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Jeff Bunch

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Sports

Ice break away from Chiefs

The Spokane Chiefs faltered late for the second consecutive game, looking like a team beset with injured players and playing its third game in four nights. The Kootenay Ice were more than willing to take advantage of the situation, breaking open a close game early in the third period for a 6-3 win over Spokane on Saturday night in Western Hockey League play at the Arena.
Sports

Chiefs persevere despite multiple setbacks

Tim Speltz said he's never seen anything like it during his long tenure as general manager of the Spokane Chiefs. The Chiefs' roster has been devastated recently by (to steal a title from a book and movie) A Series of Unfortunate Events: namely, five major injuries to regular starters.
Sports

Chiefs face tough three games

The Spokane Chiefs, jockeying for playoff position, play three games in four nights this week as they complete a four-game Western Hockey League road stretch. Two of Spokane's games are against teams ranked in the top 10 in the most recent Canadian Hockey League rankings.
Sports

It’s a crucial week for Chiefs in U.S. Division

The Spokane Chiefs, coming off a big weekend win, have no time to rest. Saturday night, Spokane gained ground on second-place Tri-City with a home win over the Americans before a sellout crowd, which wasn't decided until goaltender Kevin Armstrong saved the last shot at the final horn.
Sports

Hobson scores game-winner for Chiefs

Spokane Chiefs captain Adam Hobson delivered the game-winning goal on the power play with just 3:50 remaining as the Spokane Chiefs earned a 4-3 win over the Tri-City Americans in Western Hockey League play on Saturday night. The Chiefs (28-20-3-3, 62 points) played a brilliant first period, gave it all back in the second, then came out on top of a see-saw third period to close within three points of their rivals for second place in the U.S. Division.
Sports

Opportunity lost

The Spokane Chiefs were up two goals in the third period and seemingly cruising to a Western Hockey League win on Friday night at the Arena. But the Calgary Hitmen persevered and came back with a pair of goals late in regulation, forcing the game into overtime and earning an eventual 4-3 shootout win.
Sports

Unsung hero leads Chiefs

No one will accuse J.P. Szaskiewicz of being a prolific scorer. After all, he has just eight goals in 155 Western Hockey League games over three seasons. He went more than two months without a point earlier this season.
Sports

Road trip offered mixed bag

The Spokane Chiefs aren't happy with their 2-5 record on their recent road trip, but they say it isn't all about the wins and losses. "The effort was there each and every night," said coach Bill Peters. "Obviously, the results weren't the way that we wanted them. Even so, there were some positives to take out of the trip."
News >  Spokane

Hand in hand

Spokane skating fans gave one last standing ovation to the stars of the 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Then the skaters lined up at center ice and gave one back at the Exhibition of Champions finale before a sellout crowd of 10,393 at the Spokane Arena on Sunday afternoon.
Sports

Knockout punch

Longtime rivals Johnny Weir and Evan Lysacek played their cards closed to the vest all the way up until the end in the Championship Men's free skate Saturday night. It was Lysacek who had the winning hand, however, landing a quadruple-toe, triple-toe combination on his way to winning his first national Senior Men's title at the United States Figure Skating Championships.
Sports

She’s tough enough

Coach Pam Gregory has used one word to describe Kimmie Meissner all week at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships: tough. Meissner proved her coach right on Saturday afternoon before an Arena crowd of 10,393 and made Championship Ladies history in the process.
Sports

Castile, Okolski steal show with upset win

Experience is usually the difference at competitions such as the U.S. National Figure Skating Championships. Other times skaters have the moment of their competitive lives and throw that conventional wisdom out the window.
Sports

Drama awaits on final night

Two titles up for grabs, with two rivals up front and deep fields behind them. That is the stage set for both the Senior men's and women's free skate finals today at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The men's 6:15 p.m. competition will likely come down to the winner of a battle between three-time defending champion Johnny Weir and Evan Lysacek. There is a strong group of skaters battling for a third spot on the podium.
Sports

Repeat performers

Ben Agosto and Tanith Belbin did what was expected, again, in the Championship Ice Dancing event at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships – despite the best shot of Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov. Belbin and Agosto won their fourth straight national title, blowing away the rest of the field. Their next-closest competitors, Gregory and Petukhov, were 15.24 points back as they earned their third straight runner-up finish at nationals.
Sports

Meissner leads talented field

A few skating friends are trying to crash Emily Hughes' birthday party. Hughes, who turns 18 today, said she's still planning a gathering for Saturday night in Spokane. How she skates earlier that day may affect her mood.
Sports

Point, counterpoint

It's on. Evan Lysacek made a statement in the Senior Men's short program at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships Thursday afternoon at the Arena.
Sports

Lysacek works hard to move up on podium

Evan Lysacek must feel like those climbers who get near the summit of Mount Everest, only to be forced to turn back. At least as much as capturing a U.S. men's figure skating title is his ultimate climb.
Sports

Meissner, Hughes say they’re set

Kimmie Meissner, the current women's world figure skating champion, would like to successfully defend her title in March. So, like many of her U.S. teammates, her training program is geared toward peaking at the right time. For most, that is still a few weeks away.
Sports

Cool customers

Two friends from Southern California grabbed the top spots in the Junior Ladies event Tuesday night at the 2007 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships in the Spokane Arena. But they're not going to Disneyland to celebrate. Not when there's snow around in the Pacific Northwest.
Sports

Hall of fame coach has optimism for U.S.

He is the Vince Lombardi of singles skating coaches. Frank Carroll is a U.S. and world figure skating hall of fame coach. He is one of only three coaches to have two national champions in the same year – in 2001 with Timothy Goebel and Michelle Kwan – and has coached nearly a dozen world champions.
Sports

Ice dancing pairs waltz into senior competition

The long wait for Spokane figure skating fans is over. The royalty of U.S. senior ice dancing took the Arena ice at 3:40 p.m. Tuesday. Ben Agosto and Tanith Belbin were greeted with suitable fanfare, then proceeded to skate to the expected lead after the compulsory dance done to the "Golden Waltz."
Sports

It’s Showtime

Mirai Nagasu said she likes to have fun, all the time, if she can. She certainly did that Sunday night as the 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships officially got underway in Spokane before a crowd of 6,865.
News >  Spokane

Dance defined: Belbin, Agosto

Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto have taken Championship Dance to a level it has never been in the United States, but they're not done. They plan on taking U.S. skating higher, even as other skaters are taking time off from the Grand Prix circuit – or even retiring – after last year's Turin Olympics.
News >  Spokane

Evolutions and revolutions: Q&A with Berkley Villard

Berkley Villard was among the first generation of figure skaters to emerge from Spokane onto the national scene, and is now coach to a new breed of hopefuls. She is also a skating consultant to the Spokane Chiefs hockey team. She sat down with The Spokesman-Review to discuss the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, an event she will blog for the newspaper at spokesmanreview.com/skating. Q:What was it like here in Spokane as the local skating scene developed?