By Jeff D'Andrea

P.A.’s Sawchuk now 2-0 vs. his hometown Raiders

Nov 17, 2017 | 10:50 PM

Seeing as Prince Albert’s Riley Sawchuk plays with in the U.S. with the Tri-City Americnas, the sophomore forward has only played against his hometown team twice.

He improved personal record to 2-0 over the Prince Albert Raiders after a 4-1 Americans victory Friday night in Kennewick, Wash.

The last time the 18-year-old sophomore played against the Raiders was back on Jan. 6. Sawchuk scored his first WHL career goal that day in front of friends and family—the 33^rd game of his career.

The Americans drafted Sawchuk, in the sixth round of the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft. Sawchuk has a pair of both goals and assists in 18 games so far this season.

The loss puts the Raiders record down to 2-3 with one game left in their American division road trip, and 9-9-3 on the season. The Americans remain the only WHL team undefeated at home (7-0-0-0) and are second in the U.S. Division with a 13-5-2 record.

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After a tight-checking first period, Americans’ forward Michael Rasmussen ran away with it to start the second. Rasmussen, the ninth overall pick of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, scored two quick goals to set the tone. Juuso Valimaki, fellow first rounder of the Calgary Flames, made it 3-0 late in the second period.

For the Raiders, it could just be a case of road wariness. Friday’s game was their fourth in the past six days.

“I think fatigue was starting to set in with our group,” Raiders associate coach Dave Manson said. “I thought early, we had a lot of scoring chances. We had a breakaway, 2-on-1’s and we had a lot of pucks laying around the goal line and the blue paint that we just couldn’t find. We had our chances, but they obviously had their chances too. But fatigue started to set in and they were able to take advantage of that.”

The Raiders didn’t score until the 33-second mark of the third period. A Parker Kelly power play goal made it a 3-1 game. That broke a 101:08 goal scoring drought for the Raiders.

Beck Warm made 30 saves for the win. Ian Scott made 32 stops in a losing effort.

Scoring Summary

First Period

No scoring.

Second Period

1-0, Americans, Michael Rasmussen from Juuso Valimaki and Kyle Olson, 5:06

The Raiders can’t clear, and Rasmussen taps home the loose puck in front. 1-0 Americans 5 minutes into the 2nd period pic.twitter.com/iB0PUk4gac

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) November 18, 2017

2-0, Americans, Michael Rasmussen from Dakota Krebs and Dan Gatenby, 8:24

There are literally 4 players in Scott’s crease, so he understandably can’t locate Rasmussen’s tip. Rasmussen’s second of the game and period makes it 2-0 Americans pic.twitter.com/vuz9Eq4Mc1

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) November 18, 2017

3-0, Americans, Juuso Valimaki from Brett Clayton, 9:32

Scott screened well again and Valimaki makes it 3-0 pic.twitter.com/0H9u30Kblf

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) November 18, 2017

Third Period

3-1, Raiders, Parker Kelly from Cole Fonstad (power play), 0:33

Kelly tips in Fonstad’s shot to make it 3-1, 33 seconds into the third. That’s the Raiders’ first goal in 101:08 pic.twitter.com/ybBBQcPq9u

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) November 18, 2017

4-1, Americans, Morgan Geekie from Sasha Mutala, 2:03

Aaaand just like that, Geekie scores to make it 4-1, great pass from Mutala pic.twitter.com/L6DI6bof65

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) November 18, 2017

Clashing with the Chiefs before a Swift return home

The Raiders wrap up their road trip on Saturday against the Spokane Chiefs. They will return home on Nov. 24 to face the Swift Current Broncos, before loading up the bus again for another five game road trip.

Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW