Former Tri-City Americans captain leaves for University of British Columbia

The Tri-City Americans have announced their 2024-25 Western Hockey League schedule.

Highlights include 10 games with the Spokane Chiefs, including the annual New Year’s Eve game.

The Ams open the season with three away games: two in Victoria on September 20 and 21 and a game on September 28 in Spokane.

Click to resize

The team’s season opener is on October 5 against the Kelowna Rockets.

Here is the team’s full regular season schedule:

September

20 — in Victoria, 7:05 p.m.; 21 — in Victoria, 6:05 p.m.; 28 — in Spokane, 6:05 p.m.

October

5 — KELOWNA, 6:05 p.m.; 8 — at Seattle, 7:05 p.m.; 12 — KAMLOOPS, 6:05 p.m.; 13 — KAMLOOPS, 4:05 p.m.; 19 — KELOWNA, 6:05 p.m.; 20 — PORTLAND, 4:05 p.m.; 25 — at Wenatchee, 7:00 p.m.; 26 — at Spokane, 6:05 p.m.; 28 — EDMONTON, 7:05 p.m.

November

2 — SPOKANE, 6:05 p.m.; 3 — EVERETT, 4:05 p.m.; 8 — EVERETT, 7:05 p.m.; 9 — RED DEER, 6:05 p.m.; 11 — CALGARY, 7:05 p.m.; 15 — at Prince Albert, 6:00 p.m.; 16 — at Saskatoon, 6:00 p.m.; 19 — at Swift Current, 6:00 p.m.; 20 — at Regina, 6:00 p.m.; 22 — at Brandon, 5:00 p.m.; 23 — at Moose Jaw, 6:00 p.m.; 29 — at Wenatchee, 7:00 p.m.; 30 — WENATCHEE, 6:05 p.m.

December

6 — VANCOUVER, 7:05 p.m.; 11 — PRINCE GEORGE, 7:05 p.m.; 13 — KELOWNA, 7:05 p.m.; 14 — at Everett, 6:05 p.m.; 15 — at Vancouver, 4:00 p.m.; 27 — at Portland, 7:00 p.m.; 28 — PORTLAND, 6:05 p.m.; 31 — SPOKANE, 6:05 p.m.

January

3 — PORTLAND, 7:05 p.m.; 5 — WENATCHEE, 4:05 p.m.; 10 — SEATTLE, 7:05 p.m.; 11 — VICTORIA, 6:05 p.m.; 12 — at Everett, 4:05 p.m.; 15 — LETHBRIDGE, 7:05 p.m.; 17 — at Vancouver, 7:00 p.m.; 18 — WENATCHEE, 6:05 p.m.; 19 — at Wenatchee, 4:00 p.m.; 24 — at Portland, 7:00 p.m.; 25 — MOOSE JAW, 6:05 p.m.; 26 — at Everett, 4:05 p.m.; 29 — at Kamloops, 7:00 p.m.; 31 — at Prince George, 7:00 p.m.

February

1 — at Prince George, 6:00 p.m.; 4 — PRINCE GEORGE, 7:05 p.m.; 7 — VICTORIA, 7:05 p.m.; 8 — at Kelowna, 6:05 p.m.; 11 — at Kamloops, 7:00 p.m.; 14 — SPOKANE, 7:05 p.m.; 15 — at Spokane, 6:05 p.m.; 17 — at Kelowna, 2:05 p.m.; 21 — at Spokane, 7:05 p.m.; 22 — SPOKANE, 6:05 p.m.; 28 — VANCOUVER, 7:05 p.m.

March

1 — in Wenatchee, 6:00 p.m.; 2 — in Seattle, 2:05 p.m.; 7 — EVERETT, 7:05 p.m.; 8 — WENATCHEE, 6:05 p.m.; 11 — SEATTLE, 7:00 p.m.; 14 — in Seattle, 7:05 p.m.; 15 — in Spokane, 6:05 p.m.; 16 — SEATTLE, 4:05 p.m.; 21 — in Portland, 7:00 p.m.; 22 — SPOKANE, 6:05 p.m.

▪ Alex Serraglio, the captain of the Tri-City Americans for the 2023-24 season, is leaving for the University of British Columbia to play ice hockey for the next few years.

Serraglio is now too old to play for the Ams and is therefore using the Western Hockey League’s Education Package to pay for his education.

During his time at UBC, Serraglio will play alongside former American players Sam Huo and Sasha Mutala through the 2024-2025 season.

Basketball

Kamiakin graduate Payton Graham pitched the first part of the summer for the Kokomo Jackrabbits of the Northwoods League, a summer baseball league for colleges in the Midwest.

On June 30, in a 3-2 victory over the Kenosha Kingfish, the right-handed Graham threw eight innings of shutout ball, retiring 12 batters. Graham consistently has a velocity of 98 mph with his fastball, team officials reported.

Graham played the past two seasons as a reliever at Gonzaga University, but was selected as a starter in three games for the Jackrabbits this summer.

He threw 20 innings, struck out 28 batters and had a 1.35 earned run average. Opponents hit a meager .152 against him.

But now Graham is done with summer and is shutting himself down.

“I only played the first half of the summer,” he told me. “I just gave my body and arm a rest until the fall.”

Football

Richland High graduate Nathan McClelland will continue playing football after signing with the College of Idaho.

McClelland — 6-foot-3 and 265 pounds — was a first-team offensive lineman in the Mid-Columbia Conference last fall. He has a 3.4 grade-point average.

Football

The Eastern Washington University women’s soccer team had a good win with Richland forward Bella Bunnage.

The recently graduated Bomber is expected to provide the Eagles with additional attacking power when the team comes together in August for pre-season training.

Bunnage was an all-star for MCC’s first team last fall.

Basketball

Ben Anderson, who spent the last 11 seasons as an assistant coach of the boys basketball team at Sunnyside Christian, will become the new head coach of the boys basketball team at Tri-Cities Prep.

Longtime Prep coach Mike Conner stepped down after last basketball season.

Athletics

Prosser’s Cory Ingvalson isn’t just a great football coach for the Mustangs. He can coach girls’ track and field, too.

In May, Ingvalson was named CWAC Girls Track and Field Coach of the Year by the coaches of the 2A Central Washington Athletic Conference.

Abby Douglas, a sophomore at Othello, was selected to the CWAC first team as a sprinter.

Selah’s sophomore Kate Mickelson was named Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year, while Selah’s teammate Clara Holmes (a senior) was named Field Athlete of the Year.

Jeff Morrow is a former sports editor for the Tri-City Herald.