Chiefs Cuff T-Birds In Road Win

Aren Miller, the Spokane Chiefs’ 17-year-old goalie from Estevan, Saskatchewan, was certainly nervous before Friday night’s Western Hockey League game against Seattle.

But when the game started, he was cooler than the ice at the Seattle Arena.

Miller, who had his first start as a Chief, turned away 40 of 41 Seattle shots in Spokane’s 2-1 win over the Thunderbirds.

Spokane, off to its best start ever, improved to 8-2 (16 points), while Seattle fell to 3-8, (6 points).

Spokane will play host to Tri-City (8-3, 16) tonight at 7 at the Arena in a battle for first place in the WHL’s West Division, then is home again Sunday night at 6 against Saskatoon.

Offensively for the Chiefs on Friday, center Trent Whitfield scored both goals, giving him 11 goals in 10 games.

With the score tied 1-1, Whitfield got the winner at 13:03 of the final period when he stole the puck at center ice shortly after a Seattle line change.

In a one-on-one with T-Birds goalie Doug Bonner, Whitfield backhanded the puck past Bonner for the score.

In the second period, with Spokane skating with a 3-2 advantage, Whitfield tied the score at 1-1 at 8:39 after taking a pass from defenseman Hugh Hamilton, who fed him from the left circle. Whitfield redirected the puck and sent it past Bonner’s left pad.

Seattle’s Scott Burt scored the Thunderbirds’ only goal at the 7:36 mark of the first period.

Chiefs 2, Thunderbirds 1

Spokane 0 1 1 - 2

Seattle 1 0 0 - 1

First period - 1, Sea, Burt 1 (Manning, Berry), 7:36. Key penalties - Reich, Sea, 8:04; Shaw, Sea, 8:54; Podollan, Spo, 14:32; Gillam, Spo, 15:23.

Second period - 2, Spo, Whitfield 10 (Hamilton), 8:39. Key penalties - Burt, Sea, 4:34; Fletcher, Spo, double minor, 16:01; Hamilton, Spo, 18:30.

Third period - 3, Spo, Whitfield 11, 13:03. Key penalties - Palmer, Sea, 19:39; Divisek, Sea, 19:50.

Power-play Opportunities - Spo 0 of 5; Sea 0 of 5. Saves - Spo, Miller 15-16-9-40. Sea, Bonner 9-11-9-29. A - 3,954.

, DataTimes