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Tipped Off
04-14-2006, 09:46 AM
Hawks' fast start can't keep pace with Giants
Portland is frustrated as Vancouver takes a 3-1 lead in the series; Jason Reese of Gresham scores two goals

Friday, April 14, 2006
MOLLY BLUE
On a night so many things were going right for the Portland Winter Hawks, the only thing that went wrong was they couldn't score until late in the third period, when the game was out of reach.

Instead, Gresham native Jason Reese scored two goals and goaltender Dustin Slade made 35 saves to lead the Vancouver Giants to a 3-1 win over the Hawks before 6,499 at the Rose Garden on Thursday.

The Giants lead the Western Conference semifinals 3-1. The best-of-seven series moves back to Vancouver for Game 5 at 5 p.m. Sunday.

In the first period, Portland's offense was clicking on all three lines, forcing Slade to fend off 20 shots -- more than the Hawks had in Game 1 (13) and Game 2 (14) and almost as many as in Game 3 (23), which went to overtime.

"It was a little frustrating" to shoot that much and not score, Hawks forward Brandon Dubinsky said. "We should be playing like that every period."

And credit Vancouver defenseman Paul Albers, who set up the game-winning goal in overtime Wednesday, with the first period's biggest save, when Hawks defenseman Jordie Fike's shot got behind Slade. As the puck was skidding toward the crease, Albers skated behind Slade and cleared it.

Reese, who had seven goals and 26 points in the regular season, took charge in the second period, beating Hawks goaltender Kurtis Mucha twice. First, he picked up a turnover at the Hawks' blue line, skated into the high slot and ripped a slapshot past three Hawks skaters and Mucha 11 minutes, 2 seconds into the second period.

"I was shooting for the screen, and it found the net," Reese said.

With 46 seconds to go before intermission, Reese, an 18-year-old center who started playing hockey out of Mountain View Ice Arena on the north side of the Columbia River, converted a rebound off a Portland defenseman from an entry shot by Jonathan Blum. The puck came directly to his stick, and Mucha couldn't cross back over the goalmouth in time to make a play.

"I was working hard and the puck bounced to my stick," Reese, playing in front of 30 to 40 family members and friends, said. "It's awesome to score in Portland."

Albers figured into Vancouver's third goal, when his wrist shot into the slot hit the skate blade of Spencer Machacek and into the net on a power plat at 14:01.

Portland's goal came 39 seconds later, when list player Thomas Frazee scored his first goal of the playoffs, picking up the puck off the boards behind Vancouver's net and tipping it past Slade on a setup from Colton Sceviour and Max Gordichuk.

Did the Hawks, who face elimination in Game 5, play their final home game of the season?

Dubinsky said, "We're not ready to go home by any means."

Coach Mike Williamson said to get one more home game, the Hawks need to play more like they did in Thursday's first 20 minutes, not like the last 40.

"I hope we can come out and have a first period like we did here, and follow it up," he said.

BONGHIT1
04-14-2006, 09:52 AM
I WOULDNT HAVE HAD ANYONE BUT JASON WIN THE GAME FOR THEM!

NICE JOB JASON :clap: