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Jess Brown

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Sports

Tigers on the prowl

It’s certainly a different feel watching the Lewis and Clark Tigers play volleyball this season. The two-time State 4A runner-up Tigers lost some key components after last season, as did five-time defending state champion Mead and several other teams around the Greater Spokane League.
Sports

Stickland, Ice hand Chiefs opening loss

CRANBROOK, British Columbia – They should be called the Kootenay Killjoys. The Spokane Chiefs – the only team in the entire 60-team Canadian Hockey League that ended last postseason on a winning note, earning the storied Memorial Cup in the process – became the first team in the 43rd Western Hockey League season to start on a losing note on Thursday night, falling 4-2 to the Kootenay Ice at the Cranbrook Rec Plex.
Sports

Chiefs debut tonight

They’ll all be there tonight. General manager Tim Speltz will be there, watching his Spokane Chiefs officially begin defense of their Memorial Cup and Western Hockey League titles in Cranbrook, British Columbia, against the Kootenay Ice.
Sports

Shadle’s new digs

While all eyes have been on the Mead Panthers and Lewis and Clark Tigers the past two seasons, another Greater Spokane League volleyball team has been lurking in the shadows. Meet the Shadle Park Highlanders
Sports

Chiefs seek status quo

The thing about taking the ultimate step is that there are only two places to go from there – stand still, or fall down. That’s the position the Spokane Chiefs find themselves in after collecting Western Hockey League and Canadian Hockey League titles last spring.
Sports

Kelowna rockets past Chiefs on power plays

For the next couple of weeks, the Spokane Chiefs’ rookies will have even more of an opportunity to show their potential. For the most part, Chiefs coach Hardy Sauter likes what he has seen so far in that regard, even if the scoreboard didn’t end in Spokane’s favor on Friday night.
Sports

Chiefs turn focus to wins

At this point in the exhibition season last year, the Spokane Chiefs had three wins and zero losses. This season the Chiefs are 1-2 after dropping two of three games at last weekend’s Everett Silvertips tournament. It’s important to keep in mind, though, that the Chiefs’ preseason record – through the first three games anyway – wasn’t the top priority for new head coach Hardy Sauter.
Sports

Watchful eye

Hardy Sauter has had the chance to see his team on the ice in an intrasquad scenario. Now it’s time for Spokane’s new bench boss to see what his Chiefs can do against teams within the U.S. Division.
Sports

Shock achieved every goal except one

All right, so they admit they fell short. But give the Spokane Shock credit – for a few different reasons. For completing the arenafootball2 season with 18 wins and two losses, for winning their third straight Western Division and second National Conference title in three seasons and for having the class to tip their hats to a team that was better on the night it mattered most.
Sports

Snakebitten

The setting couldn’t have been more perfect. The Spokane crowd – an Arena packed with people decked out in orange and blue – backed by a Monday Night Football feel. The home team – the Spokane Shock – heavily favored to win the big game because, after all, they were the best team in the arenafootball2 league when the game began.
Sports

Eyes on the prize

Spokane Shock assistant coach Matthew Sauk doubled as a photographer on Saturday afternoon. The arenafootball2 league’s title trophy was on display at the Shock practice facility for media day on Saturday afternoon, and Sauk spent his time snapping several photos of Shock players standing next to the ArenaCup.
Sports

Taking their shot

There’s an ice-block sized chip on the shoulder of Dustin Donaghy, and so far that’s working to his advantage. After playing in 38 games last season as a rookie and seeing hardly any ice time in the postseason, the Spokane Chiefs forward is looking to expand his role on the team this season.
Sports

Hard work explains Shock’s big splash

The suggestion that there’s something in the water at the Spokane Shock’s practice facility drew a chuckle from Adam Shackleford. “Wouldn’t that be nice?” the second-year coach responded.
Sports

Sauter looks to add some personal touches

Hardy Sauter sat in the Arena stands staring intently at the ice. In his first training camp as the Spokane Chiefs’ bench boss, things didn’t feel much different. He essentially went through the same routine last summer as Spokane’s assistant coach.
Sports

Spokane returns to rink for first time since Cup

It seems, without any sort of negotiation, that Drayson Bowman has picked up a truck payment. The Spokane Chiefs forward, who signed an entry-level contract in the off-season with the Carolina Hurricanes, made a deal with his parents last year when they bought him a new truck. The agreement: He would have to take on the expense when he inked an NHL contract.
Sports

Shock embrace warm, homey feeling

Nineteen down, one to go. The Spokane Shock (18-1) took the field Wednesday for their first practice of the week and began on-field preparations for their final game of the franchise’s third season in the arenafootball2 league – the ArenaCup championship game against the American Conference champion Tennessee Valley Vipers (13-6).
Sports

Chiefs open camp

Less than three months ago players packed their bags and returned to their hometowns for a brief summer vacation. Now the boys are back in town and the Spokane Chiefs are ready to begin defense of their Western Hockey League and Memorial Cup championships. Approximately 70 players will check in to the Arena today for training camp, marking the beginning of a new season – one with high expectations.
Sports

Shock and roll

On a night when the conference title was on the line, he scored the first and the last touchdown. In a season where the second league championship is on the line, Raul Vijil and the Spokane Shock have just one goal left.
Sports

Shock host Dusters

One game at a time – that’s the phrase the Spokane Shock have exhausted this season. It’s also suited them well.
Sports

‘Chainsaw’ creates buzz

Kevin McCullough’s Wednesday afternoon is being spent playing radio co-host to KXLY’s Keith Osso on ‘The Dennis Patchin Show.’ As the two go on air inside the small studio, Osso introduces McCullough by his nickname – The Chainsaw – as a loud, buzzing noise revs up across the airwaves.
Sports

Shock, Dusters coaches put friendship on hold

Saturday night will be familiar territory for Adam Shackleford when for one night his friend will be his foe. The Spokane Shock coach will face a former boss – his first one in the arenafootball2 league – when Chris MacKeown and the Amarillo Dusters travel to Spokane to take on the Shock in the National Conference championship game.
Sports

Shock treatment

Remember the roadrunner? He always figured out a way to beat that darn coyote. That’s got to be the way the Central Valley Coyotes felt this season. Their Western Division nemesis – the Spokane Shock – are always finding a way to come out on top.
Sports

3rd time around for Shock, CV

Four points separated the Central Valley Coyotes and the Spokane Shock in their two regular-season contests. Today the Western Division rivals will square off for a third time, and this time it’s a winner-take-all scenario.
Sports

Chief of Chiefs

There was a bit of food for thought Hardy Sauter hadn’t chewed on prior to Friday afternoon. The former Chiefs defenseman was traded to Spokane as a 20-year-old and wrapped up his Western Hockey League playing career during the 1991-92 season after the Chiefs won their first Memorial Cup championship in franchise history.
Sports

Chiefs select Sauter

The defending Memorial Cup-champion Spokane Chiefs will announce Hardy Sauter as their new head coach today, The Spokesman-Review learned Thursday. The Chiefs will hold a press conference this afternoon at the Arena to officially name Sauter, who served as an assistant coach to Bill Peters last season for the franchise’s run to its second Western Hockey League and Canadian Hockey League championships.