Tips take out 'Couv

[Tipped Off]

Silvertips Win Last Home Game of Regular Season
Everett Downs Vancouver 4-3
Everett Silvertips Press Release



Peter Mueller #1 Star Of The Game
Everett, WA - The Everett Silvertips earned win number 40 tonight at the Everett Events Center, in front of 8,442 fans, after they defeated the BC Division Champions, the Vancouver Giants, by a score of 4-3. This was the final meeting of six and the Silvertips win the series 4-2. Everett moves up to 85 points and a 40-26-2-3 record. With the loss Vancouver stays at 100 points and drops their record to 47-19-0-6.

It was a battle back and forth until the very end. Zach Hamill broke the ice at 11:16 of the first period after he fired a rocket from the bottom left circle, sending the puck right behind the Giants' netminder Dustin Slade. Seventy seconds later, Vancouver tied it up at one with a goal from Brett Parker. At 2:28 of the second period the Giants got a step up on the Silvertips after a Kyle Lamb tally but Everett bounced right back five minutes later with a tying goal from veteran Mark Kress. Then at 9:11 on an Everett power play, Peter Mueller, out in front of the net, caught a pass from Zach Hamill at the goal line and sent the puck through traffic into the back of the net. The second ended with Everett on top 3-2. Early in the third Gilbert Brule tied the game up at three, with a shot that no one saw. But at 10:15, Peter Mueller fired a bullet and put Everett on top 4-3 where they stayed the remainder of the game.

It was a team effort tonight. Eric Doyle earned two assists while Zach Hamill, Torrie Wheat, John Lammers, Shaun Heshka and Jason Fransoo all earned one helper a piece. In the net for tonight's battle was Everett's number one goaltender, Leland Irving. Irving turned away an astounding 39 of 42 shots and adds one more to his win column. He sits at 37-22-1-3. Dustin Slade, the Giants' netminder, stopped 28 shots on 32 but drops his record to 36-13-0-5. On the power play Everett converted on one of six while Vancouver was scoreless on three chances. The Giants out shot the Silvertips 42-32.

The Everett Silvertips play their last regular season game tomorrow night, Sunday March 19th. The will battle their Puget Sound rivals, the Seattle Thunderbirds, at the Key Arena. The final 2005-06 regular season game begins at 5:05pm.

Silvertips Box Scores

Peter Mueller (25, 26) 1 G
Zach Hamill (22) 1 G, 1 A
Mark Kress (6) 1 G
Eric Doyle 2 A
Torrie Wheat 1 A
John Lammers 1 A
Shaun Heshka 1 A
Jason Fransoo 1 A
Leland Irving (37-22-1-3): 39/42 saves
Power Play: Everett 1/6, Vancouver 0/3
Shots on Goal: Everett 32, Vancouver 42
Attendance: 8,442

3 Stars of the Game

1. Peter Mueller (EVT)
2. Gilbert Brule (VAN)
3. Mark Kress (EVT)

[nelson951]

Irving shoulda been 1st star. Great 3rd period for him.

[Tipped Off]

Tips win home finale
Mueller scores twice in 4-3 win over Vancouver

By Nick Patterson
Herald Writer


EVERETT - Final home game of the season, a packed house, a festive atmosphere and the Everett Silvertips were determined to give the crowd something to celebrate.

On the night Everett hoisted its U.S. Division championship banner, the Silvertips earned a victory worthy of the occasion, defeating the Vancouver Giants 4-3.

Peter Mueller scored twice, including the game winner midway through the third period, as Everett celebrated the end of its home schedule with a win over one of the best teams in the WHL.

"The last home game of my career in a sold-out barn, it was a really fun atmosphere today," Everett captain Torrie Wheat said. "After we won the division we kind of went on a bit of a lull and kind of took a few games off. We needed to get a win or two going into the playoffs."

With former Everett greats Jeff Harvey and Mitch Love in attendance - they unfurled the retired jersey No. 1 honoring the fans - and a host of ceremonies both preceding and following the game, Everett came out with a sense of determination and urgency missing from the three games since clinching the division crown, all losses.

But with an excited home crowd and a motivated opponent - Vancouver was still fighting for the best record in the WHL - the Tips fought tooth and nail. That was highlighted by the final two minutes, when the Giants poured on the pressure and the Tips flung their bodies in front of every shot. As a result, Saturday's game served as a good warmup for the playoffs.

"Vancouver's obviously very good," Everett coach Kevin Constantine said. "I'm kind of glad we played them because they make you elevate your game a little bit. That's good for us right now.

"The important thing for us is that we're playing reasonably good hockey because we can't just flip a switch and do that in the playoffs," Constantine added. "That's what we're asking our guys to do, get their game in order, and we were OK tonight in that way."

Zack Dailey and Mark Kress also scored and Leland Irving made 39 saves in goal for Everertt (40-26-2-3), which also found out its first-round playoff opponent. Portland defeated Seattle 3-2 Saturday night, clinching third place in the division. Therefore the Tips will face Tri-City in the first round.

Brett Parker, J.D. Watt and Gilbert Brule scored for Vancouver (47-19-0-6), which succumbed to Medicine Hat for the league's best record.

The deciding goal came at 10 minutes, 15 seconds of the third period while the teams were playing four-on-four. The Tips kept the puck in the zone for an extended period, moving the puck as if they were on the power play. Eventually Jason Fransoo feathered a pass to the left circle, where Mueller one-timed a shot past Giants goalie Dustin Slade to give the Tips the lead.

"Everett was able to execute at the critical times of the game," Vancouver coach Don Hay said. "Before the winning goal we iced the puck twice and that lack of composure really cost us."

Vancouver had tied it moments earlier when, at 10:15, a shot from the point by Paul Albers was tipped by Brule out of the air and past Irving, making it 3-3.

Everett carried play in the first period, outshooting Vancouver 13-6, but the period ended with the score tied 1-1.

Slap shots: Everett fielded close to its best-available lineup Saturday. Other than injured defensemen Cody Thoring (ankle) and right wing Jesse Smyke (leg), the only regular who was rested was left wing Ondrej Fiala. ... The special jerseys worn Saturday, which feature a patch reading, "Let's Play Hockey," in honor of public address announcer Dave Piland, go on auction today. The auction takes place online at www.everettsilvertips.com and proceeds go to the Piland family to help offset medical bills from Piland's bout with cancer.

At Everett Events Center

Vancouver 1 1 1-3

Everett 1 2 1-4

First Period-1, Everett, Dailey 7 (Doyle, Wheat), 11:16. 2, Vancouver, Parker 1 (Bartley), 12:26. Penalties-Reese, Vancouver (high sticking), 3:57; Scharff, Vancouver (elbowing), 10:10; Alic, Everett (roughing), 10:10; Hamill, Everett (hooking), 13:56; Lammers, Everett (10-minute misconduct), 13:56; Watt, Vancouver (roughing), 20:00.

Second Period-3, Vancouver, Watt 9 (Lamb), 2:28. 4, Everett, Kress 6 (Lammers), 7:43. 5, Everett, Mueller 25 (Hamill, Heshka), 9:11 (pp). Penalties-Slade, Vancouver (roughing-10-minute misconduct, served by Blum-Parker), 7:43; Reese, Vancouver (goaltender interference), 10:04; Sawka, Everett (interference), 16:32.

Third Period-6, Vancouver, Brule 23 (Albers, Reese), 6:39. 7, Everett, Mueller 26 (Fransoo, Doyle), 10:15. Penalties-Franson, Vancouver (holding), 8:55; Hromas, Everett (high sticking), 11:10; Parker, Vancouver (unsportsmanlike conduct), 15:36; Harty, Everett (unsportsmanlike conduct), 15:36.

Shots on goal-Vancouver 6-17-19-42. Everett 13-11-8-32. Power-play opportunities-Vancouver 0 of 3. Everett 1 of 5.

Goalies-Vancouver, Slade 36-13-0-5 (32 shots, 28 saves). Everett, Irving 37-22-1-3 (42 shots, 39 saves).