Mychan Hat Trick Paces Americans to 9-5 Win Over Giants

Vancouver, BC- The Americans offense has scored five and six goals in the previous two games.

They topped themselves again, scoring four goals in the second and Jesse Mychan recording a hat trick, as the Tri-City Americans (26-16-1-2, 55 pts) scored a season high nine goals, mauling the Vancouver Giants (12-33-0-0, 24 pts) 9-5 in front of 5,100 at the Pacific Coliseum.

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The Americans extended their win streak to three games overall and against the Giants. Tri-City also extended its win streak to five in Vancouver. This is the second time this season the Americans have scored nine goals, with the other time also coming against Vancouver 9-1 on Nov. 4.

Mychan became the second American this season to score a hat trick, with Justin Feser having the other two hat tricks.

The Americans dominated the first period. They got off to a quick start, as Brian Williams would give the Americans a 1-0 lead a minute and a half into the game. That lead would increase to two as Parker Bowles would score an amazing goal, juking past two defenders and then faking out the goalie to slip the puck into the net on the power play. Drydn Dow would make it 3-0 as he would score on a shorthanded breakaway late in the period. Tri-City outshot Vancouver 6-5 and carried the momentum into the second period.

Tri-City stared the second period the same way the first period started, as Connor Rankin fed a one-timer to Bowles, putting the puck into the net for his second goal of the game. Marcus Messier was awarded the first penalty shot for the Americans this season, barely missing the net on his shot. But Mitch Topping would make up for it on the ensuing power play, firing a slap shot into the net to make it 5-0. Travis McEvoy would end the shutout try for Luke Lee-Knight less than 30 seconds later to make it 5-1. Jesse Mychan would increase the lead back to five on a breakaway goal and would make it 7-1 five minutes later by grabbing a rebound and scoring on a wrap around. Tristan Sieben would cut the lead back to five with a power play goal to make it 7-2 after two periods.  

Feser would score another goal early in the period to push the lead to six. Mychan would get his hat trick in the third period to make it 9-2, but the Giants would cut the lead back to six as Luca Leone would score from the slot. Thomas Foster and Dalton Sward would add the final two goals of the game, but the Giants would come up short as the Americans earned the 9-5 win.

With two assists tonight, Feser passed Dylan Stanley and moved into ninth on the Americans all-time assists list with 167. And with three points, he moved past Terry Degner to take over fifth place on the Americans all-time points list with 305. Topping extended his point streak in 2013 to six games with a goal tonight.

Lee-Knight and Troy Trombley combined for 19 saves in the win while Payton Lee and Jared Rathjen made 19 saves in the loss.

Tri-City will ride the bus home and have a day to prepare as the Kamloops Blazers (29-13-2-3, 63 pts) will come to the Toyota Center on Jan. 18. Game time is at 7:05 p.m. Tri-City leads the season series 2-1, earning a win in the last game in Kamloops 3-1 and a 4-2 win in the only game in Kennewick on Nov. 10. NewsTalk 870 will broadcast the game beginning at 6:45 with the pregame show. WHL Live will stream the game online at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are available at the Toyota Center Box Office, at any Fred Meyer outlet, at any Ticketmaster location or online at Ticketmaster.com.

Jack in the Box Three Stars:
1. Jesse Mychan, Tri-City
2. Justin Feser, Tri-City
3. Travis McEvoy, Vancouver