Chiefs Back On Track Cardarelli’s Three Goals Help Spokane End Road Woes, 6-1

Joe Cardarelli is making up for lost time.

The Spokane Chiefs’ left winger sat out 2-1/2 months - more than two dozen games - with a broken leg. He had scored six goals in the 15 games in which he played.

In the last two games, he’s collected nearly that many.

A hat trick - a “natural hat” in that he scored the three in succession - Monday night in the Saddledome gives him five goals in two games and triggered the Chiefs’ 6-1 Western Hockey League victory over Calgary.

Right wing Jay Bertsch added two goals and Trent Whitfield his 21st as the Chiefs (28-13-3) extended a winning streak to four games and in the process snapped a three-game road losing streak.

It was the eighth loss in a row for the struggling Hitmen.

Spokane, which regained a first-place tie with Kamloops in the WHL West, got its five-game Central trip off to a quick start.

Whitfield scored less than 90 seconds into the game. Cardarelli got the next three goals and Bertsch the last two.

The Chiefs connected on four of their first 11 shots, chasing Calgary goalie Scott Rideout in the second period. Backup Lindsay Materi yielded a goal on the first shot he saw.

Mike Piersol ruined goalie David Lemanowicz’s shutout bid on a power play 23 seconds later.

Spokane outshot Calgary 33-16, 15-3 in the third period.