Williamson breaks through in third period to send Thunderbirds to a win over Portland

KENT – It had been 50 games without a goal for Seattle Thunderbirds rookie forward Brendan Williamson.

He had endured a number of close calls, goalies making great saves, and shots ringing off the posts. It may have felt like it never was going to happen. With 3:39 left in Saturday’s game with the Portland Winterhawks, the score tied at 2-2, and with a live television audience watching, it happened.

Williamson scored.

The goal gave the Thunderbirds a 3-2 lead that they would hold on to for a big win at the accesso ShoWare Center. Not a bad way to score your first WHL goal.

“I wanted to save it for the right time,” Williamson said smiling while holding the puck.

He was one of three rookies to score for the Thunderbirds as Matthew Rempe and Kai Uchacz also picked up goals in the win. Seattle (23-28-3-3) outshot the Winterhawks 33-32, went 1-for-4 on the power play while getting 30 saves from goalie Roddy Ross.

After the game, all the talk in the Seattle room was about Williamson.

He entered the dressing room after staying on the ice to get his first star award. When he entered the room, his teammates stayed silent for a beat before erupting in a cheer.

“He’s been playing some good hockey for us,” Thunderbirds head coach Matt O’Dette said. “He’s been a little bit snake-bitten. He’s been creating chances for himself and the goalies have been making big saves on him…he stuck with it. What more can you ask for a first goal, game-winner against Portland on a Saturday night.”

Williamson, who also added an assist on Saturday, has been doing a lot of things right for Seattle this year.

He’s played well, and hard, but just couldn’t find the net.

“For a young kid I think it’s been weighing on him for a little bit,” O’Dette added. “We’ve been telling him to stay positive and keep playing the right way, it will come. Credit to the kid, he stayed positive and got rewarded for it.”

On the play, Andrej Kukuca fed him with a pass in stride. Williamson skated in on Portland goalie Dante Giannuzzi and scored over his shoulder. The Seattle bench erupted, Payton Mount retrieved the puck, and Williamson celebrated at the bench with his teammates.

“Probably the most adrenaline I’ve had in my life, like forever,” Williamson said.
“I blacked out and don’t even remember what I did to celebrate. It was surreal.”

Portland (40-9-3-4) still had over three minutes to tie the game and is loaded with talent. While the Thunderbirds were going crazy on the bench, they still had work to do.

Max Patterson, 20, hopped on the ice and motioned to his excited team to calm down and focus on finishing the game.

“It was a bit of refocus, but all the boys were hyped for me,” Williamson said. “I love the guys, they’re just super excited for me. I share this moment with them for sure.”

The Thunderbirds got contributions up and down their lineup Saturday and pushed their wildcard lead to 13 over the Prince George Cougars.

Portland had 70 shot attempts while playing five-on-five but only 32 would find their way to the net, thanks to good stick work and shot-blocking by the Thunderbirds.

“I think that’s how you’ve got to be sometimes,” O’Dette said. “They’re going to create their opportunities and you’ve got to show some desperation sometimes to get your body in front of some pucks. Lunge your stick out on pucks at the last second and guys were doing that tonight.”

A night after blowing a lead in the third period, the Thunderbirds played one of their more complete games of the season Saturday.

They were able to get the puck deep into the Portland end enough to cause disruption and force the Winterhawks to play in their own end.

“That’s how we need to play and duplicate that night in and night out,” O’Dette said. “Up and down the lineup everybody played well and chipped in, there were no passengers and you can’t have any to beat a team like Portland, you just can’t. Every single one of the guys raised their games and we’re happy to get the win.”

Seattle will be back in action Sunday afternoon at the ShoWare Center for a big game with the Prince George Cougars. The Thunderbirds will enjoy Saturday’s win but then focus on what will be a four-point playoff-type game.

For Williamson, he’ll go home with the puck he scored with, a keepsake to remember his first goal.

“I’m putting on my dresser and keeping it there forever,” he said.

Game Notes

• The Winterhawks got goals from Jonas Brondberg and Seth Jarvis in the loss.

• Conner Roulette picked up an assist on Rempe’s power-play goal to extend his point streak to eight games.

• Seattle is now 4-4-0-1 against the Winterhawks in the season series and Saturday was the Thunderbirds first win over their rivals in regulation.

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