Versatile Chiefs Whip Portland

FROM SPORTS REPLAY (Friday, December 1, 2000): Correction Joff Kehler scored the game-winning goal in the Spokane Chiefs’ come-from-behind win at Portland. He was misidentified in Thursday’s report.

The Spokane Chiefs gave Portland a false hope through the first one-third of Wednesday’s Western Hockey League game.

But mimicking the last 14 Chiefs-Winter Hawks games, the result didn’t favor Portland.

Seven different Chiefs scored and Spokane overcame a 2-0 deficit to bury Portland 7-2 at Memorial Coliseum.

The Chiefs are 13-0-2 in their last 15 games with Portland. This season’s series is 2-0-1.

Spokane (14-8-2-1) remained tied with Kamloops for first place in the West Division. Both teams have 31 points after Kamloops defeated Saskatoon 5-2.

Portland (12-7-2-2) is tied for third place with Seattle and Kelowna. All three have 28 points.

The Winter Hawks bolted to a 2-0 edge with Jesse Ferguson’s goal midway through the first period and Eric Bowen’s goal seconds into the second period.

But the Chiefs needed just a 10-1/2-minute span of that period to take the lead. Brandin Cote scored his 12th goal and Lynn Loyns his 11th before Justin Keller’s score at 10:46 put Spokane on top for good.

The Chiefs turned the game into a rout with a four-goal final period. Loyns assisted on two of them. Roman Tvrdon added one goal and one assist.

The Chiefs play at Lethbridge on Friday and Medicine Hat on Saturday. Their next home game is Wednesday against Prince Albert.

Chiefs 7, Winterhawks 2

Spokane 0 3 4 - 7

Portland 1 1 0 - 2

First Period-1, Portland, Ferguson 5 (Gaustad) 11:42. Penalties-Mann Spo 1:58, Wellar Por 13:34, Smith Spo 18:50.

Second Period-2, Portland, Bowen 4 (Beuker, Young) 0:15 (pp). 3, Spokane, Cote 12 (Sauer, Lucky) 3:01. 4, Spokane, Loyns 11 (Thorpe, Ovington) 8:27 (pp). 5, Spokane, Keller 2 (Wallin, Krymusa) 10:46. Penalties-Thorpe Spo, Young Por 3:15, Lipka Spo 4:25, Gaustad Por 7:43, Marach Por 14:47, Bowen Por 17:21.

Third Period-6, Spokane, Sauer 2 (Lyons, Tvrdon) 4:47. 7, Spokane, Thorpe 6 (Smith, Lyons) 11:00 (pp). 8, Spokane, Tvrdon 9 (Ovington, Cote) 16:18 (pp). 9, Spokane, Krymusa 4 (Wallin) 19:25. Penalties-Lyons Spo 1:17, Ferguson Por 10:13, Bowen Por (major, misconduct) 13:40, Lipka Spo, Hope Por, Parry Spo (misconduct), Ferguson Por (misconduct) 14:06, Hope Por 18:04, Marach Por (misconduct) 19:25, Boychuk Spo, Gaustad Por (majors) 19:27.

Power play opportunities-Spokane 4 of 8; Portland 1 of 4. Saves-Spokane, MacKay 7-4-6-17. Portland, Ramage 6-18-8-32. A-6,202.