Kelowna pulls away from Spokane Chiefs in third period

KELOWNA, B.C. – Kyle Topping scored two goals and added an assist and the Kelowna Rockets used a three-goal third period to hold off the Spokane Chiefs 7-4 in Western Hockey League action on Wednesday night.

Topping and Kaedan Korczak scored first-period goals to stake the Rockets to a 2-0 lead. Spokane halved the deficit when Jeff Faith found the net on a rebound with 1:33 left in the period.

The Chiefs (21-18-1-2, 45 points) evened the match at 2 when Tyson Helgesen scored 19 seconds into the second period and took their only lead 1:52 later on Jared Anderson-Dolan’s power-play goal. It was Anderson-Dolan’s team-leading 23rd goal of the season.

Spokane’s lead lasted 86 seconds. Nolan Foote knotted the score and his brother Cal put the Rockets (26-122-2-1, 55 points) up 4-3. Kelowna scored three goals on five shots in the final period to wrap up the win.

Spokane returns home to play Prince George on Friday to begin a season-long five-game homestand.

Chiefs get goalie

The Chiefs made one minor move before the WHL’s trade deadline, acquiring goaltender Bailey Brkin from Kootenay for an eighth-round pick in 2019.

Brkin appeared in 23 games this season for the Ice with a .874 save percentage and a 4.51 goals-against average. He will report to the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.