Mathis Preston scores go-ahead goal late in third, Spokane Chiefs edge Vancouver 3-2

Mathis Preston scored the go-ahead goal with 2 minutes, 27 seconds left in the third period and the Spokane Chiefs beat the visiting Vancouver Giants 3-2 in a Western Hockey League Western Conference game at the Arena on Friday. 

The Chiefs (19-18-0-0) remain tied for eighth in the conference. The Giants (16-21-1-1) are 10th out of 12.

Carter Esler made 34 saves for the Chiefs, who outshot their guests 18-3 in the first period and 43-37 overall. Spokane went 0 for 4 on the power play and remain a league-worst 11.7% (16 of 137).

Tied at 2 late in the third, Preston gathered a puck from below the Vancouver goal line, looped around the left wing circle, drifted into the high slot and whipped it high stick side past Vancouver goalie Burke Hood (40 saves) for his 14th goal of the season. 

The Chiefs took a 1-0 lead midway through the first period from an unlikely source, with defenseman Nathan Mayes notching his first goal of the season – and eighth career goal in 164 games – off the rush on a feed from Owen Martin.

Vancouver tied it at 8:48 of the second when Colton Gerrior scored his fifth of the season. The Chiefs tied it 1:27 later, with Chase Harrington slotting a wrister past Hood for his 14th marker of the campaign. 

It stayed that way until 9:18 of the third, when the Giants’ Leonardo Domenicelli scored his fifth of the season to knot it 2-2.

Spokane hosts WHL expansion team Penticton Saturday at 6:05 p.m.