Giants Defeat Americans 5-2

Carter Popoff had a three point night to lead the Vancouver Giants to a 5-2 victory over the Tri-City Americans at the Pacific Coliseum on Saturday night. The Giants got goals from Popoff, Dalton Thrower, Tyler Morrison, Cain Franson and Jackson Houck to pick up their first win over a US Division team this season.

The game was scoreless after one period, but it was the Giants who had the better of the chances in the opening frame. Tyler Benson, who made his WHL debut, had an early chance at the side of the net before Franson was stopped by Americans goalie Eric Comrie on a partial break. Vancouver had to kill off a lengthy Tri-City power play as well after Mason Geertsen took two minor penalties on the same play, but the Giants penalty kill, which only allowed one goal on eight opportunities against Medicine Hat on Friday, was successful in keeping the Americans off the board.

Franson was denied again early in the second when he hammered a one-timer off Comrie's mask from the right circle while Giants goalie Payton Lee made a couple of big saves in the latter half of the middle stanza including an impressive stop with his right pad on a redirected Tri-City point shot. Comrie responded with a few nice saves of his own on a Vancouver power play late in the period, stopping a Brett Kulak point shot and denying Houck on the rebound as well to keep the game scoreless through 40 minutes.

The Americans got into penalty trouble early in the third, and the Giants finally opened the scoring 1:37 into the period when Popoff beat Comrie with a one-timer from the top of the left circle on the man advantage. Shortly thereafter, the G-Men went to the power play again, and Thrower netted his seventh of the season on a slap shot from the right boards that found the top left corner. Connor Rankin put the Americans on the board when he walked out of the right corner and beat Lee from in close on a Tri-City power play, but Morrison answered back for Vancouver with a long wrist shot that got through Comrie to make it 3-1. Mitch Topping would pull Tri-City to within one, but Franson and Houck added empty netters to clinch the victory for Vancouver.

The Giants will now head south of the border for a two game trip to Tri-City and Spokane. The G-Men and Americans will renew acquaintances on Tuesday night. Catch the action on TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca. The Pre-Game Show begins at 6:30pm, followed by the face-off at 7 o'clock.

Game Summary

Highlights

3 Stars:
1. Carter Popoff - Vancouver
2. Dalton Thrower - Vancouver
3. Mitch Topping - Tri-City