Chiefs fall in regular-season finale

PORTLAND – The Spokane Chiefs fell to the Portland Winter Hawks 3-2 Sunday night in the fifth round of a shootout at Memorial Coliseum to conclude their Western Hockey League regular season.

Spokane led 2-1 behind two second-period goals from Judd Blackwater – his 30th and 31st of the season – before Portland’s Travis Ehrhardt knotted the score with a power-play goal at 12:53 of the third period. After a scoreless overtime, Matt Schmermund scored the winning goal for Portland, giving the Winter Hawks the victory.

It was just the third time in 44 games that the Chiefs have lost after having had the lead entering the third period, with the defeat coming against the team with the worst record in the Western Conference.

Despite the loss, Spokane completed one of the most successful regular seasons in team history. The Chiefs finished with a franchise-record 107 points to place second in the U.S. Division and tied the franchise mark for wins with 50.

Spokane will host the first two games of a best-of-7 first-round playoff series with the Everett Silvertips Friday and Saturday. Both games start at 7 p.m.

If necessary, the Chiefs will host Games 6 and 7 April 1 and April 2.

Spokane is the No. 3 seed and Everett is No. 6.

Tickets for the first two games are currently on sale at the Chiefs ticket office at 535-PUCK and TicketsWest at (800) 325-SEAT.