Brady Birnie scored his 1st career WHL hat-trick as the Swift Current Broncos finish their five game home-stand with a 7-4 win over the Seattle Thunderbirds Saturday night.
The Broncos had a busy 1:53 in the first scoring three times including two goal 25 seconds apart first 9:07 on a Bronco power play, Brady Birnie (Regina, SK) would stay with a play in tight of the Seattle net scoring his 8th of the season from Connor Gabriel (Saskatoon, SK). Then Sawyer Dingman (Edmonton, AB) would re-direct a Josh McGregor (Brandon, MB) while Adam Král (Liberec, CZE) would also contribute on the second Bronco goal. 1:35 later, Brady Birnie would find the net for the second time in the frame from Clarke Caswell (Brandon, MB) & Connor Dale (St. Albert, AB) making it 3-0 leading to a Seattle time-out. The Thunderbirds would salvage a late power play goal with 15 seconds left in the period as Nathan Pilling would net his 11th of the season past Joey Rocha (Nanaimo, BC) cutting the Bronco lead going to the second 3-1.
Luke Mistelbacher (Steinbach, MB) wouldn’t wait long to get going in the second as he one-times his 9th of the season from Carlin Dezainde (Calgary, AB) & Parker Rondeau (Swift Current, SK) 51 seconds in, Mistelbacher extends his point streak to eight games.
Seattle would follow-up at 4:26 on another power play for Seattle as Matej Pekar would get enough of a shot past Joey Rocha to make it a deficit of 4-2 for Seattle. But at 18:29 Dawson Gerwing (Meadow Lake, SK) would park in front of the Thunderbird net and re-direct his 3rd of the season. Josh McGregor & Jaxen Gauchier (Peavine, AB) would contribute on the goal. Gauchier would notch his first WHL point.
Into the third period the Broncs again scored early at 1:50 Connor Gabriel (Saskatoon, SK) would make it 6-2 from Birnie & Mistelbacher. Seattle would then respond with a pair of goals to make it tight at 6-4 from Matej Pekar on the power play at 10:17 then at 11:10, Sam Charko would notch his 4th of the season. But with the net empty the Broncos would seal the deal as Brady Birinie gets his hat-trick from Luke Mistelbacher & Adam Král and moving the Broncos to 8-5-0-0 on the campaign.
Next up for the Broncos, a pair of road games starting Wednesday October 30 in Lethbridge.