Chase Bertholet records hat trick, Spokane Chiefs win streak reaches four with 11-3 win over Tri-City

From staff reports

KENNEWICK – In the first game of a seasonlong seven -game Western Hockey League road trip, the Spokane Chiefs said goodbye to 2023 in grand fashion.

Chase Bertholet recorded a hat trick, with two goals in a 32-second span in the second period, and the Chiefs routed the Tri-City Americans 11-3 at Toyota Center on Sunday for the Chiefs’ fourth straight win to close out the year.

Bertholet has scored five goals in his last two games. The 11 goals in a single game are a season high for Spokane, topping an eight-goal outburst against Kelowna at home on Oct. 27.

Tri-City jumped on top early on Jackson Smith’s first WHL goal, a power -play marker, just past 6 minutes into the game.

It was all Spokane after that. Midway through the frame Chiefs defenseman Layton Feist delivered a slap shot and beat Tri-City goalie Kyle Kelsey low stick side.

Conner Roulette made it 2-1 with 51/2 minutes left in the period. The Chiefs put two shots on net and with Kelsey scrambling to get to his feet, Roulette gathered a rebound and flipped it in the open goal for his team-leading 24th goal of the season.

Early in the second the Americans converted a two-on-one, with Andrew Fan burying a feed from Carter McAdams to tie the game with his fifth goal of the season.

Spokane took the lead and added to it a couple of minutes later.

Bertholet’s hard shot from the right-wing circle was originally waved off by the officials, but after video review the puck hit the back bar and bounced out. It was ruled a goal. Just 32 seconds later, Bertholet entered the zone and snapped a wrist shot top shelf from the same spot for his 12th goal of the season and a 4-2 lead.

It became a three-goal lead 3 minutes into the third on Owen Schoettler’s shot from the point – the 16-year-old defenseman’s first WHL goal in his 30th game. Two-and-a-half minutes later, Saige Weinstein scored his second goal in as many games to give the Chiefs a half-dozen.

The Chiefs scored five more goals in the final 11 minutes of the game. Bertholet completed his hat trick, Owen Martin scored twice, while Coco Armstrong and Will McIsaac added markers.

Berkly Catton had three assists, giving him seven in his last two games.

Spokane travels to Swift Current on Jan. 5 to start a six-game swing against Central Division opponents.