Quick-Scoring Ams Overturn Chiefs

Tri-City scored two quick goals late in each of the first two periods and went on to defeat the Spokane Chiefs 7-5 Saturday night in a Western Hockey League game.

The Americans gained a 5-3 lead with their second pair of quick scores. After Scott Gomez put in his 11th goal of the season at 2:21 of the third, Tri-City had only its third victory after giving up the first goal of the game.

Ty Jones, who now has 31 goals, had given Spokane a 1-0 lead with the first of his two scores, at 15:09 of the first period.

K.C. Timmons and Ken McKay put Tri-City up 2-1 by scoring within the last 3-1/2 minutes. It was 3-1 before Greg Leeb and Jones, who has five goals in two games, tied the game in the second period.

McKay and Timmons each scored again in the final 5 minutes of the period.

Rick Barry scored for the Chiefs, making it 6-5 with 13 seconds left in the game. Tri-City’s Josef Melichar scored into an empty net 9 seconds later.

Spokane suffered only its fourth defeat against 28 victories after scoring first. Tri-City, which ended a 21-game winless streak against West Division teams, is 3-29-3 when its opponent scores first.

Americans 7, Chiefs 5

Spokane 1 2 2 - 5

Tri-City 2 3 2 - 7

First period- 1, Spokane, Jones 30 (Schutz, Smyth), 15:09. 2, Tri-City, Timmons 6 (Thompson, Gomez), 16:44. 3, Tri-City, McKay 21 (Gomez, Hay), 19:47 (pp). Key penalties- Thompson, TC, double minor :06. Whitfield, Spo, 6:59; Rossiter, Spo, 7:14, Hay, TC, 17:31; Cisar, Spo, double minor 18:39.

Second period- 4, Tri-City, Darguzas 7 (Vesely, Duncan), 5:43. 5, Spokane, Leeb 41 (Cisar, P.Johnson), 8:04 (pp). 6, Spokane, Jones 31 (Cisar, Leeb), 14:27. 7, Tri-City, McKay 22 (Gyori, Gomez), 15:04 (pp). 8, Tri-City, Timmons 7 (Almeida, McKay), 17:58. Key penalties-Darby, TC, 7:26; Graf, Spo, 8:54, Gyori, TC, 9:18, Smyth, Spo, 14:53; Leeb, Spo, 15:04.

Third period- 9, Tri-City, Gomez 11 (Hay, Gyori), 2:21. 10, Spokane, Severson 30 (Schutz, Whitfield), 9:37 (pp). 11, Spokane, Barry 6 (Whitfield), 19:47. 12, Tri-City, Melichar 7, (empty net), 19:56. Key penalties-Rossiter, Spo, 3:47; Katcher, TC, 9:00; Evans, TC, 11:15; Jones, Spo, misconduct and game misconduct 18:59; Leeb, Spo, high stick match major 19:56; Babcock, TC, game misconduct 19:56.

Power-play opp.-Spokane 2 of 7; Tri-City 2 of 9. Saves-Spokane, Haun 8-8-x- 16, Miller -x-1-6- 7. Tri-City, Faulkner 10-15-11- 36. A-4,786.