Thunderbirds edge Chiefs

SEATTLE – Rookie Radel Meidl scored an overtime goal and picked up a hat trick to help the Seattle Thunderbirds earn a 4-3 win over the Spokane Chiefs in Western Hockey League action Sunday night.

Meidl scored two power-play goals and Kyle Pess added an even-strength goal in the first period to pace the Thunderbirds early, but Spokane rallied back with goals from Derek Ryan, J.P. Szaszkiewicz and Mitch Wahl to tie the score at 3 in the third.

In overtime, Meidl hammered in the rebound of a Jan Eberle shot at the 3:52 mark of the sudden-death overtime.

Meidl scored all three of Seattle’s power play goals, picking up his first hat trick.

Seattle’s Derek Yeomans made 26 saves, while the Chiefs’ Kevin Armstrong stopped 29 shots.

The Thunderbirds improved to 3-3-0-3 and Spokane drops to 5-2-2-0, ending a three-game win streak.

The Chiefs will host Medicine Hat on Wednesday in the only meeting between the teams this season before playing at Vancouver on Friday. On Saturday, Spokane makes its first appearance in Chilliwack, British Columbia against the expansion Bruins.

Thunderbirds 4, Chiefs 3 (OT)

First Period—1, Seattle, Pess 3, 4:05. 2, Seattle, Meidl 2 (Hickey, Stamler), 6:48 (pp). 3, Meidl 3 (Je.Schappert, Gagnon), 14:02 (pp). Second Period—4, Spokane, Ryan 2 (Courchene) 4:52. Third Period—5, Spokane, Szaszkiewicz 2 (Ryan, Langkow), 1:27. 6, Spokane, Wahl 3 (Bruton, Hobson), 13:12 (pp). Overtime—7, Seattle, Meidl 4 (Eberle, Hickey) 3:52 (pp).

Power-play Opp.—Spokane 1 of 8; Seattle 3 of 11. Saves—Spokane, Armstong 9-10-9-1—29. Seattle, Yeomans 6-6-13-1—26. A—2,406.