Wild Tie Game in Second, but Chiefs Take 5-2 Win Wednesday with Three-Goal Third

Category: ArticleDecember 28, 2023

Photo Courtesy: Larry Brunt/Spokane Chiefs

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SPOKANE, Wash. – In all three prior games between the Wenatchee Wild and Spokane Chiefs, the Chiefs grabbed an early lead only to see the Wild storm back and take a victory. Going to the third period on Wednesday at Veterans Memorial Arena, there was no reason to expect anything else.

Ashton Brown scored his first Western Hockey League goal and Luka Shcherbyna tallied for the fifth straight game, but the Chiefs had the final say with three goals in the third, taking a 5-2 win. The loss and Portland’s overtime win at Tri-City tightens up the race for the top spot in the U.S. Division significantly, with three teams separated by a single point at the top of the division ladder. Wenatchee dropped to 21-12-3-0 with Wednesday’s loss, while Spokane climbed to 12-16-3-0.

The Chiefs had an early goal in all three stanzas, starting with a sneak under the bar from Owen Martin in transition just 4:37 into the contest. Up 1-0 out of the break, Ben Bonni drove the puck to the Wenatchee net and scored at the 29-second mark of the second to push the Spokane lead to 2-0.

Wenatchee made its move shortly after, with Steven Arp setting up Brown for a low snipe at the two-minute mark of the period, and Shcherbyna banking in a point shot from Jonas Woo just 1:45 later.

Spokane untied it early in the third, when Conner Roulette jousted in a shot from the right point to put the hosts ahead at the 3:53 mark. The Chiefs added onto the lead with Rasmus Ekstrom’s shot from the left wing with 9:08 remaining and Chase Bertholet’s move around Daniel Hauser two minutes later.

“I thought our first two periods were really good, and we laid an egg in the third,” said Wild head coach Roy Sommer. “Their goaltender kept them in it in the second – we out-shot them 20-6. We got two early ones and one disallowed (for a high stick). It was kind of a disappointing loss for us. Usually we close teams out in the third, and tonight we didn’t show up for the third.”

Four Chiefs players finished with multi-point performances, but Roulette’s was the only one to include a goal, with a marker and an assist. Dawson Cowan stopped 39 Wenatchee shots to earn his seventh win of the season, setting a new season-high for a win in the process. Hauser stopped 30 of 35, falling to 12-9-2-0 on the year. The penalty killing units were a highlight for both teams, with the Wild wiping away all three Spokane power plays and the Chiefs negating all four Wenatchee power plays.

Up next for Wenatchee is the team’s only Thursday night game of the season, as they welcome the Victoria Royals to Town Toyota Center to open a seven-game homestand and a stretch of 10 of the next 11 at home. The opening puck drop for Thursday’s contest is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tickets for that game and all home regular-season contests are on sale now at 509-888-7825, online here or by visiting the team office at Town Toyota Center. Updated news and information on Wild hockey are always available through the team’s website and on the team’s social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Wenatchee 0 2 0 – 2
Spokane 1 1 3 – 5

1st Period-1, Spokane, Martin 8 (Harrington, Cowan), 4:37. Penalties-Young Wen (tripping), 5:22; Woo Wen (tripping), 5:36.

2nd Period-2, Spokane, Bonni 4 (McIsaac, Cheveldayoff), 0:29. 3, Wenatchee, Brown 1 (Arp), 2:00. 4, Wenatchee, Shcherbyna 8 (Woo, Cooper), 3:45. Penalties-Catton Spo (interference), 5:04; Cumby Wen (major-fighting), 8:36; Parr Spo (major-fighting), 8:36; Catton Spo (inter. on goaltender), 10:52; Weinstein Spo (holding), 15:55; Fraser Wen (cross checking), 19:09.

3rd Period-5, Spokane, Roulette 22 (McIsaac, Catton), 3:53. 6, Spokane, Ekström 6 (McIsaac, Cheveldayoff), 10:52. 7, Spokane, Bertholet 8 (Catton, Roulette), 12:56. Penalties-Cheveldayoff Spo (high sticking), 0:05; Parr Spo (10-minute misconduct), 12:56; Cumby Wen (cross checking), 15:52; Moore Wen (roughing), 15:52; Armstrong Spo (roughing), 15:52; Paupanekis Spo (cross checking), 15:52; Rookes Wen (10-minute misconduct), 17:47; Cheveldayoff Spo (10-minute misconduct), 17:47.

Shots on Goal-Wenatchee 13-20-8-41. Spokane 14-6-15-35.
Power Play Opportunities-Wenatchee 0 / 4; Spokane 0 / 3.
Goalies-Wenatchee, Hauser 12-9-2-0 (35 shots-30 saves). Spokane, Cowan 7-10-1-0 (41 shots-39 saves).
A-7,839
Referees-Trevor Nolan, Jarrod Lucoe (43).
Linesmen-Michael McGowan (41), Owen Middleton (136).