Americans off to a 4-3 start. Three home games at Toyota Center this week
The Tri-City Americans are a few weeks into the 2023-24 Western Hockey League season and are off to a 4-3 start.
This past weekend, the Ams went 1-2, with a 5-2 loss at home to Brandon on Friday; a 5-2 home victory over Kamloops on Saturday; and then a 7-0 loss at Portland on Sunday.
Still, there are a lot of good things to see with head coach Stu Barnes’ team this season.
Last Friday, the team got forward Parker Bell back from the Calgary Wranglers (an affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary Flames), and he immediately contributed offensively with a goal and four assists for the weekend.
Bell signed a three-year NHL entry-level contract with the Flames a few weeks back, and its average annual value is around $800,000 per season. How long he’s with Tri-City — Calgary can move him — remains to be seen.
The Ams’ newest goalie is Czechia prospect Lukas Matecha, and the big guy had 22 saves in Saturday’s win.
Tri-City also has defenseman Lukas Dragicevic back. He was sent back here from the Seattle Kraken a few weeks ago. Dragicevic was drafted this past summer by the Kraken in the NHL Draft.
Also of note: forwards Deagan McMillan and Jake Sloan look good of offense.
Some sad news, too. The Ams sent longtime forward Tyson Greenway to the Calgary Hitmen in a trade announced on Sunday morning.
This was Greenway’s fifth season with the Ams, and he was a fan favorite because he could score, hit, and he wasn’t afraid to mix it up with the opposing team. Ever.
The Hitmen sent the Americans a draft pick for a future WHL draft.
The move was necessary, as Tri-City can only carry three 20-year-olds on the roster.
Tri-City has three games this week — all at home at the Toyota Center.
On Wednesday, Oct. 18 (puck drop at 7:05 p.m.), the Wenatchee Wild make their first regular-season appearance at the Toyota Center. Last season, the franchise was in Winnipeg as the Ice. But that ownership group failed to produce a new arena, which was part of the deal bringing the team to Manitoba.
The WHL forced ownership to sell the franchise, and it became the Wenatchee Wild this summer.
On Friday, Oct. 20 (puck drop 7:05 p.m.), the Kamloops Blazers come to town; and on Sunday, Oct. 22 (puck drop at 4:05 p.m.), the Everett Silvertips visit Tri-City.
College soccer
The Columbia Basin College women’s soccer team currently sits in second place of the East Region standings in Northwest Athletic Conference play.
Head coach Omar Anderson — who led the Hawks to the NWAC final four last fall — has his team boasting a 7-1-2 East Region record (10-1-2 overall) and sitting in second place in the standings, and listed at No. 2 behind top-ranked Peninsula in the latest NWAC women’s coaches poll.
Anderson and his staff have done another great job of recruiting freshmen, but right now his two best players may be sophomores.
Janelly Verduzco, a sophomore midfielder from Othello, leads CBC in scoring with 22 points, which is 9 goals and 4 assists. Verduzco also lead the Hawks with three game-winning goals.
The other standout soph is goalie Jayauna Keister (Wilson-Tacoma), who has surrendered just five goals in 12 games in net.
Other standouts include freshman forward Angelina Keister (Southridge), who has 16 points (7 goals and 2 assists); and freshman forward Emma Haertling (Chiawana), with 15 points (5 goals-5 assists).
CBC still has four matches left as of Monday, Oct. 16: North Idaho at CBC on Oct. 18; and three road games (10/21 at Walla Walla; 10/23 at Treasure Valley; and 10/25 at Yakima Valley).
Here are the latest NWAC East Region women’s soccer standings through Oct. 16: 1, Spokane 8-1-2 East, 9-2-3 overall; 2, CBC 7-1-2, 10-1-2; 3, North Idaho 7-2-2, 11-4-2; 4, Walla Walla 7-3-1, 9-5-2; 5, Yakima Valley 6-5, 7-6; 6, Blue Mountain 3-7-1, 6-8-1; 7, Treasure Valley 1-9, 2-10; 8, Wenatchee Valley 0-11, 0-12-1.
Girls soccer
Richland and Chiawana are tied for the region’s highest ranked girls soccer teams in the WIAA’s RPI rankings as of Oct. 18.
The Bombers (14-1) and the Riverhawks (14-1) are both sitting at No. 5 in the Class 4A rankings.
Meanwhile, the Mid-Columbia Conference regular season ends this week as teams prepare for the District 8 tournaments. Both the 4A and 3A tourneys will start on Oct. 24.
Here are the latest MCC standings (through Oct. 17): 1 (tie), Chiawana and Richland, both 14-1; 3, Kamiakin, 10-5; 4, Southridge, 9-6; 5 (tie), Hanford and Walla Walla, both 7-8; 7, Hermiston, 5-10; 8, Kennewick, 2-13; 9, Pasco, 0-16.
Prep volleyball
Kamiakin has been tough in volleyball from the get-go, currently sitting at 12-0 and ranked No. 5 in the latest RPI rankings that the WIAA puts out (this one through Oct. 16).
There are a couple of other area schools who are highly ranked in the latest RPI release.
In 2B, River View (14-0) is ranked No. 2, while Warden (12-1) is right behind at No. 4.
And in the 1B rankings, Richland’s Liberty Christian (12-2) is sitting at No. 4.
Slowpitch softball
Seems like every year at this time — well, at least the last couple of years — Chiawana’s slowpitch softball team gets ready to make a run for the state title.
The Riverhawks have won the 4A state slowpitch softball title in both 2022 and 2023.
And right now, Chiawana is ranked first in the latest WIAA RPI rankings.
The Riverhawks (16-2) open District 8 4A tournament play on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at home against Lewis & Clark of Spokane. The game is set for 4 p.m. at Chiawana High School.
The state tournament is set for Oct. 27-28 at the Gateway Sports Complex in Yakima.
In the 2A/3A RPI rankings, Walla Walla (17-4) is ranked fifth.
Jeff Morrow is former sports editor for the Tri-City Herald.
