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HAF
11-13-2005, 02:07 AM
Questionable call costs Ams
This story was published Saturday, November 12th, 2005

By Annie Fowler, Herald staff writer

The Tri-City Americans turned in one of their best performances of the season, but the lucky bounces still aren't going their way.

Bretton Stamler scored at 3:28 in overtime to give the Seattle Thunderbirds a 1-0 Western Hockey League victory over the Americans before 3,590 on Friday night at Toyota Center.

"We played hard, it was just another bad break," said Americans coach Don Nachbaur. "We had it on our tape. We gave that game away."

Or did they?

Stamler happened upon a loose puck in the slot as the Americans were attempting to clear and threw it toward the net. The puck went over goalie Carey Price's left shoulder, but the game tape clearly showed the puck hit the outside left corner of the crossbar and dropped into the crease.

"It went over my shoulder, and I saw (referee Rob) Matsuoka pointing at the goal," said Price, who finished with 31 saves. "There's nothing I can do about it."

Neither can the Americans (4-11-1-0), who earned their first point in five games. The WHL does not have an appeal process for an error in judgment.

The goal was the first for Stamler this season, and the win gave Seattle goalie Bryan Bridges his 19th careershutout, tying him with former Kelowna Kelly Guard for the WHL record. Bridges finished with 16 saves.

"I was in front of the net and Bud (Holloway) was down low," Stamler said of the final play. "Bud threw it out and it went off a stick. They were about to clear it, but the puck came to me and I shot it. It was a Hail Mary kind of thing."

The Americans had a shot at the win just moments before when Ian McDonald knocked the puck loose in front of the Seattle bench and headed up ice with Phil Magistrale to his left.

McDonald slid the puck to Magistrale, but the rookie defenseman couldn't put the puck away.

"There was good goaltending at both ends," said Seattle coach Rob Sumner.

The Thunderbirds (7-6-1-1) had plenty of opportunities on the night with 32 shots on goal and six power plays -- one that lasted five minutes when Jason Beeman was given a major penalty and a game misconduct for boarding early in the third period.

But the Americans penalty kill was solid, and Price was an impenetrable wall in front of the goal.

"Our penalty kill was outstanding tonight," Nachbaur said. "We battled through a 5-minute power play that took a lot out of us. Carey played well and our defense was better tonight. We didn't lose for a lack of trying."

The Americans return to the ice tonight when they play host to the Spokane Chiefs.

n Tonight, fans over the age of 18, can donate a new or gently used book to the Columbia Reading Foundation in exchange for a lotto scratch ticket and a coupon good for $2 off the Nov. 19 game against the Regina Pats. ... Former Americans D Clayton Stoner scored his second goal of the season and had a plus-2 rating in helping the Houston Aeros to a 5-1 AHL win over Omaha.