Chiefs, Engel blank Seattle

SEATTLE – Goalie Mac Engel stopped all 18 shots he faced to guide the Spokane Chiefs to their first shutout victory of the season – 3-0 win over the Seattle Thunderbirds in Western Hockey League action Sunday. The win snapped a season-long four-game losing streak for Spokane. Dominik Uher staked the Chiefs to a 1-0 lead in the first period with his 25th goal of the season. Collin Valcourt’s tip-in goal in the second period stretched the advantage to 2-0. It was Valcourt’s 14th netter. Liam Stewart capped the scoring for the Chiefs with a third-period goal on a breakaway. It was Stewart’s fourth goal in his last five games. The Chiefs improved to 32-20-4-3, giving them 71 points, just three behind the Vancouver Giants, who have already clinched a playoff spot. The Chiefs have two games in hand with Vancouver. Seattle fell to 20-37-1-1. The Chiefs travel to Portland to take on the Winterhawks on Friday at 7:05 p.m.