Chiefs end year with win

KENNEWICK – Happy New Year!

The Spokane Chiefs said good-bye to 2004 by exciting the cellar in the U.S. Division of the Western Hockey League’s Western Conference Friday night – at least as sole occupant.

With Miles Stoesz collecting his first goal of the season and Kyle Howarth setting up the first two goals, the Chiefs overcame the Tri-City Americans 3-1 before 5,768 fans.

It was the fifth road win of the season for the Chiefs (13-17-7-1), and their third in four visits to the Tri-Cities Coliseum, enabling Spokane to pull into a fourth-place tie with the Americans (14-15-4-2) with 34 points. They’re just three points behind third-place Portland, a 3-1 loser to visiting Seattle.

Although Spokane has been successful here this season and was coming off an overtime win over Kelowna on Wednesday night, the Chiefs figured to have their work cut out in the annual New Year’s Eve visit.

Tri-City had shut out its three previous opponents and was working on a shutout streak of 220-plus minutes.

Carey Price, in goal for 207 of those minutes, battled Spokane goalie Jim Watt for 15 minutes before Stoesz ended the Americans’ shutout streak at 235-plus minutes.

Taking a pass from Howarth, Stoesz lifted in a shot over Price from the slot.

Chris Bruton got what proved to be the winner when he blasted in a shot from the right circle 11:21 into the second period on a feed from Howarth.

Ian McDonald ended Watt’s shutout bid at 13:03 of the third with his seventh goal and drew the Americans within 2-1. But with Price off the ice for an extra attacker, Chiefs’ scoring leader Chad Klassen put his 20th goal of the season into the empty net at the 19:30 mark to seal the win.