwonka. During the fight Dustin Sylvester and Derek Claffey engaged in a fight and received game misconducts. Then a 3rd fight developed as Joey Leach took on Reece Scarlett. Leach delivered a big punch that knocked Scarlett down and there was a huge puddle of blood on the ice. Leach showed class by stopping his punches once he saw the Bronco was in some difficulty. Both players also received game misconducts.
In the 3rd period the Broncos added insurance early in the 3rd period an another breakaway as Cody Eakin got his league leading 23rd goal.
ICE won a faceoff in the Broncos zone and defenseman James Martin scored on a slapshot high on the stickside.
Broncos added 2 powerplay goals by Cody Eakin and Justin Dowling to finish the game with the 6-2 win.
ICE changed goalies again as Lieuwen replaced Mathews.
It was the 2nd meeting of the season with Swift Current winning 3-1 on October 12th.
ICE Scratches – Brayden McNabb 8th game (knee day-to-day), Dominik Pacovsky 1st game (foot day-to-day) and Petr Senkerik.
ICE will start a 5-game road trip through the B.C. Division on Friday.
Game Summary
Swift Current 13-11-0-2 Kootenay 11-13-1-1
1st Period
1. Swift Current, Dowling 14 (Hoban) 1:03
2. Swift Current, Vause 5 9:36
3. Kootenay, Fraser 9 (Martin, Czerwonka) 15:41 pp
4. Swift Current, Novotny 15 (Eakin, Stickland) 17:31
Penalties – Dowling SC (slashing) 5:02, Montgomery Ktn (check from behind) 6:26, Novotny SC (delay of game) 11:07, Craig SC (delay of game) 14:06, Mathews Ktn (interference) 18:11.
2nd Period
No Scoring.
Penalties – Lowry SC (double check from behind, fighting) Machacek Ktn (instigator, fighting, misconduct) 1:21, Stickland SC (fighting) Claffey (fighting, game misconduct) Scarlett SC (fighting, game misconduct) Molle Ktn (cross checking, instigator, fighting, misconduct) Sylvester Ktn (fighting, game misconduct) Leach Ktn (fighting, game misconduct) 7:15, Czerwonka SC (tripping) 9:08, Bench SC (too many men) 12:25, Doyle SC (tripping) 16:13.
3rd Period
5. Swift Current, Eakin 23 (Stickland, Rogers) 2:32
6. Kootenay, Martin 2 (Pearce, Hurley) 4:58
7. Swift Current, Eakin (2) 24 (Doyle, Dowling) 6:08 pp
8. Swift Current, Dowling (2) 15 (Hoban) 9:30
Penalties – Pearce Ktn (tripping) 5:13, Mathews Ktn (tripping) 8:07, Martin Ktn (tripping) 11:31, Martin Ktn (cross checking) 17:01, Czerwonka Ktn (elbowing) 18:07.
Shots on goal by
Swift Current – 12 – 11 – 12 = 35
Kootenay - 11 - 4 – 4 = 19
Goal (shots-saves) – Swift Current: Morgan Clark (W 11-7-0-1) Kootenay: Todd Mathews (23-29) (L 7-6-1-1) Nathan Lieuwen 9:36-11:07 first and 9:30 third (6-6).
Power plays (goals-chances) – Swift Current: 2/10 Kootenay: 1/6
Referees – Adam Byblow, Trevor Hanson
Linesmen – Scott Sharun, Matthew Barker
Attendance – 2,621