Sports in brief: Chiefs need home cookin’

Hockey: New month, new outlook.

It’s a perfect time for the Spokane Chiefs to turn things around with just six weeks and 20 games remaining in the Western Hockey League season.

The Chiefs, just 13-12 at home, play eight of 13 games in February at the Arena, beginning tonight against Everett, which has won every game it has played in 2010.

With a 14-game winning streak, the Silvertips (33-16-2-1, 69 points) have surged past the Chiefs (29-19-3-1, 62) and Portland (32-20-1-1, 66) into second place in the U.S. Division behind Tri-City (37-13-0-2, 76).

The Chiefs play Everett five times in February, three at home, and have two home games against Tri-City.

Spokane has had a five-game winning streak and a six-game losing streak at home. Since a 3-0 win over Prince George on Dec. 8, the Chiefs have lost seven of eight at home – five by one goal.

Dave Trimmer

Boise State faces VaTech in opener

College football: Boise State’s national profile keeps rising.

The Broncos announced Tuesday that they have moved their game this fall against Virginia Tech to Labor Day. The nationally televised showcase will match the kings of the Western Athletic Conference and the perennial contenders for the Atlantic Coast Conference championship. Both teams finished last season in the top 10 of the Associated Press Top 25.

The game will begin in prime time at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., home of the Washington Redskins. It had been scheduled for Oct. 2.

Boise State is returning 21 of its 22 starters from last season’s undefeated Fiesta Bowl champions, including quarterback Kellen Moore.

The Broncos’ upgraded nonconference schedule for 2010 also includes a September home game against Pac-10 runner-up Oregon State.

Associated Press

WAC selects Vandals’ Pope

Track and field: University of Idaho men’s pole vaulter Lucas Pope (Coeur d’Alene High) is the Western Athletic Conference field athlete of the week after Saturday’s winning performance at the University of Washington Invitational.

Pope, a senior, won the event with a school-record height of 17 feet, 51/2 inches.