By Mitch Bach

Hats fly as Heathcote leads Tigers to ruthless 11-1 win over ICE

Oct 20, 2017 | 9:51 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — As one of seven rookies for the Medicine Hat Tigers, Dawson Heathcote simply hopes to be in the lineup.

Friday night, the 17-year-old, playing in his sixth career WHL game, recorded his first career hat-trick in an enormous 11-1 victory over the Kootenay ICE. 

And it all happened in a span of less than 10 minutes.

Heathcote’s hatty was the golden finish to a ruthless performance by the Black and Orange. It wraps up a season-long five game home stand at the Canalta Centre before heading down Highway 3 to battle the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Sunday.

Joining the scoring parade was defenceman Dylan MacPherson. After 66 career games, the Redcliff product and SEAC Tigers alumni finally scored his first career marker. Ryan Chyzowski also notched a pair of goals to increase his season haul to four.

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The Tigers remain tied with the Red Deer Rebels, who defeated Calgary, for the Central Division lead with a 6-3-0-0 record.

Although the Tigers goal scoring wins the popularity contest, Jordan Hollett was a wall in the blue crease in making 23 saves to pick up his third win of the season.

The onslaught began just 22 seconds into the game. Ryan Jevne potted his first of two on the night, part of a five-point performance and the night’s first star honours. Dawson Heathcote’s first marker came with 2:50 left in the first, followed closely by David Quenneville’s third tally in as many games on the powerplay.

3:28 into the second period, Heathcote corralled a fortuitous end-glass bounce that caught ICE goaltender Bailey Brkin out of the crease, and gave the Tabbies a 4-0 lead. Jevne’s second of the night came on a penalty shot just over a minute later, banging a beautiful back-hand under the bar.

Heathcote sent caps showering down from the Canalta Centre rafters at the 6:28 mark of the middle frame. He grabbed a loose puck midair out of the slot, threw the puck onto his stick, and fired a low shot under the blocker of Brkin. That ended Brkin’s night after allowing six goals on 23 shots. Kurtis Chapman came in and made 26 saves.

Gary Haden also scored prior to the second intermission, giving the Tabbies a commanding 9-0 lead after 40 minutes.

Medicine Hat’s 10th goal of the night came off the stick of Mark Rassell, who’s now notched a team-leading 10 goals this season. The captain has collected points in all but one game this season, while Dave Quenneville, who finished the night with a goal and two helpers, has found the scoresheet in all nine games.

The ICE now don a record of 4-6-1 and sit in the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Colton Kroeker snubbed Hollett’s bid for a shutout early in the third period, but the damage was unrepairable.