Chiefs put themselves back in win column with 4-3 victory over Portland Saturday
Portland, Ore. – The Spokane Chiefs put themselves back in the win column Saturday night as they took down the Portland Winterhawks 4-3.
The Chiefs got off to their hottest start in nearly a month, as second-year defenseman Rhett Sather scored his third goal of the season at the 13:54 mark of the first period. It’s the first time Spokane has scored the game’s opening goal since their 4-0 victory over the Wenatchee Wild on October 10.
Portland was quick to answer, though, as Alex Weiermair capitalized on a power play opportunity only a minute later. Carter Sotheran earned an assist on the play.
Power play goal aside, Linus Vieillard was a wall in net for the Chiefs through the first 20 minutes of play, stopping 16 of 17 Winterhawk shots.
Spokane surged in the second with three unanswered goals by Sam Oremba, Chase Harrington, and Owen Martin, respectively.
Persistence paid off for Oremba at 2:29 when he hammered a stubborn puck across the line from right in front of the net to put the Chiefs back in the driver’s seat with a 2-1 lead. Defenseman Will McIsaac and rookie forward Gavin Burcar earned the assists on the play.
At 7:17, NHL Draft-eligible winger Chase Harrington swept the puck up the far side of the ice before firing it to the twine for the seventh time this season to put Spokane up by two goals. Sather picked up his second point of the night with an assist, while rookie blueliner Harry Mattern logged his second point of the season.
At 12:39, Winnipeg Jets center prospect Owen Martin scored what would be the game winning goal and the Chiefs’ fourth and final of the night.
Just when it looked like Spokane had the victory locked in, the Winterhawks made things interesting with back-to-back goals from Nathan Brown and Ryan Miller at 15:04 and 17:44 in the third.
Right at the final buzzer, Portland seemed to break through Vieillard’s defenses one more time to tie the game and send it to overtime, but it was ultimately waved off upon review.
The Chiefs were barely outshot by the Winterhawks, 37-35. Special teams went 0-for-5 on the power play and 4-for-6 on the penalty kill.
Up next, Spokane will head north of the border for a pair of match-ups against B.C. Division teams next weekend – Friday, November 14 at Penticton and Saturday, November 15 at Kelowna.
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The Spokane Chiefs are a member of the U.S. Division of the Western Hockey League, the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players. Since 1985 the Chiefs have been a pillar in the Spokane community, offering family-friendly entertainment and a winning tradition, which includes: two Memorial Cup Championships in 1991 & 2008, two WHL Championships in 1991 & 2008 and four Western Conference Championships in 1991, 1996, 2000 & 2008. Over 60 alumni have gone on to play in the National Hockey League.
