RECAP: Kraken enter All-Star break, Storm enter free agency
IAN BIVONA | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 8 months AGO
Ian Bivona serves as the Columbia Basin Herald’s sports reporter and is a graduate of Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. He enjoys the behind-the-scenes stories that lead up to the wins and losses of the various sports teams in the Basin. Football is his favorite sport, though he likes them all, and his favorite team is the Jets. He lives in Soap Lake with his cat, Honey. | February 1, 2023 4:16 PM
SEATTLE – The Seattle Kraken played five straight games at home in the runup to the NHL’s All-Star break, while the WNBA began free agency on Wednesday. Check out this week’s professional sports recap to see how the Kraken fared and a look at the Storm’s free agents.
Kraken
The Seattle Kraken enter All-Star Weekend after wrapping up a five-game home stand from Jan. 19-28. Seattle alternated wins and losses to go 3-2 over the stretch, moving to 29-15-5 just over halfway through the NHL season.
After splitting the first two games of the home stretch, Seattle took on the Vancouver Canucks and scored five goals in the first two periods, later winning 6-1 last Wednesday. Seattle right wing Oliver Bjorkstrand (twice), center Alex Wennberg, left wing Jared McCann, right wing Eeli Tolvanen and center Ryan Donato all netted goals in the win.
Seattle center John Hayden scored the first goal in Friday’s game against the Flames, to which Calgary quickly responded with three goals of its own. Tolvanen scored midway through the third period to cut the Calgary lead to one, but the Flames scored again just a minute later before adding an empty netter and winning 5-2 over the Kraken.
To end the home stand, Seattle scored a goal in each of the three periods to win 3-1 over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. Center Morgan Geekie, Wennberg and Tolvanen all scored in the win.
With 63 points, the Kraken currently hold a one-point lead over the Vegas Golden Knights in the top of the Pacific Division’s standings. In 82 games last year, Seattle ended the season with 60 points.
Seattle’s lone selection to the All-Star Game was rookie center Matty Beniers, who suffered an injury against Vancouver, and will miss the festivities with the injury.
The Kraken return to the ice on Tuesday on the road against the New York Islanders.
Storm
WNBA free agency began on Wednesday, with unrestricted free agents being able to talk and sign with any team. Seattle has seven unrestricted free agents from last year’s roster, namely former MVP forward Breanna Stewart. Joining Stewart as unrestricted free agents are center Tina Charles, guard Briann January, forward Stephanie Talbot, guard Epiphany Prince and forward Jantel Lavender. Forward Gabby Williams and center Ezi Magbegor are restricted free agents.
Stewart announced on social media that she was signing with the New York Liberty, and the Los Angeles Sparks announced they had signed Talbot to a multi-year deal.
Ian Bivona can be reached at [email protected].
ARTICLES BY IAN BIVONA
Moses Lake boys qualify eight, girls send 11 to Mat Classic
MOSES LAKE -- Nineteen total Mavericks qualified to wrestle at the upcoming Mat Classic, with the Moses Lake girls team qualifying 11 wrestlers and the boys team sending eight wrestlers to the Tacoma Dome. The Moses Lake boys took second at districts, scoring 214.5 points at the tournament. Sunnyside won the district tournament with 278.5 points.
Basin wrestlers bound for state after districts
MOSES LAKE – District tournaments were held across the state on Friday and Saturday, where boys and girls wrestlers punched their tickets into next week’s Mat Classic in Tacoma.
Mavs defeat Sunnyside, finish third in league
Moses Lake enters districts with confidence as regular season fades
MOSES LAKE – The Mavericks closed out the regular season with a trip to Sunnyside on Thursday night, coming out on top of a closely contested game with a 67-66 win over the Grizzlies. “They’ve been playing better, scoring more,” Head Coach Craig Groth said. “We’ve been doing a little bit better job on defense in certain situations and winning games leading up to that. Even games we haven’t won, we’ve been in really close games. Our confidence is really good right now, we felt great going into the game.”