Spokane chiefs recap

KENNEWICK – Goaltender Mason Beaupit stopped all 18 shots he faced to post his first Western Hockey League shutout as the Spokane Chiefs defeated the host Tri-City Americans 3-0 Friday night at the Toyota Center.

Beaupit was playing in his 17th career game for the Chiefs over the past three seasons.

Jack Finley had a goal and an assist for the Chiefs (2-3-1-0, five points), who moved out of the U.S. Division cellar and into a three-way tie for second place with Portland and Seattle, one point behind divison-leading Everett. Bear Hughes and Mac Gross also scored for the Chiefs, who have defeated the rival Americans in two of three meetings this season, including both games played on the road.

Spokane left winger Reed Jacobson was taken off the ice and to a local hospital late in the third period. Americans winger Drew Freer twisted Jacobsen up in the Chiefs’ end and Jacobson’s skate got stuck in the ice. Freer fell on Jacobson, whose leg was placed in an air cast by team personnel. Freer was given a game misconduct and a match penalty for attempt to injure.

Hughes, a native of Post Falls, broke a scoreless tie with a power-play goal 53 seconds into the second period on assists from Raegan Wiles and Finley. The Chiefs got the man advantage when Tri-City’s Marc Lajoie was called for slashing with 1 second left in the first period.

The score remained 1-0 until the third period.

Finley made it 2-0 at 7:53 of the third, with assists from Luke Toporowski and Cordel Larson.

Gross added a clinching power-play goal at 13:11 after the Americans were called for too many men on the ice. Yannick Proske and Blake Swetlikoff were credited with assists.

The Chiefs outshot the Americans 33-16, including 13-3 in the final period, and went 2 for 5 with the man advantage.

Spokane will have the rest of the weekend off before resuming its five-game trip Tuesday against the Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Washington.

The Chiefs’ next home game is scheduled Oct. 29 against Seattle.