Stankoven nets hat trick as Blazers come back to beat Americans in OT

Photo: Allen Douglas/Kamloops Blazers

Logan Stankoven’s hat trick goal in overtime capped a wild comeback Saturday at Sandman Centre as the Kamloops Blazers beat the Tri-City Americans 6-5.

Stankoven (3), Dylan Sydor, Fraser Minten and Olen Zellweger were the goal scorers for the Blazers. Lukas Dragicevic, Ethan Peters, Ethan Ernst (2) and Adam Mechura scored for Tri-City.

The Americans led 3-1 after 40 minutes but the Blazers had it tied up by the midway point of the third. Tri-City scored two quick ones to regain a two-goal lead, but Zellweger and Stankoven scored power-play goals a minute apart late in the third to tie the game 5-5.

Stankoven scored the winner at 2:47 of overtime.

Matthew Kieper made 32 saves on 37 shots to earn the win in net. Ams’ goalie Nick Avakyan stopped 45 of 51 Kamloops shots in a losing effort.

The Blazers scored three times on seven power-play opportunities. The Americans scored once on five chances.

Announced attendance at Sandman Centre was 5,129 — the club’s third consecutive home game with a crowd of more than 5,000.

The win moves the Blazers to 26-9-4-2, still tops in the WHL’s B.C. Division and second in the Western Conference, eight points behind the first-place Seattle Thunderbirds (32-7-1-1), who were victorious on Saturday night. With the overtime loss, the Americans fall to 20-16-4-1.

The Blazers will have the week off before heading to Vancouver Island for a pair against the Victoria Royals (12-26-4-1) on Friday and Saturday. Their next home game will be on Feb. 1, when the Portland Winterhawks (30-8-2-1) visit Sandman Centre.