Bruins clip Winter Hawks

by Eric Welsh - The Progress

October 23, 2007

Michael Proudley had two goals and Oscar Moller extended his personal goal scoring streak to three games Sunday night as the Chilliwack Bruins skated to a 4-3 road victory over the Portland Winter Hawks.

The Hawks came into the game with a dismal 1-9-0-0 record and looked every bit the cellar dwellers as Chilliwack out-shot them 12-4 through the opening 20 minutes.

The Bruins, however, received just one goal for their efforts. Proudley scored his third of the season four minutes in, assisted by Moller and Mark Santorelli and Chilliwack skated into the first period intermission up 1-0.

Jordan White got the start in goal for Portland and quite literally stood on his head in the middle frame. The ex-Penticton Vee faced 19 shots in the second period and surrendered just one goal. Moller beat him seven minutes into the period for his 10th of the season. With three-goal performances against Seattle (last Wednesday) and Tri-City (Friday), Moller now has seven goals in his last three games.

Portland mustered just nine shots on net in the second period but snuck three of them past Chilliwack netminder Matt Esposito.

Fourth-year centre Colton Sceviour beat Esposito his first of the season 1:55 into the middle frame. Chilliwack native Matt Betker nabbed his first of the year at 6:03 and ex-Medicine Hat Tiger Tyler Swystun tallied his fifth of the season on a power play late in the period to send Portland into the third period with a 3-2 lead.

Their one goal cushion lasted less than two minutes. Brandon Campos and Jadon Potter drew the assists on Proudley’s second goal of the game, scored 1:57 into the final frame. Colby Kulhanek provided the game winning goal 1:33 later, beating White for his seventh of the season with an assist to Proudley. After a torrid start to the season, the gritty veteran had gone four games without a goal.

The Bruins relied on Esposito to close out the win. Portland threw 10 shots at the Edmonton native in the third period, but he stopped them all to record his ninth victory, a total that has him tied with Vancouver's Tyson Sexsmith for the league lead among netminders.

The Bruins improved their regular season record to 9-3-1-0. With Vancouver losing 2-0 at home to Spokane, the locals moved to within one point of the B.C. division leading Giants. Chilliwack has five days off before they hit the road again for a pivotal two-games-in-two-nights showdown with the Prince George Cougars Friday and Saturday.