RECAP: Americans (5) vs Chiefs (4) SO – February 14, 2025
Kennewick, WA. – The Tri-City Americans (27-21-4-1) saw their 4-2 lead slip late in regulation, but bounced back to pick up a 5-4 shootout win over the Spokane Chiefs (35-16-1-1) Friday night.
Carter MacAdams opened the scoring for the Americans, driving to the net on an odd-man rush. Charlie Elick carried the puck down the right wing and swung it to the net where MacAdams deflected it in for his 17th of the season, and 50th of his WHL career.
The goal came 9:46 into the game and was the only goal of the first as Tri-City carried their 1-0 lead into the intermission. Spokane outshot the Americans 10-5 in the first.
After Ismail Abougouche was given an extra two-minute for a fight at center ice with Cameron Parr, Spokane tied the game on the power play. Berkley Catton fed the puck to Andrew Cristall who fired it in from the right circle 5:14 into the second.
The game didn’t stay tied for long as a strong shift by the Americans in the Spokane zone led to a goal. After hemming the Chiefs in their own zone for an extended period, Savin Virk found Grady Martin in the slot and he one timed home a shot from between the circles to restore the Americans lead just 2:37 after the tying goal.
The Americans took the 2-1 lead into the second intermission with the shots 20-11 for Spokane.
Cristall scored his second of the game 5:28 into the third. A turnover at the Spokane blue line resulted in Cristall taking a drop pass off the rush and beating Lukas Matecha over the blocker.
Once again, the Americans responded quickly to regain the lead. Jake Sloan skated down the left wing into the Chiefs zone before sliding it to the slot for Max Curran who beat Dawson Cowan with his 17th of the year. The goal came 1:04 after Spokane had tied the game at two.
Before Curran’s goal could even be announced in the building the Americans extended their lead. Kale Margolis whipped the puck around the boards in the Spokane zone and Jaxen Adam threw it on net from the left-wing boards.
The puck deflected off the leg of a Spokane defenseman and through the five hole of Cowan, giving the Americans a 4-2 lead with the two goals coming just 24 seconds apart.
The two-goal lead held until late in the game when the Chiefs started to ramp up the pressure. A turnover at the Americans blue line resulted in the 4-3 goal when Catton eventually took a rink-wide pass in the right circle and fired it past Matecha with 2:24 remaining.
Cowan went to the bench for the extra attacker as the clock ticked down toward the final minute of regulation and the Chiefs tied the game while playing 6-on-5.
The puck came up to the blue line and Brayden Crampton let a long slapshot go that deflected through the pads of Matecha, tying the game at four with 49 seconds left.
Overtime solved nothing as the two teams went to a shootout, the fourth of the year for Tri-City. Cruz Pavao went first and gave the Americans the early advantage by pulling the puck to his backhand in tight and roofing it over Cowan’s blocker.
Matecha denied Cristall before Brandon Whynott was stopped by Cowan as Tri-City’s second attempt. Mathis Preston lost control of the puck on his attempt, setting the stage for Virk to end the game.
He came down the right wing before drifting back towards the slot, dragging the puck behind him and snapping it past the blocker of Cowan to seal the 5-4 victory.
The two teams meet again Saturday night in Spokane.
Announced attendance was 4,619.
