Winterhawks Keep Streak Alive, Win 6th in a Row

The Portland Winterhawks (9-3-0-1) ran their winning streak to six games with a 5-3 road victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers (7-3-2-0) Wednesday.

Portland registered the lone goal of the first period when Nic Petan scored at the 13:12 mark to make it 1-0.

The two teams then got their offenses rolling in the second period when they combined for six goals, beginning when Medicine Hat tied the game 26 seconds into the period on a goal by Cole Sanford to make it 1-1. From there the Hawks scored three straight goals in just over seven minutes as Taylor Leier, Chase De Leo and Keegan Iverson all found the back of the net to give Portland a 4-1 lead. Medicine Hat responded with late goals from Steven Owre and Blake Penner to cut the Hawks’ lead to 4-3 going into the third period.

It remained a one-goal game through much of the third, with Portland netminder Brendan Burke stopping all 14 shots he faced in the period. With under a minute to go Brendan Leipsic scored an empty net goal to seal the 5-3 win.

De Leo, Petan and Leipsic all finished with two points in the win.

Burke finished with 40 saves on 43 shots. Medicine Hat goaltender Marek Langhamer allowed four goals on 34 shots, with Portland adding the empty net tally.

The Hawks will continue their road trip Friday night when they travel to Cranbrook, British Columbia to take on the Kootenay Ice.