PORTLAND WINTERHAWKS
Where they stand: At 15-9-1-1 (32 points), the Winterhawks are second in the U.S. Division behind Tri-City (17-6-0-0, 34 points).
This week: Portland plays four consecutive home games, starting with Friday’s 3 p.m. daylight game in the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Swift Current is at the Coliseum at 5 p.m. on Sunday. There are home games at the Rose Garden on Dec. 2 (Everett) and Dec. 3 (Seattle).
Last week: won at Everett (7-3), lost at Seattle (6-3), beat visiting Regina (5-2), lost at Tri-City (7-6).
Player of the week: Ty Rattie. The forward had four goals and two assists, including a game-winner from his knees in Tuesday’s win over Regina.
Notes and numbers: If the Winterhawks hope to overtake the Tri-City Americans for first place in the U.S. Division, they must find a way to beat them. Tri-City is 4-0 against Portland this season after rallying on Wednesday for a 7-6 win in Kennewick. Goals 17 seconds apart with less than three minutes left in the game earned the Americans that win. … Sven Bartschi and Rattie continue to roll. Bartschi had three goals and six assists and three multiple-point games this week. Rattie had four goals and two assists. In Wednesday’s loss at Tri-City, the linemates combined for four goals and three assists. … Dillon Wagner scored his first two goals as a Winterhawk after coming off the 45-day injury list. … Defenseman Troy Rutkowski had a pair of three-point nights in the last week, putting up three assists in Wednesday’s game at Tri-City and posting two goals and an assist in the Nov. 18 win at Everett.
VANCOUVER VICTORY
Where they stand: At 10-8, the Victory are tied with Yellowstone for third place in the seven-team NORPAC behind Southern Oregon (15-6) and Seattle (12-2-1).
This week: Vancouver visits Eugene at 7:30 p.m. Friday and hosts Eugene at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Mountain View Ice Arena.
Last week: Vancouver split a pair of home games against the West Sound Warriors from Bremerton, losing 5-4 on Nov. 18 and winning 8-4 on Nov. 19.
Noteworthy: The Victory couldn’t protect a 4-2 lead last Friday as West Sound scored twice in the final minute — and three times in the final 2:08. The winning goal was scored with three seconds left. A telling statistic from that game: West Sound scored two power-play goals on 10 chances; Vancouver was 1 for 1. In last Saturday’s 8-4 win over West Sound, the Warriors scored three of their goals from their five power plays, while the Victory were 0 for 3. … After Saturday’s home game, the Victory play their next seven on the road, including three in Cody, Wyo., Dec. 2-4 against Yellowstone.
