by Dave Banuelos
Copy Editor

While Shoreline Community College's youngest students battle mountains of homework, and cram frantically for their exams, the young men of the Seattle Thunderbirds and Everett Silvertips face competitive pressures usually reserved for hardened professional athletes.

The age range among players on these two Western Hockey League powers is similar to that of first-year college students: 16-21 years old. Most of the athletes are Canadian, with a handful of American and European players dotting the landscape.

The "I-5 Rivalry" between the two squads is young, but extremely intense. Since their inception in 2003-04, the Silvertips have been among the best teams in the WHL. The Thunderbirds were brought to Seattle from Vancouver in 1977, and were known as the Seattle Breakers until 1985. Both teams have already wrapped WHL playoff spots for 2006-07 with about 10 games left in the regular season, but with seeding still in doubt, every last point is precious.

Over the years, Seattle has seen at least two of its alumni become NHL All-Stars (center Patrick Marleau of San Jose, and goalie Chris Osgood of Detroit), while Everett boasts two current first-round NHL draftees in center Peter Mueller and goalie Leland Irving.

Neither team has ever won a league championship, both have played for one. Strangely enough, both teams ended up on the short end of four-game sweeps when contending for the WHL Championship, Seattle in 1996-97, and Everett in 2003-04.

The league is one of three under the umbrella of the Canadian Hockey League, the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League. The level of play is known as Tier-I Major-Junior, a bit like AAA minor league baseball without the team affiliations.

Going into the contest I attended last Friday, Everett had been the class of the WHL all season long, racking up 48 wins in 58 games, and maintaining the #1 ranking in the CHL all season. The biggest reason for this has been the stellar play of their goalies. Both Irving and fellow netminder David Reekie have allowed less than two goals per game on average.

Unfortunately for the Silvertips, one team has given them fits all season. Fittingly enough, it's their natural rival, Seattle.

It's been an up-and-down year for the Thunderbirds, who have clawed their way to 31 wins, and are currently trying to run down the Tri-City Americans for second place in the U.S. Division. The T-Birds went into last Friday's game riding a six-game winning-streak.

A small and enthusiastic mix of rooters for both young squads gathered at Key Arena on Feb. 24. From the outset it was clear that Seattle was determined to bring down the Everett juggernaut. They came out checking hard, and the Silvertips responded in kind.

A scary moment occurred about four minutes into the action as Everett defenseman Tyler Ellington slammed into the boards head first. An injury delay of about 10 minutes was punctuated by repeated playing of the theme from the TV show ER on the Key Arena sound system, and concerned looks from players on both sides as Ellington was carted off on a backboard (initial X-rays of his neck showed no major damage).

Once the game resumed, the action was no less furious. Seattle broke the deadlock on a sweet goal by team captain Aaron Gagnon, who flipped the puck over Irving's shoulder after shaking his way past two defenders.

As the 2nd period began, the crowd seemed to swell. Seattle fans were brought to their feet when right-winger David Richard doubled Seattle's lead just a couple minutes into the frame. Seattle goalie Derek Yeomans flopped about like an invertebrate, repeatedly stuffing Everett's offensive attacks.

Of course, no game of hockey is complete without a little bit of fisticuffs. While the referees did an excellent job of keeping the action civil, tempers flared and punches were thrown more than once.

The fans picked up the volume even more in the 3rd period, as the atmosphere at the Key crackled with electricity.

Trailing by two with under 10 minutes to go, Everett coach Kevin Constantine, a former NHL coach, decided to take a gamble on two occasions, pulling Irving to add an extra attacker to his offense.

Unfortunately, the risks backfired. Seattle found the empty net twice in the final period, en route to a season-series-winning 4-1 victory, their seventh win in a row.

No matter what your team allegiance might be, the major-junior playoffs will undoubtedly provide great competition during the pro sports doldrums of February and March. These athletes are young, hungry, and incredibly exciting to watch. Much like watching an up-and-coming band at a local club, you might just have a chance to say that you saw a future star when he was still a raw minor-leaguer.