T-Birds Fall To Chiefs In Spokane

Ciona registers first point as a T-Bird

SPOKANE, October 4, 2019 — The Spokane Chiefs defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds 5-1 Friday night at Veterans Memorial Arena.

The T-Birds play the Victoria Royals Saturday at accesso ShoWare Center at 6:05pm. Single game tickets are on sale online on the T-Birds website and at the accesso ShoWare Center box office.

Spokane took a 3-0 lead on goals by Ty Smith, Jake McGrew and Luke Toporowski in the first eight minutes of the first period.

Seattle got on the board at 11:05 of the first. Lucas Ciona fed the puck from behind the Spokane net to Kai Uchacz to the right of the goal. Uchacz got off a shot and banged at the rebound. The puck slid under Spokane goalie Campbell Arnold and lay in the crease. Keltie Jeri-Leon was on the spot to push the loose puck into the net for his first goal of the season.

The assist by Ciona was his first point as a T-Bird. In the last game against Kamloops Conner Roulette scored his first goal as a T-Bird.

Smith and McGrew, on the power play, both scored in the second period to put the Chiefs in front 5-1.

Seattle goalie Blake Lyda made his first start of the season and had 27 saves on 32 shots.

The T-Birds are now taking orders for Flex-24 Ticket packages. Fans that purchase the 24-Flex Ticket Package will be able to select any available premium seat for any game, in any ticket combination, during the 2019-20 season.

SCORING SUMMARY

First period – 1, Spokane, Smith 1 (Jacobsen, King), 2:14. 2, Spokane, McGrew 4 (Zummack, Beckman), 7:37 (pp). 3, Spokane, Toporowski 2 (Hughes, Finley), 7:53. 4, Seattle, Jeri-Leon 1 (Uchacz, Ciona), 11:05. Penalties – Bateman, Sea (slashing), 6:13. Hughes, Spo (hooking), 19:59.

Second period – 5, Seattle, Smith 2 (Kral, Beckmann), 3:45. 6, Spokane, McGrew 5 (Zummack, Smith), 11:46 (pp). Penalties – Wedman, Sea (cross checking), 7:26. Bench, Sea (too many men-served by Roulette), 10:24. Kukuca, Sea (roughing), 15:25. Beckman, Spo (roughing), 15:25. MacNeil, Spo (hooking), 18:30.

Third period – No scoring. Penalties – Smith, Spo (tripping), 4:15. Atchison, Spo (slashing), 8:26. Ciona, Sea (hooking), 9:20. Atchison, Spo (slashing), 13:13.

Shots on goal – Seattle 10-10-11 31, Spokane 13-12-8 32. Goalies – Seattle, Lyda 32 shots-27 saves (0-1-0-0); Spokane, Arnold 31-30 (1-0-1-0). Power plays – Seattle 0-5; Spokane 2-3. Referees – Ryan Bourdon, Mike Campbell. Linesmen – Nick Albinati, Brad Parker.