The Clackamas print., November 06, 2019, Page 6, Image 6

r
Photos by Jordy Villagomez
SPORTS
7
BY LEXIS SHULL
SPORTS EDITOR
/ . •,
As the only team in thè Western Hockey
League completely unbeaten at home (5’
o,) the Portland Winterhawks battled the
Seattle Thunderbirds on Saturday night, Nov.
2 at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum for a
2-i win. After their previous win against
the Everett Silvertips, the Hawks took the
No. 1 spot in the western conferénee and
are ranked at No. 4 overall in the combined
western and eastern conference with 10 wins,
3 losses and 21 points.
The first goal of the game was scored at
8:54 by Johnny Ludvig, putting Portland up
, i-?o with his eighth goal of the season.
Reece Newkirk scored the second goal at 5:52
of the second period for a 2-0 lead with his
fourth goal of the season. In the same period,
Seattle scored at 13:21 and held the final
score of 2-1.
Ludvig joined the Winterhawks in 2017 and
is one of the team’s captains this season. He
said when he first joined it was a lot harder.
“ I came in at 17 and I’m 19. right now, so my
17 year old year was definitely a lot harder
for meto play in the league but it’s gotten
easier over the years.”
Center Jack O’Brian, a new addition to the
Hawk family this season, has found his
experience very similar to Ludvig’ s.
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“ I came from playing against kids that are my
age, around 16, so coming and playing against
the guys that are 18, 19, 20, they’re pretty
putting thé puck in the middle ofthe ice,
much men so it’ s definitely a big change of
pace in the game, but I’m starting to get used moving it to the side just being a tic-tac-toe
play and then backdoor it. That would be the
to it,” O’Brian said.
perfect play for me.”
The majority of Winterhawk players come
Stefan, positioned as rightwing, had a
from all over the country, some from Canada,
different proposal. “A perfect play would be
and had to move to Portland to play for the
like a nice, three on two. Maybe me heading
team.
the middle. We have a “ dot play” where I
Leftwing Crdss Hands moved to Oregon
come in and I give a downlow to the center
from Highland Village, Texas.
and then him probably to the other winger
“ It’s hard for a little bit when you first move
backdoor. That’d be a perfect play.”
away,” Hanas said. “You miss family a bit, ;
but after first the month it’ s fine.”
Update: The Hawks also faced the Kamloops
James Stefan, rightwing, said, “ It was
Blazers on Sunday in Portland with a 6-5
honestly not that difficult because my dad
loss, placing them in 2nd behind Everett and
also moved with me to Portland so it’ s "been
a nice move, but it’ s definitely different with losing their home game win streak. They play
the Vancouver Giants in Canada on Friday
a new school and new atmosphere. It’ s a lot
and again on Saturday at home.
different but tlike it. I like the school with
just all my teammates. It makes a lot easier
Tickets can be found on the Portland
and all the players are really nice and it’s a
Winterhawks website at https://winterhawks.
good group of guys.”
com/.
Thoughlhere are several ways to score a
goal in hockey, there is always a favorite way
to do so.
O’Brian said his perfect play would be,
“ ...probably winning the face off clean,
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-N ovem ber 6, 2019