Cirjak’s Goal Lifts Chiefs In Overtime Win Puts Spokane Two Games Above .500 For First Time Since Nov. 30

You can make statistics say what you want, but there was no denying the validity of one daunting stat at the second intermission Wednesday night in the Arena.

They trailed the Portland Winter Hawks by a goal after two periods.

So the challenge in the final 20 minutes before 6,007 was to do the unprecedented - beat the Winter Hawks down the stretch.

With Brent Belecki spectacular in goal for the Western Hockey League West Division-leading Hawks, the job took a little longer than 20 minutes.

The Chiefs did it in overtime, beating Portland 4-3 on John Cirjak’s goal 5:56 into the 10-minuted sudden-victory extra session.

The Chiefs won their sixth straight at home and went two games over .500 for the first time since Nov. 30, when they were 15-13-2. It was only the second win in eight games with Portland.< Cirjak’s game-winning goal was set up by Marian Cisar, who had a goal and three assists to keep the pressure on Belecki, who stopped 43 of Spokane’s 47 shots.

Spokane’s Aren Miller kicked out two shots in overtime. Miller swept away 29 of Portland’s 32 shots on goal.

Playing without two of their top six forwards, Brad Isbister and Chris Jacobson, the Winter Hawks jumped up 1-0 on Brenden Morrow’s 26th goal of the season. On a breakaway, Morrow beat Miller with a drive on the helpless goaltender’s stick side.

The Chiefs got the equalizer on the power play when Adam Magarrell’s wrist shot, from the left point through a screen, got by Belecki.

The Winter Hawks led 2-1 after two periods. Andrej Podkomicky shed the Chiefs defense, slide the puck through the crease to Kevin Haupt, whose shot from the right circle got by Miller at 15:39 of the second.

The Chiefs tied it on Chad Reich’s rebound shot at 12:43 of a wild, up-tempo third period.

Cisar put the Chiefs up 3-2 just 5 minutes later by shaking off Portland defenseman Andree Ference and putting a backhander by Belecki.

Morrow sent it into overtime with his second goal of the game with 1:48 to go and the Hawks on the power play.

Cisar and Cirjak took it from there.

, DataTimes MEMO: Change in Spokane edition.