The Kootenay Ice defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds 4-2 in a Western Hockey League game Friday night at Western Financial Place in Cranbrook, British Columbia.

This was the T-Birds’ first game of a six-game road trip through the Central Division. The T-Birds travel to Calgary Saturday to play the Hitmen at 6 p.m. Saturday and play the Lethbridge Hurricanes at 5 p.m. Sunday at the Enmax Centre.

The T-Birds took a 1-0 lead at 14:08 of the first period. Reece Harsch passed the puck from the T-Birds zone to Noah Philp on the left boards at the Ice blueline. Philp quickly moved the puck to Zack Andrusiak to put him on a partial break. Andrusiak skated into the left circle and beat Ice goalie Kurtis Chapman over the glove for his third goal of the year.

Seattle outshot Kootenay 14-8 in the first period.

Kootenay (5-7-1-0) tied the game 1-1 54 seconds into the second period on a goal from Vince Loschiavo.

The Ice took a 2-1 lead at 2:43 of the second on a goal from Colton Kroeker.

Dakota Krebs scored on a 2-on-1 with 1:03 left in the second to give the Ice a 3-1 lead.

The Ice outshot the T-Birds 15-14 in the first period. The T-Birds led 28-23 in shots after two periods.

Seattle (5-5-0-1) cut the Kootenay lead to one goal at 14:24 of the third period on the power play. Donovan Neuls had the puck in the right circle. Neuls passed the puck to Harsch at center ice inside the blue. Harsch moved the puck to Austin Strand in the left circle. Strand one-timed Harsch’s pass and beat Chapman on the glove side.

It was Strand’s sixth goal of the season, all of which have come on the power play.

The T-Birds pulled goalie Matt Berlin with just under a minute and a half left in the game. The T-Birds turned the puck over at their blue line and Cameron Hausinger was able to score an unassisted empty-net goal with 51 seconds left to secure the win for the Ice.

The T-Birds outshot the Ice 11-8 in the third period and 39-31 in the game.

Berlin had 27 saves on 30 shots and his record is now 4-3-0-1.

Chapman made 37 saves on 39 shots and his record is 3-3-0-0.

Tickets

Single-game tickets for the regular season are on sale online on the T-Birds website and at the accesso ShoWare Center box office. Season tickets may be purchased by calling the T-Birds office at 253-239-7825.

SCORING SUMMARY

First period – 1, Seattle, Andrusiak 3 (Philp, Harsch), 14:08. Penalties – Ormsby, Sea (tripping), 9:17. Pouliot, Ktn, (cross checking), 15:53. Briscoe, Sea (10-minute misconduct), 20:00.

Second period – 2, Kootenay, Loschiavo 5 (Davis), :56. 3, Kootenay, Kroeker 6 (Pouliot, Baer), 2:43. 4, Kootenay, Krebs 3 (Bodak), 18:57. Penalties – Sheen, Ktn (unsportsmanlike conduct) 9:35. Katzalay, Sea (high-sticking), 15:13. Baer, Ktn (10-minute misconduct), 20:00.

Third period – 5, Seattle, Strand 6 (Harsch, Neuls), 14:24 (pp). 6, Kootenay, Hausinger 1, 19:09 (en). Penalties – Pouliot, Ktn (boarding), :08. Philp, Sea (holding), 8:03.

Shots on goal – Seattle 14-14-11 39, Kootenay 8-15-8 31. Goalies – Seattle, Berlin 30 shots-27 saves (4-3-0-1); Kootenay, Chapman 39-37 (3-3-0-0). Power plays – Seattle 1-4; Kootenay 0-2. A – 2,329. Referees – Clayton Hall, Fraser Lawrence. Linesmen – Michael Boisvert, Chris Mottl.