T-Birds Kick Off Season with a 6-3 Win Over Tri-City
KENT, Wash. – The Seattle Thunderbirds opened their regular season with a 6-3 victory over the Tri-City Americans on Saturday at the accesso ShoWare Center. Simon Lovsin scored twice early, while Brock England added two goals late, helping Seattle secure the win. The Thunderbirds now look ahead to a pair of road games in Kamloops next weekend. 
Lovsin wasted no time getting the Thunderbirds on the board, scoring just 31 seconds into the game. Tri-City answered with a power play goal two minutes later to tie it, but Lovsin struck again at 7:17 to put Seattle ahead for good.
“We knew tonight was important – home opener and a sold-out crowd,” said Lovsin. “We came in with a lot of passion, and I think it’ll carry us through the season.”
Antonio Martorana added a power play goal at 7:17, and Sawyer Mayes scored on a breakaway just 48 seconds later, giving the T-Birds a 4-1 lead by the first intermission.
Tri-City fought back in the second period, scoring two goals less than a minute apart to make it a one-goal game heading into the final frame.
The Thunderbirds sealed the win in the third period, with Brock England scoring at 17:12 and adding an empty-netter in the final minute.
“Great effort overall,” said head coach Matt O’Dette. “It wasn’t perfect for 60 minutes, but we got the start we needed. We got back on track in the third after some pushback from them in the second period.”
Cameron Kuzma, who joined the Thunderbirds in the offseason from the Regina Pats, had two assists in his Seattle debut, while second-year winger Matej Pekar added four assists.
“I had a good summer of preparation,” explained Pekar, a native of Czechia. “I feel stronger and faster. Knowing the team well helps, and I feel confident for this season.”
Another Czech, goalie Marek Sklenicka, made his Seattle debut, stopping 31 of 34 shots to earn the win in net.
The Thunderbirds’ next home game is on Friday, October 3rd, when they host the Kamloops Blazers.
T-BIRDS EXTRAS
- Four T-Birds are still at NHL camps: Radim Mrtka (Buffalo Sabres), Braeden Cootes (Vancouver Canucks), Ashton Cumby (Chicago Blackhawks), and Coster Dunn (Utah Mammoth).
- Seattle is now 9-0-1-0 in their last ten season openers. Their last home opener before the pandemic was on September 21, 2019, a 4-1 win over Kamloops.
- The last time the Thunderbirds lost a season opener in regulation was September 24, 2016, a 7-3 defeat in Portland. That season, Seattle went on to win the WHL Championship.
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