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Spokane Chiefs

Spokane Chiefs drop third straight on the road, Vancouver wins 5-3

By Dave Nichols daven@spokesman.com(509) 459-5441

After a rough weekend on the road, the Spokane Chiefs will be happy to get back home.

Patrik Kral scored early in the third period to establish a three-goal lead and the Vancouver Giants beat the Spokane Chiefs 5-3 in a Western Hockey League game at the Langley Events Centre in Langley, British Columbia, on Sunday.

Spokane (4-4-2-0) lost all three games on the weekend road trip.

Vancouver (3-5-1-0) made it 1-0 midway through the first period. Dawson Cowan made a pad save on an initial shot by Julian Cull, but the rebound went right to defenseman Colton Roberts at the top of the right circle. He skated around a defender and his wrist shot from the high slot beat Cowan glove side for his first goal of the season.

Late in the period Cameron Schmidt got loose on a breakaway but Cowan made a glove save to keep it a one-goal game.

Early in the second period Chiefs forward Carter Streek was called for holding the opponent’s stick and the Giants made good on the power play. Schmidt’s shot from the point got past a screened Cowan for his third goal of the season to make it 2-0.

The Chiefs got on the board 3 minutes later. Winger Conner Roulette corralled a loose puck behind the Vancouver net, skated to the top of the left circle, pivoted and sent a wrister past Brett Mirwald for his fifth goal of the season.

Vancouver answered quickly as Ty Halaburda converted a 2-on-1 with a wrist shot through the five-hole to make it 3-1 midway through the period.

Kral made it 4-1 just 2 minutes into the third period on a sharp angle shot from near the left goal line for his first WHL goal.

Roulette clawed one back a few minutes later, gathering a puck at the blue line and firing a wrist shot through Mirwald to make it a two-goal game again.

The Chiefs won an offensive zone draw playing four-on-four and Roulette found Layton Feist alone on the far post for Fiest’s fourth goal of the season to make it 4-3.

Spokane pulled Cowan with just under 2 minutes left, but Tyler Thorpe poke-checked Berkly Catton at the blue line and walked in for an empty-net goal to ice it.