RECAP: Americans (3) @ Chiefs (6) – February 15, 2025
Spokane, WA. – The Tri-City Americans (27-22-4-1) held a 3-2 lead after 40 minutes of play Saturday night, but the Spokane Chiefs (36-16-1-1) rallied with four goals in the third period in a 6-3 final at the Spokane Arena.
Jake Sloan opened the scoring 10:30 into the game, finding a loose puck in the slot in the dying seconds of a power play. He fired a shot past the glove of Dawson Cowan for his 24th goal of the year with Savin Virk and Max Curran picking up assists.
Tri-City was called on back-to-back penalties shortly after the goal, killing off the first one but surrendering the tying goal on the second. Shea Van Olm took a centering pass from the goal line and snapped his WHL-leading 43rd goal of the year past Ryan Grout to tie the game.
Less than a minute and a half later, Mathis Preston used an Americans defenseman as a screen and fired a shot past the glove of Grout off the rush to give Spokane a 2-1 lead heading into the second period.
Virk pulled the Americans even with another power play goal 8:27 into the period. The puck came loose near the top of the crease and Virk was able to sweep it into the open net for his 13th of the year.
Nearly eight minutes later Virk added another to put the Americans back in the lead. After Spokane turned the puck over in the neutral zone, Jake Gudelj gained the Chiefs line and worked the puck over to Sloan on right wing.
Sloan quickly swung it back across to Virk and he beat Cowan over the glove with his second of the game with 3:45 remaining in the period. Tri-City took the 3-2 lead into the intermission, outshooting Spokane 22-16 after 40 minutes.
A major turning point in the game came early in the third period when Austin Zemlak was given a double minor for high sticking Andrew Cristall 4:25 after the puck dropped.
On the power play Brayden Crampton let a hard shot go from the point that was blocked by Sloan, but Sloan struggled to get back to his feet. Play continued as Sloan continued to lay on the ice and Crampton let another shot go past the glove of Grout, tying the game at three. Sloan left the game for a few minutes before returning late in regulation.
The goal came with 2:27 remaining in the double minor, giving the Chiefs another power play. Preston scored his second of the night less than a minute later, driving to the back post off the rush and taking a backdoor pass from Chase Harrington to give Spokane the lead.
The game remained 4-3 for just over six minutes before Owen Martin gave Spokane some insurance with a goal off the rush, beating Grout over the glove from the right circle with 6:51 remaining in regulation.
Tri-City had two power plays late in the game but couldn’t capitalize to cut into the lead before Van Olm scored into an empty net, sealing a 6-3 Spokane win.
The Americans now head north for a 2:00 puck drop against the Kelowna Rockets (16-32-4-1) on Monday.
